Travis: 'Closer'

Poor old Travis. Seven years after their high watermark - the heavens opening at Glastonbury just as they were strumming the first few bars of 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me?' - the Scottish troubadours seem to have had their thunder stolen by Coldplay, Keane and the plethora of bands who've used their melodic, emotionally-aware soft rock as a template. Is the time ripe for a revival? The stars seem to be aligning: Chris Martin has recently confessed that Coldplay were "invented" by Travis and Ben Stiller - yes, the Ben Stiller - is making a cameo in their new video.

'Closer', the first single from their upcoming The Boy With No Name LP, is a wistful, elegiac ballad which recalls producer Nigel Godrich's work with Radiohead. The chorus is gently uplifting, Fran Healy's vocals are gloriously supple and the keyboards are ambient and dream-like. This is the sound of trying to get through the day on nothing but two hours' sleep, endless cups of black coffee and a handful of squashed Maltesers.