The Invisible Band

The Invisible Band is the third studio album by the Scottish rock band Travis, produced by Nigel Godrich. It was released on 11 June 2001 in the United Kingdom by Independiente and a day later in the United States by Epic Records. The songwriter, Fran Healy, said the title referred to the band's status of having famous songs, but not being famous themselves.

The Invisible Band spent four weeks at the top of the UK Albums Chart, selling more copies in that time than their previous album, The Man Who (1999), achieved in six months.

Recording
The Invisible Band was recorded at Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, who also produced the previous Travis record, The Man Who (1999). According to the Travis songwriter, Fran Healy, Godrich arrived for the sessions in a bad mood. Healy said Godrich was frustrated after the gruelling recording sessions for Radiohead's albums Kid A and Amnesiac, and so "took it out on us because he couldn't take it out on Radiohead".

Godrich was strict with Travis and rejected their initial work, which they found dispiriting. Eventually, after a serious argument, the mood settled. Healy felt it was good for Godrich to work with "melodic" bands such as Travis as well as more experimental acts such as Radiohead. The group began to make progress after a session experimenting with unusual instruments such as a tanpura.

Critical reception
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, The Invisible Band received an average score of 71 based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favourable reviews".

Q wrote: "While the wheel remains un-reinvented, The Invisible Band finds its mark with unerring accuracy". While Launch also said of the album, "Songs like the stirring 'Side', the delicate 'Dear Diary', and the glistening 'Follow the Light' are among the best and most fully crafted of Fran Healy's short but accomplished writing career". Q also listed it as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.

Personnel
Adapted from the album liner notes.

Travis
 * Fran Healy – vocals, guitar, piano
 * Andy Dunlop – guitar, banjo
 * Dougie Payne – bass guitar
 * Neil Primrose – drums, percussion

Additional musicians
 * Jason Falkner – keyboards (track 9)
 * Millennia Strings – strings (tracks 1, 11 and 12)
 * Joby Talbot – string arrangement (tracks 1, 11 and 12)

Additional personnel
 * Nigel Godrich – production, mixing
 * Bernie Grundman Mastering – mastering
 * Darrel Thorp – assistant engineer at Ocean Way Studios
 * Jon Bailey – assistant engineer at Air Studios
 * Steve Orchard – string engineering (tracks 11 and 12)