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South - Up Close And Personal
This is the lead single from the London trio's forthcoming third album. They have moved more upbeat and this is a very happy, summery tune. It's more poppy than you might expect, but it's still happily some way from sounding like a mainstream commercial success. The xylophones and handclaps offer something different and give it its quirky nature, before the guitars kick in and the song really gets going. "Autumn Morning" is a very strong b-side. It's quite electronic and more in line with their beloved New Order. Perhaps too much so, I like the single so much because it manages to leave its influences behind and sound like a South song. Final track "Something Or Nothing" is a much gentler melancholic track with a gentle and charming chorus. All three tracks on the single are very different, and each offers something unique, and each are very very good indeed.

By Alan Smith

Flagpole

South
Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars
Young American Recordings

Teenage lyrics, mopey tempos, high-pitched guitar, silly long title, echoey room sound: what this album from South proves is that, as long as you mix some disco into your cake, I’ll eat it and like it. About as Britty as humanly possible and apparently bearing some kind of "O.C."-approved stamp, South comes with a lot of the usual New Order and Stone Roses comparisons, but, to me, there’s something more gripping here.

I know. I know. It’s a sin to say so, but neither of the other renowned groups just mentioned has ever quite managed to hook me hard, and South’s well on its way to doing so due to the melodic dancey bits that beg to be played at ear-busting levels. It takes almost two minutes into the first song before you’ll realize this, too, so either find your remote or muster the patience until the drums kick up and poke you in your loins, the guitars start going straight ahead in a simpler line and the vocals come forward and crystallize into a mist of “ah-ooh”s. If there weren’t such a clear electronic influence riding under the whole thing - you can see it in “Safety in Numbers” - I’d be tempted to make a stronger Smiths comparison.

There’s a nice shifting back and forth between different kinds of songs (softer and louder, acoustic and electric), but if you stripped out the samples that theoretically set the mood (but end up making one impatient), Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars would be a stronger album. Still, it’s like a best-of Brit-pop all made by one band, and it’s worth your dollar.

Hillary Brown

Seattlest

South: The Hipster's Coldplay

Back in 2002, the Crocodile had a perfect storm of a show, and not-yet-Seattlest was lucky enough to be in attendance for a bill whose lineup still gets followed to this day. The earnest indie rock of Mellowdrone, followed by the Brit-rock-with-tender-voices of both South and Elbow prompted Seattlest to spend more on merch at that show than has been spent since. As album release cycles go, they all still tend to hit Seattle on tour around the same time (Elbow two weeks ago, Mellowdrone soon), but it's doubtful that oh-so-perfect lineup will ever be replicated.

Part of what separated South right from the gate from the glut of bands from across the pond at the time was their inclusion on James Lavelle's Mo' Wax label. Known mainly for their more beat-oriented output, South represented a departure into traditional pop territory, with a band composed of live instruments as opposed to racks of gear. The marriage worked however, with 2002's From Here On In incorporating the occasional electronic effect on top of their Stone Roses-inspired rock and drumming that would have fit on other Mo' Wax releases.

Since that release, South has parted ways with Mo' Wax, and with it has dropped most of the electronic flourishes. While From Here on In seemed to find the band still trying to develop their musical identity amid a sea of influences, With the Tides saw them put a few stakes in the ground. Songs became more atmospheric, more moody, and more emotionally effective, with songs evoking longing, loss, and desperation while never turning into one big mope-fest. While initially written off by many as Radiohead wannabes, this album garnered more positive comparisons to that same Radiohead, Coldplay, and Doves.

South has a lengthily-named new album entitled Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars that Seattlest has yet to give a listen. Said in some ways to be a compromise between the prior two albums, we're looking forward to hearing the bulk of it live. South is one of those bands where the jury is still out on whether the world at large will embrace them, so best to see them while you can, before they either break up from the frustration or become the next Coldplay. They're even doing a free in-store so you don't have to make a financial commitment to hear what they've got to offer.

The Tripwire

Live - South @ Bowery Ballroom | NYC

The Bowery became a gleaming pool of acoustic rhapsodies and mindful pop sonnets Friday night as South unraveled its warm invitation to New York. I arrived during set-up as the UK band, according to the door person, were about to start at "any minute." A group of five eventually entered the stage, three of whom compile the band's core members - Brett Shaw, Jamie McDonald and lead vocalist, Joel Cadbury, the latter of which charmingly sported jeans and a white tee.

