Rating: NNNN
After guitarist Graham Coxon bailed, Blur was like a three-legged dog limping around with a damaged spirit. Love Travels reminds us why his presence in Blur was nothing short of vital. On his sixth solo effort (second post-Blur), Coxon unloads more from his seemingly endless arsenal of killer guitar hooks, injecting each song with punk immediacy and, perhaps most refreshingly, keeping the overall mood light. Even if his singing never touches Damon Albarn’s, he seems confident in his voice, using his shortcomings to his advantage to burn through 13 tracks inspired by a passion for late-70s Brit punk.
