South - 'With The Tides' (Sanctuary)
4/5
By: Matt Tomiak
You don't always have to be the one shouting loudest to get yourself heard.
Probably most famous as being one of Mo' Wax Records' only 'proper' bands when they signed to the label a few years back, South are now signed to Kinetic but are still making music of a very 'proper' sort - namely panoramic, cinematic and soaked in class.
Ironically, 'With The Tides' displays exactly the sort of ambitious drive that traditional guitar bands have often lacked. Like Beth Orton, South straddle divergent fields in their marriage of understated elegance and subtlety-employed technology. And it's pretty damn successful; ably helmed by softly-spoken leader Joel Cadbury.
Rarely are songs of any genre as immediate as the awesome 'Loosen Your Hold', just the kind of track that Travis could have done with including on their last album. It helps having a big name on the other side of the studio-wall too; the grandiose production-vales of Dave Eringa are brought to the fore on tracks like 'Motiveless Crime' and the slinky 'Fragile Day.' Quietly excellent.
Artists in this article: South
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