Throughout the night, Cadbury alternated between electric and acoustic guitars, reveling in teeter motions and emotive gestures, which the crowd reciprocated to a mutual pulp. The band delivered a sweet oscillation between the coolly progressive "A Place In Displacement," from their recently-released Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars LP, and the melodic thrash of "Colours In Waves," off of their 2003 With The Tides album.

The night also found Cadbury down-to-earth and seated with a guitar over his knees, picking resonations of roots blues slide guitar/lap steel. With a free nature for experimentation and genuine air for the music they made, South projected the purity and imagination found within the sheer energy of a skillful rookie. Shaw, McDonald and Cadbury were some of the most honest-to-goodness indie kids I'd ever meet stage-side - initially grateful for their current pedestal and intuitively serving everything they had to their instrumental babies.

An encore became definite as Cadbury re-entered to serenade the crowd to the thoughtful "Flesh And Bone." Shaw and McDonald later emerged on a keyboard in the corner, dually pounding in a twinkling unison that prompted memories to New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle." "Every time I think of you/I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue/It's no problem of mine but it's a problem I find/Living a life that I can't leave behind..." The crowd went crazy. With their uplifting mercurial topics, South blended a fresh batch of Britpop that was smoothly rewarding in its sincerity and provided the perfect jump-off to a busy weekend.

Transform

When South’s debut From Here on In came out a few years ago, it garnered much buzz based on the fact that it meshed distinctively British songwriting with distinctively British electronica. James Lavelle of Unkle and Mo Wax Records produced it, after all, and good chunks of the music world could be heard discussing the band’s creations… but not I. I found the album long-winded and meandering, lacking cohesion and focus. It wasn’t until the follow-up, With the Tides, that I became entranced by the band’s magic. Gone were the electronic flourishes, but in their place the trio had learned to write concise, meaningful, affectionate rock that needed no extra embellishments. I placed “Motiveless Crime” and “Colours in Waves” on every mix CD I made for the next year and-a-half, thoroughly captivated by their bittersweet melodies.

But of course, as with every great album that’s full of substance, it fared poorly in “the marketplace.” People paid more attention to the fact that Lavelle and his electronic touches were gone than the actual songwriting at hand. It didn’t matter that With the Tides had FAR superior hooks than the likes of Coldplay: it wasn’t in the same vein as From Here on In – meaning it lacked a gimmick – so it wasn’t gonna get recognition. A damn shame if you ask me, especially since Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars just might receive the same treatment. South have again reinvented themselves with great results, daring to challenge the modern aesthetically-led audience to look underneath appearances for the goods. But will music listeners, in a move worthy of science fiction, forget how loud the guitars are or how dancey it is and just listen for once? In a perfect world, yes. And they would find the same ingredients that made With the Tides so fantastic: great songwriting.

Adventures…, overall, is a more upbeat album than its predecessor. The focus remains on the hooks and tight arrangements, but chord progressions and time signatures lean heavier on the side of the peppy. Not too peppy, of course – these guys are British – but just enough to make the album something you’d put on at a party instead of bedtime. Perhaps its “lighter mood” will fish in fans who would otherwise be too deaf to notice the great craftsmanship embedded in the songs? Hey, whatever works. Hopefully they will come for the liveliness and stay for the fabulous conversation.

It is hard to pinpoint specific songs or moments as examples of South’s penchant for good writing, because so much of it is so traditional yet right. They’re rock songs that sound very British; catchiness that’s a tad sad with sunshine tucked in between. Nothing complicated or incredibly inventive: just flat out good songs. And is that such a bad thing? Is perfecting the verse / chorus / verse / chorus formula something to be embarrassed about? Hells naw, especially not when you do it better than 90% of shit acts out there.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Adventures… I kind of thought With the Tides was going to be a brilliant fluke: that the band struck gold accidentally and would never do so again. Oh how happy I am that I’ve been proven wrong. Adventures… is a strong album that again shows how South can change their appearance without losing their sense of craft. Do yourself a favor and let them win you over.

Eastern Echo

By Amanda Slater / Staff Writer

While critics may compare South to groups like Radiohead, the band insists the similarities are only skin-deep.
What does a teen soap opera, an "underground journey to the stars" and an Academy Award-nominated film have in common? The answer is South?and not the geographical direction. With a new album out and a U.S. tour underway, this London based band is on fire?and they're scheduled to burn up the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on Tuesday.

South began worming their way into mainstream audience's ears when they were featured on the soundtrack for the Academy Award-nominated thriller, "Sexy Beast." Their popularity grew when their music was included on the TV show "Six Feet Under."

