今年夏天，我們還有Travis

還記得大一時，無意間聽到Travis的Sing(收錄在1999-2000年The Man Who的專輯裡)，前奏才響起，音樂旋律的憂鬱基調瞬間把我溶化。

對大多數人來說，夏天是一個熱情洋溢的日子，對我而言，夏天卻是憂鬱，像水果已臻成熟而溢發濃濃酒味，也許是因為夏天總發生許多事情：畢業、搬家、旅行、分別、短短的夏日戀情…… 。夏天是過度、放肆的季節，天氣熱得不像話；海灘上，妹的bikini布料也少得不像話，緊緻彈性的肌膚大剌剌曝曬艷陽下，青春小野貓一隻隻不客氣炫燿、招搖。缺氧的夏天，懶洋洋教人想做白日夢，廣袤的天空藍皺皺，這片藍卻令人憂傷。Travis的Sing則巧妙捕捉了這種難以言語的心情，因此讓人耽溺其中。

談到Travis很多人總會聯想起Coldplay，言下之意頗有既生瑜何生亮的感嘆。2004年底南亞海嘯，世界展望會發起全球性募款，公益廣告裡佐用Clocks為配樂，將Coldplay的音樂生涯帶向另一個階段，而台灣也再次掀起一股英式搖滾浪潮，不過對Travis卻隻字未提。

Travis與Coldplay憂鬱靈性的曲風雖然相似，但仔細聆聽，會發現兩位主唱的詮釋方式其實不同。Coldplay的主唱Chris Martin演唱時，濃濃的鼻腔共鳴把音符黏在口鼻之中，頹廢而慵懶，浪漫之情不禁而生。相較之下，Travis的主唱Francis Healy則擅於把音符流轉於喉音與假音的轉換之間，嗓音乾淨，更為內斂冷調的演唱方式，像極一名對世事漫不在乎的浪蕩子，讓人又愛又恨。

世界展望會的國際公益廣告捧紅了Coldplay，但Travis在台灣卻一直未受廣泛大眾注意，實在替Travis叫屈。如果The Man Who這張專輯太過生冷，嚇壞了不少樂迷，那麼2007年4月發行的單曲Closer應該非常可親。就讓我們忘掉之前說的那些阿哩不達的夏天憂鬱吧！誰說一定得要鼻音才能唱出浪漫的歌呢？今年夏天，我們還有Travis，浪蕩子一樣可以唱出動人的情歌，全民一起Closer！





Closer - Travis

I've had enough, of this parade.
I'm thinking of, the words to say.
We open up, unfinished parts,
Broken up, its so mellow.

And when I see you then I know it will be next to me
And when I need you then I know you will be there with me
Ill never leave you...

Just need to get closer, closer,
Lean on me now,
Lean on me now,
closer, closer,
Lean on me now,
Lean on me now.

Keep waking up (waking up), without you here (without you here).
Another day (another day), another year (another year).
I seek the truth (seek the truth), we set apart (we set apart)
Second base, a second chance.

And when I see you then I know it will be next to me
And when I need you then I know you will be there with me
Ill never leave you...

Just need to get closer, closer,
Lean on me now,
Lean on me now,
closer, closer,
Lean on me now,
Lean on me now (lean on me now).

And when I see you then I know it will be next to me
And when I need you then I know you will be there with me
Ill never leave you... just need to get...

Just need to get closer, closer,
Lean on me now,
Lean on me now,
closer, closer,
Lean on me now,
Lean on me now (lean on me now).

closer, closer... closer, closer.