"The whole idea of this tour is to write the new Travis record," announced Fran Healy as he and the group's guitarist Andy Dunlop launched their back-to-basics North American tour Thursday at San Francisco's ornate Swedish American Hall.

Ever since the band's 1999 breakthrough, The Man Who, Scot quartet Travis have mostly adhered to quiet, heartfelt tones and moody acoustic ballads. But with Ode to J. Smith, their just-released sixth album, Travis have something else in mind -- arena-filling anthems, crunchy hooks, and an all-out binge of dynamic rock.