But perhaps their biggest break in the U.S. market was when they earned a spot on the soundtrack of Fox's hit teen soap opera "The OC." That's right?their song "Paint the Silence" was the backdrop to Ryan and Marissa's romantic Ferris wheel ride in the show's first season and is the first track on the "OC Mix 1."

"I think those ['The OC' and "Six Feet Under'] things have all helped [in our popularity]. Maybe more so here than back home [in Britain]," South frontrunner Joel Cadbury says in his British brogue.

Joel Cadbury, Jamie McDonald, and Brett Shaw, who all play multiple instruments and collaborate in writing the band's songs, comprise South. "We went to school together, so we've known each other since we were young," Cadbury says. "At age 15 or 16 we started making music and have been making it ever since."

Unlike most bands, Cadbury's success boomed over night. "Our manager went in for a meeting with some of our tapes," he says. "He actually went in for a meeting about another band, but he left our demos for the record company to listen to. [He] was straight back on the phone within a couple of days. They wanted to sign us and they hadn't even heard us live. We ended up releasing those demos as finals."

"We've been on quite a journey really. Getting the initial record deal was a turning point [in our career] since we went from not having anything to making money [by] making music, which we love doing. The first time we saw our record in a record shop [was a real defining moment]."

The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are a couple of South's influences and while they constantly get compared to Radiohead, Cadbury discounts much similarity. "It's kind of like comparing Stevie Wonder to Radiohead," he says. "Yeah, they both play music, but they're very different."

The group sings from personal experiences about life, relationships and other observations. "You can embellish things [that really happened] sometimes and get a line for a song," Cadbury says. "Some of it's very literal. Some of it's very abstract."

He attributes the band's creativity to a variety of inspirations. "[We're inspired by] our friends and families, the people we hang out with, the people we love -- the same people you end up hating sometimes." He also claims that living in an artistic neighborhood in London further fueled the trio's creativity.

Released April 4, South's album "Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars," is the newest addition to the band's discography. "[The title] gave us quite an umbrella to work under," Cadbury says. "I wasn't really into the title when I first heard it. But the more we worked with it in relation to the songs, [it began to really fit]. We were recording in a basement, which was very enclosed. So, recording it was our own 'underground journey to the stars.'"

South's journey resulted in a fresh dose of creativity, as the band braved a variety of new frontiers. "We recorded and produced it ourselves," Cadbury says. "We built our own studio and got all of the equipment ourselves. The sound of our new record is very different [from the previous records.] Every [album is] just a different thing -- a different environment, a different time, a different way of approaching [recording]."

Refusing to identify with a specific genre, South is an indie band in the true sense of the word. "It's quite difficult [to pin down our style] because all of our records have been so different," Cadbury says. "I can't really put [our sound] in a nutshell or even in a long winded speech. We make music from the heart, from the soul. They're songs and they're constructed with quite lush sound-scapes ... Some of it's vast. Some of it's rich."

For South, Cadbury says the art of record making is vastly different from the art of performing. "When you're recording you lock yourself away in a studio," he says. "It's very secluded and introspective. The live show is the total opposite. You get a reaction, the adrenaline. It's not the time to be contemplating things."

As for what audiences should expect from South on Tuesday, Cadbury says, "I really don't have a clue. But we'll play our heart out wherever. Whether there's 50 people in a room or 500 or whatever ... I think [an amazing show is] a combination of audience and performance. When everyone's clicking together [is when a show is amazing.]"

Slant Magazine

Often overshadowed on both sides of the Atlantic by the likes of Coldplay and the hundred or so other bands of their ilk who compose lush, mopey guitar-pop, the trio South enjoyed an elevated profile in 2004 thanks to the inclusion of one of their singles, From Here On In's "Paint The Silence," on the soundtrack to The O.C., which continues to market "indie" as a genre unto itself to an entire generation of high school kids. The flagship act for new label Young American, South's response to this uptick in attention is Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars, an album that loses the electronic elements that distinguished their earlier work and ends up sounding a whole lot like another middling album that followed a minor-league breakthrough, Death Cab For Cutie's Plans. The band's strength remains its ability to construct massive melodic hooks, and songs like "Up Close And Personal" and "A Place In Displacement" are designed for the reverb and echoes of an arena, while the sweeping "Pieces Of A Dream" and the bookends of "Shallow" and "Flesh & Bone" demonstrate the enormity of sound and the ambition of scope that have always given South greater heft than, say, Travis. While much of the album, on the surface, does sound adventurous, like Plans or Coldplay's X&Y, it's the aggressive banality and dependence upon clich?s of the lyrics?there's a reference to "hate" in seemingly every track, and it turns out that South isn't among its advocates?that prevents the album from ever making a statement as big as that sound. The awkward title something of a giveaway, Adventures is a bright, beautifully wrapped package filled with nothing but styrofoam packing peanuts. It's easy to admire prettiness, sure, but there's just not much to do with it.

