Travis Oaks make an impactful debut with their stomping self-titled debut E.P.
Opening with the hook-laden ‘Birdhouse Blues’ the stylised aesthetic and feel of Travis Oaks debut E.P. is quickly and succinctly established as the record moves on to the percussive jolting ‘Soul Son’ (a song that snarls with noise ridden rock ‘n’ roll).
Closing track ‘Last Love Song’ (which also serves the lead single) encapsulates who Travis Oaks are as a band. With its primal pounding and self-assured swagger the song crackles with infectious electric energy.
What is most impressive about the record, is how fully formed and realised the production of the E.P. is. Playing with the blues-rock rumble of Travis Oaks, the recordings sound gritty giving the band a solid bedrock to build upon.
Travis Oaks E.P. simply slithers out of the speakers with its growling rock ‘n’ roll sound. Very much a genre record, Travis Oaks clearly have fun with the deep-rooted blues-rock edges of their music making an all-encompassing, loud, upfront racket that exudes attitude and confidence.
Drawing from the same fuzz-laden rock ‘n’ roll sound as acts like the Black Keys and the Minutes, Travis Oaks know exactly how to deliver this music while also setting themselves apart. A bold, highly stylised debut.
Rating: 9/10
Travis Oaks E.P. by Travis Oaks is due for release on November 14th.
The Last Mixed Tape 
5 responses to “Travis Oaks – Travis Oaks E.P.”
[…] The bill includes: songwriter Kevin Nolan (read T.L.M.T’s review of his album Fredrick & The Golden Dawn here), indie-rock act Acrobat (read our review of their E.P. Flux here), alternative-rock band Fox Jaw and blues-rock group Travis Oaks (debut E.P. review here). […]
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[…] rock ‘n’ roll fueled act Travis Oaks (read TLMT’s review of their debut record here), noise-pop group Spines (read our interview with the band here), alternative-rock outfit Able […]
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[…] Since releasing their self-titled E.P. earlier this year, Travis Oaks have garnered much attention for their aggressive, hook laden take on the rock ‘n’ roll genre, best seen in the single ‘Last Love Song’. Read the Last Mixed Tape’s review of the record here. […]
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[…] Travis Oaks A genre record in the best sense of the term. Travis Oaks’ blues-rock fueled debut is an aggressive attention grabbing first outing from a group with a real sense of their influences […]
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[…] Stephen White / 1 min ago December 15, 2014 […]
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