Josh Travis – Few of Days & Full of Trouble
Pennsylvania-based singer-songwriter Josh Travis has released his first full-length LP, Few of Days & Full of Trouble. The album’s focus and theme deal with many different realities Travis has grappled with, making the work all the more relatable. Themes of loss and grief, belief, and other personal struggles pervade across the tracks. We have gotten a chance to review this album, and here’s what we think about it!
The album took around four to five years to complete, with Travis creating the material between 2017 and 2021. Travis and his band had already been performing these songs previously. The artist wished to preserve the feeling of experiencing the music live with his bandmates in this LP. The album represents a shift in tone compared to Travis’s debut EP, which premiered six years ago.
Few of Days & Full of Trouble is an album that is relatable to many different people. This includes those who have struggled with their beliefs but still have hope in some higher power. It also should be relatable for those entrenched in working-class American life. The country music contained in this album feels remarkably so, and it isn’t an album to skip or even skim if you’re into the genre.
Highlights of Josh Travis’s Few of Days & Full of Trouble
Here are some highlights of the album that we believe you absolutely shouldn’t miss out on:
- The first track in this album, “Secondhand Smoke,” starts it off well with a wholesome, twangy guitar, which seems to be a cornerstone of the work. The lyrics of “Secondhand Smoke” speak to the struggles of keeping busy while maintaining a happy relationship. It’s an interesting track that many people, we are sure, can relate to.
- “Hot Day In August,” the seventh track of the LP, begins with a really great rock-style chord progression and lyrics that speak of the experience of friends and companions amid a run-in with reality. It’s a lively tune that speaks to the human condition, especially in one’s college days.
- The final, eponymous track, “Full of Days & Full of Trouble,” is a jaunty tune with a riveting fiddle backing upbeat lyrics and a rhythm section that steadily chugs along. It is a fitting and fun end to the album that bears its name.
We feel that Josh Travis’s music is powerful beyond just these upbeat songs. There’s a lot of lyrical grief, but there’s also much hope behind the lyrics. In the end, this album is truly indicative of what Americana is, at least for this American reviewer. It’s relatable and tells a story that feels heartfelt and true. We can’t wait to see what else Josh Travis has in store for us in the future!
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: Josh Travis Poor Johnny