Jonathan Keefe

Static Multimedia

South is touring in support of their latest full-length, Adventures In the Underground Journey To the Stars, which was released this past Tuesday on Young American Recordings.

Their third album finds the UK band opting for more upbeat arrangements than their previous records as the call-to-action drums and feel-good bass line of opener "Shallow" attest. The 11-song self-produced collection finds South a rejuvenated band, more jubilant and more confident than ever. "You Are One," for example, kicks off with driving guitars before slipping into a neo-disco groove Franz Ferdinand would be proud to call their own.

The band, well known for their skillful use of electronics and beats aptly demonstrate that on several tracks but explore new territory as well on this album.

Cleveland Scene

Usually rock and electronica form only an uneasy alliance. South succeeds because while it has a foot in both camps, the arrangements feel organic; it's not like some shotgun wedding. It isn't a matter of bringing the two styles into equal balance so much as creating an environment where they co-exist and complement each other.

On their second album, With the Tides, the British threesome moved away from the murky electronic atmospheres of their debut, From Here on In, going less Stone Roses and more the Delgados or Flaming Lips. The bandmates concentrated more on elegantly lavish hooks and melodies, and delivered them with greater concision -an approach they replicate with even finer results on their latest, Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars. They're abetted by a bevy of synthetic strings and swooshing sonics, which they incorporate without sacrificing the pop-rock thread. Even closer to the lush approach of the Lips than the last album, this latest still feels undeniably British without settling into the sad-bastard mope of such acts as Starsailor or Coldplay. The richly textured songs never feel precious or isolated behind a glass, approximating the resplendent grace of fellow Brits the Doves.

Culture Bunker

South is a big Valentine to majestic British pop music. Throughout this sumptious sounding album, you can the echoes of The Verve, New Order, Idlewild and all the bands with tremendous production skills and bags of melody. The sweeping, loping beauty of South is best shown here in "A Place In Displacement." What stands out and separates this band from countless others plying the British pop trade is the sturdy coolness of Joel Cadbury's voice. Even sometimes when the music is a little smooth he still delivers a great vocal track. The only complaints I have about this record is that "Know Yourself" is almost a note-for-note clone of The Rentals' "My Head Is In The Sun," and there is a tendency to get buried in sweet production when maybe a little edge may have gone further. They are a trio, after all, but this sounds like they have a gang of studio aces on the payroll. South is a step above bands that have recently tried a similar sound but came up short, like The Open, The Shining, and Doves. ---Leeds 7/11

Stop and Stammer

What is it about indie-rock bands from England now? The music coming out of that country all sounds very similar, the vocals being the deciding factor. I popped in South's third and latest full-length album, and within the first minute of "Shallow," I'm reminded of Bloc Party's music. Then come the vocals, and I realize that Joel Cadbury doesn't sound nearly as angry as Kele Okereke, but like much more of a pansy in comparison, kind of like Jimi Goodwin of Doves.

The first track does a good job of utilizing the electronica elements that South displayed on their previous albums, with its beat that you could easily cut many rugs to. "You Are One" is an unusual addition to the album in that it manages to sound retro and disco-like and in some instances brings to mind the Bee Gees with its high-pitched background "woo"-ing.

After a good start with the first three songs, I was immediately tossed into a fit of boredom with the two middle tracks and was only rescued from it by "A Place in Displacement," which boasts a fast backbeat behind the strongest vocal showing of the entire album. According to South, this was the first track laid for the album by producer Dave Eringa (who mixed their second album With The Tides). The closing momentum continues with "Up Close and Personal." With its marriage of clapping and xylophone and the implementation of Brett Shaw's drums, it rides a tempo rollercoaster that balances the album out near the end.

Most of the songs on Adventures start off slow, and then dive into a completely different sound by about two minutes in. "Meant to Mean" stops altogether in the middle and switches gear with yet more high-pitched vocals, which made me think I was listening to an entirely different song. There are a slew of instruments and noises used, perhaps in an effort to distinguish the band from all the other indie bands that attempt to sound original. It generally works, though, proving that South is a band not easily categorized.

If you're looking for an album to get your ass in gear for any sort of activity, look elsewhere, because this one won't cut it. But if you want something to spin for chill time, then this is it.

Beyond

America Discovers the New South

One of the most underrated Brit bands of this decade, somehow flagged as Also-Rans with contemporaries Doves and Elbow, is South. While Doves affectionately tip their hat to 60s Mod influences, South draw directly from 90s heroes Radiohead and The Verve.

On tour at the North Star in Philadelphia supporting their 3rd album, 'Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars,' front man bassist/guitarist Joel Cadbury speaks candidly about how all eyes point 'South.'

Being from London, your name was originally created to identify yourself from bands from the North - do you take the competition seriously?

No! At the time 10 years ago, we were 17 years old and grew up listening to things like the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays and we love it. It was more a friendly 'we're here as well,' but it kind of works. It stuck and now the meaning is diluted.

Geographically, I don't even think people (in the U.S.) would know the difference and why should they? It's a very regional British thing.

The good thing about being in a band after the initial 'who are they' and 'what's their name' - you actually just get into the band and the name doesn?t matter to the band, 'cause you know what we're all about.

Your fans feel it's up to bands like you and Doves to carry on the heart and soul of Brit Rock. Do you agree? How do you compare the level of recognition?

They (nodding enthusiastically) were quite complimentary about our last record, 'With the Tides.' We've not managed to do a show with them yet but we're hoping we will soon. They're lovely guys. We did actually did do a show with them really early on before their first album came out and that was fantastic.

It's really nice to have their support and they are flying the flag. They're a great band creatively.

It's weird what separates Coldplay from Doves, because the quality of what Doves are doing is right up there. But in terms of record sales it's that invisible factor - whether it's Chris Martin or whatever, that pushes that to a multi-million selling thing and the Doves turn a few hundred thousand.

It's such a weird thing ? you just don?t know what the difference is. I think Doves are just brilliant creatively, maybe even more so than Coldplay. Back home, Doves have a lot of money spent on their marketing and we?ve never had that kind of money spent on our marketing.

It's a struggle because a lot of the bands back home like the Editors and Artic Monkeys have absolutely blown up. But they've all had a million spent on their marketing, so yes - they're all top 10 records back home. There's a reason why you see them everywhere - on the grocery stores' racks and I-Tunes obviously - it does take that massive marketing machine to kick in. Then suddenly, you're going to have a top 10 record. They?re good and they deserve it, but then there're a lot of bands that don't get that. It's a hard thing to do a grass root thing all the time and build it, build it, build it. We do well in London, but you get out of London and we're quite unknown really. That's why we've come here.

As opposed to charting in the UK, do you see yourself more as an Indie band here?

I think so, because of the labels. We've been on small labels. That grass roots thing is important to keep coming back and it's taken quite a long time to get this record made. It's not free choice we haven't been back in two years. We've had to actually had to build the studio, find the new deal, 'cause we'd been on Sanctuary and Kinetic, and both of those didn't work out for us. 'With the Tides,' they didn't do anything with. They didn't know how to break new acts. There were a couple of really nice people, but there was only one person who was really in our corner.

In comparison to 'Here on In' and 'With the Tides,' do you think 'Adventures' sounds more like an Indie record?

Yeah, I think probably so.

We didn't go into a big beautiful studio to record it. We built the studio, bought the equipment ourselves and produced it ourselves. 'With the Tides' was a very lush record done in rack studios with beautiful orchestras and every piece of equipment you could ever want, so it's a very different sounding record.

I think the songs are working out live really well - it?s interesting what people are saying, ?cause it?s not the record people were expecting from us. It?s taken a little while for people to get with it, but essentially it?s us doing what we do best.

You can't repeat yourself. We wouldn?t have wanted to do another 'With the Tides,' or 'From Here on In.' We just want to move on and that's what interesting to us.

Some of the print reviews here for 'Adventures' have been somewhat mediocre. Do you pay attention to the reviews - do you even care?

I pay a lot less attention than I used to. It's nice when you read good things and it's not nice when you don't read good things. You've got to take it with a pinch of salt, and not get too wound up about it - that?s why I pay less attention when I used to. People don?t want to be challenged. They just want to put on something they can play at a dinner party, but for me music needs to be challenging. The last Coldplay record just didn't do it for me because it didn't challenge me in the way that something like the Doves always will. That's what I enjoy in records, to have something that isn't right for all occasions and you can't put on at a dinner party or an elevator. It's got to have an edge.

Have you played Glastonbury?

We've done it 3 times and it's been fantastic every time. It's an amazing festival. That and Fuji Rock in Japan are the 2 best festivals.

What are your favorite tracks on 'Adventures?'

'Up Close & Personal' and '?Flesh and Bones' are the ones I'm enjoying at the moment.

Are there any anthem tracks like on 'With the Tides?'

'Safety in Numbers' with a big chorus and 'Shallow' the first track, but they?re not the same -they?re different in their dynamic. But, they've still got those electro influences and there are songs like 'You Are One' with a much heavier guitar driven thing, so it?s interesting moving on - always moving on.

Moving on is the key to South - to keep challenging themselves and the fans. Look for 'Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars' to be released on April 4 and hear tracks played on XM Satellite channel XMU.
Red Alert

A few weeks ago, I was talking with a friend who was unhappy about the seemingly lost art of sound effects on albums. After listening to the first track of Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars, I can report that the art has been found. Sound effects are nicely blended into the album throughout, beginning with city sounds, someone walking into a subway,and continuing with a party, some rain, and some laughter. The device works well and helps the CD stand out.

South have stuck with the sound that got them popular. Although this album isn't quite as exciting as their last, it's a great effort for a band that has gotten kicked around recently. Their original label (Kinetic) folded, and then they had to leave their studio. Young American Records picked them up, though, and South found a new studio and produced this enjoyable album.

Much like their first CD, Adventures is derived from 80s and 90s British rock formulas. Track six, an awesome song called 'A Place in Displacement,' could almost be U2, with vocalist Joel Cadbury sounding like a mix between Bono and Liam Gallagher. Track three is reminiscent of Suede; track four of Doves.
'Up Close and Personal' is a great example of classic Brit-pop, and contains one of my new favorite lyrics of all time: If my head blows up, you might want to leave.To sum up, though, you don't want to 'leave' this CD on the shelves.

Amber Henson

Transform

By Tim Den

Come for the liveliness, stay for the fabulous conversation.

When South's debut From Here on In came out a few years ago, it garnered much buzz based on the fact that it meshed distinctively British songwriting with distinctively British electronica. James Lavelle of Unkle and Mo Wax Records produced it, after all, and good chunks of the music world could be heard discussing the band's creations? but not I. I found the album long-winded and meandering, lacking cohesion and focus. It wasn?t until the follow-up, With the Tides, that I became entranced by the band?s magic. Gone were the electronic flourishes, but in their place the trio had learned to write concise, meaningful, affectionate rock that needed no extra embellishments. I placed "Motiveless Crime" and "Colours in Waves" on every mix CD I made for the next year and-a-half, thoroughly captivated by their bittersweet melodies.

But of course, as with every great album that's full of substance, it fared poorly in "the marketplace." People paid more attention to the fact that Lavelle and his electronic touches were gone than the actual songwriting at hand. It didn't matter that With the Tides had FAR superior hooks than the likes of Coldplay: it wasn't in the same vein as From Here on In ? meaning it lacked a gimmick - so it wasn?t gonna get recognition. A damn shame if you ask me, especially since Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars just might receive the same treatment. South have again reinvented themselves with great results, daring to challenge the modern aesthetically-led audience to look underneath appearances for the goods. But will music listeners, in a move worthy of science fiction, forget how loud the guitars are or how dancey it is and just listen for once? In a perfect world, yes. And they would find the same ingredients that made With the Tides so fantastic: great songwriting.

Adventures..., overall, is a more upbeat album than its predecessor. The focus remains on the hooks and tight arrangements, but chord progressions and time signatures lean heavier on the side of the peppy. Not too peppy, of course ? these guys are British ? but just enough to make the album something you'd put on at a party instead of bedtime. Perhaps its "lighter mood" will fish in fans who would otherwise be too deaf to notice the great craftsmanship embedded in the songs? Hey, whatever works. Hopefully they will come for the liveliness and stay for the fabulous conversation.

It is hard to pinpoint specific songs or moments as examples of South?s penchant for good writing, because so much of it is so traditional yet right. They?re rock songs that sound very British; catchiness that's a tad sad with sunshine tucked in between. Nothing complicated or incredibly inventive: just flat out good songs. And is that such a bad thing? Is perfecting the verse / chorus / verse / chorus formula something to be embarrassed about? Hells naw, especially not when you do it better than 90% of shit acts out there.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Adventures... I kind of thought With the Tides was going to be a brilliant fluke: that the band struck gold accidentally and would never do so again. Oh how happy I am that I've been proven wrong. Adventures? is a strong album that again shows how South can change their appearance without losing their sense of craft. Do yourself a favor and let them win you over.

Orlando City Beat

Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars Stars

Early on, this English trio tended to devote more attention toward texture than hooks and melodies. But rubbing the gauze from its eyes, this record jettisons their former diet shoegazer fare and goes out dancing for a change. What emerges triumphantly is a group of snappy, efficient pop songs. They've always been good melody crafters but it's nice to see that skill on a fresher face and out in the open.

References continue to dictate their sound, but the influences are updated. From the outset, they set the pace at a brisk jog with the dance floor prettiness of "Shallow," which calls to mind Elefant in their finest moments. Other highlights include "You Are One," which oscillates between the lazy groove of Badly Drawn Boy and the urgent strumming of The Jealous Sound. And the majestic "A Place in Displacement" rides a romantic New Order vibe. Despite the hazy seriousness implied by their previous sound, South isn't the deepest band in the world. But this new pop crispness makes that fact completely irrelevant. This is simply an enjoyably direct album that plays to the band's strengths. Now that's the way to make lemonade, boys and girls.

All Music Guide

On their third album, Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars, South have a lot to cheer about; this record is their debut for Young American as well as their first attempt in heading up sole production. Producer Dave Eringa, who produced With the Tides, does mix a few tracks, however Adventures instantly comes off as fresh and new. Their signature gauzy dream pop has switched into something more clean-cut and tangible. "There must be more to life/no more mistaking happiness" from album opener "Shallow" highlights a sunny kind of energy from South. Fans who adored their work with James Lavelle might think South isn't serious here. That's the thing: they are. They're serious in finding a sound they're comfortable with, and that's what Adventures is--a comfortable record that features a churning mix of acoustic and electric guitars, warm melodies, and dreamy vocals. As the momentum builds, the band's confidence grows, especially on album standout tracks such as "A Place in Displacement" and "You Are One." "Safety in Numbers" could be a more stripped-down version of "Colours in Waves." South doesn't strive to sound like anyone or anything else on Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars. It's an effort that's enjoyable in the way that they have rediscovered themselves as songwriters and musicians. It's good in a basic way. Fans of Badly Drawn Boy's Have You Fed the Fish and Doves' Some Cities should understand Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars.

Prefix

Some label headings operate on an uneven playing field. You could argue that there is no such thing as a bad vampire movie, but it will require creative book-keeping, like shifting Vampire in Brooklyn into the "Bad Eddie Murphy Movies" category. Similarly, the term Brit-pop conjures mostly positive feelings, but that's partly because if you hear a shitty rock band from the U.K. you don't call it Brit-pop - you call it Coldplay. South is all Brit-pop, and it has the pedigree to prove it: Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars is the band's third album under the tutelage of former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown (so that's what he's been doing), and they were originally signed to James Lavelle's trendy Mo-Wax Recordings.

The bass melody and drum crack that kicks off opener "Shallow" is immediately familiar. This is New Order minus dance floor ambition; rolling like "Love Vigilantes," it's introspective dream-wave and catchy as hell. It also makes follow-up "Habit of a Lifetime" that much more frustrating and perplexing, a recurring issue on an album so close to greatness that I counted eight perfect choruses. It's book-ended by weightless, guitar wimpy-ness and too-smooth vocals that wouldn't drive a Teenage Fanclub or Nada Surf cast-off. And of course it precedes (and wastes) a perfect bell-and-chime-driven chorus.

There are far too many buttons and dials available to music engineers, and this makes South's decision to self-produce both admirable and questionable. The idea was good - lighten up on the keyboards to focus on the rock - but the record is a fierce display of a Cheney-like scattershot that is sometimes half-baked ("What Holds Us" desperately needs more backing, or tinkering, or more anything), usually fantastic ("Up Close and Personal" is piano, bells, chimes, energy, vocal reverb and stomp; "Pieces of a Dream" is a hazy, sweeping epic) and occasionally overwrought ("Know Yourself" slips into melodrama and Goo-Goo goo).

An abundance of hook-laden choruses, New Order analog-boogie and Stone Roses-cool could not be more frustratingly baked into this crumbly crust. That's all right - that it evokes such a reaction is evidence that there is plenty here to pull you in. The members of South may just have a five-star album in them, but for now, they're the future of Brit-pop. And unless they can pull it together, they always will be.

Now Toronto

SOUTH Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars (Young American)

Perhaps one day some kind of genius musical scientist will come up with a formula for making pretty, touching music that lets us all do it as effortlessly as South. Well, we should be so lucky. On their latest, the London, England-based trio have crafted a seamless work of beauty. While the songs aren't necessarily that complex, the relative simplicity of the melodies and structures works in the band's favour, as the album slowly winds between the melancholic, bouncy New Order vibe on opener Shallow to the lush, acoustic strumming of Know Yourself. While sometimes dreamy and ethereal, South are able to bridge quieter moments with danceable, gloomy pop ? simply speaking, a great achievement.

SOUTH'S NEW ADVENTURES

For its much-praised 2003 disc, "With the Tides," British trio South trimmed the electronica trappings of its Stones Roses/Happy Mondays-influenced 2001 debut, "From Here on In," and focused on its moody pop side.

South studiously continues in that direction with its new album, "Adventures in the Underground, Journey to the Stars," which the band will be previewing Friday night at Philadelphia's North Star Bar, four days before its official release.

South's sound is posh and shimmering, its lyrics polite and thoughtful. And if guitarist-singer Joel Cadbury, bassist Jamie McDonald and drummer Brett Shaw occasionally sound a bit too mannered, the commitment to values such as faithfulness ("Shallow"), friendship (''Habit of a Lifetime''), one-on-one love ('"Safety in Numbers") and second chances ('"Meant to Mean") is impressive.

South, formed in London in 1998 by school chums Cadbury, McDonald and Shaw, got its first big dose of attention after composing the soundtrack for the critically acclaimed 2001 film "Sexy Beast."

The fact that Radiohead and Coldplay had put Brit rock on the map again also helped South, which shares some sonic similarities with the latter.

Cadbury has never been enamored with the Coldplay comparisons, however. "Obviously, we're not a million miles apart - (we both have guitars, drums, bass and keyboards. But within those instruments, we're different," Cadbury told the Fort Worth Star Telegram. "Unfortunately, people have been saying I resemble Chris Martin. I just don't need to have that. That winds me up more than anything."

Len Righi, Assistant Editor, Arts and Entertainment
Morning Call

Pulse Weekly

South is a band from the UK that mixes elements of everything into their rich sonic landscape... all resting comfortably under the blanket of space rock, indie-pop and straightforward British pop music. The combination can sometimes be too much, but the boys in this spacey trio know how to inject some taste and a touch of class into their work to keep it from going overboard.

South had a semi-hit off their debut full-length (From Here On In) which was jumpy and rhythmic, and after the release of With The Tides and an eight-month studio stint, the band will release this, their third record. The beats are dancy-er, the songs are tasteful, and it shows tremendous growth. Good stuff.
Pulse Weekly
Aversion

After teaming with a couple big-name producers on its previous efforts, South slashes its consulting budget on Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars and entered the studio with only itself to man the boards. It obviously learned a lot by looking over its producers? shoulders.

South filters out the producer input from its previous efforts and runs solo on this album, making, no doubt, the closest record to the music in the band members' heads. It?s not just a winning album because it's an honest one ? South's straightforward approach to Britpop and indie make for an impressively catchy album. Sifting through a wad of influences that include New Order, Blur and a dozen or so other British pop types, South cuts out the last vestiges of its electronically aided past and forges ahead with crisp pop.

There?s nothing that keeps Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars from falling into pop formats, but in South?s hands, that?s not such a bad thing. "Shallow," all bouncy, high-on-the-neck bass lines and chilly vocals, might be a New Order single if the act had held its course after Republic. "Meant to Mean" and "Safety in Numbers" add a bit of balls to fragile bedroom-pop melodies, and "Know Yourself," with its sparse acoustic strumming, alludes to Stoned and Dethroned-era Jesus and Mary Chain.

It?s an impressive list of credentials, and South puts them together with a delicate balance between respecting its predecessors and messing things up enough to avoid sounding like a mere mix tape. Adventures in the Underground Journey to the Stars isn?t anything but a solid, hardworking pop album ? but at times, what audiophile needs more than that and a good set of headphones?

Drowned In Sound

Having first emerged at the end of the last decade as dubby Verve enthusiasts, capital based trio South seem to have taken a lifelong hiatus.

Coming back into the fold as they have now, it would have been both presumptuous and derivative to have expected more of the same, and thankfully, Joel Cadbury and his two accomplices don't disappoint.

'A Place In Displacement' sounds like New Order's 'Regret' fed through a time machine - or perhaps that should have said Digitech RP50 multi fx pedal? Whatever, South sound like a revitalised force on here, while bonus track 'Addiction To Fiction' is like hearing the best bits of the last Elbow and Spiritualized albums segued into three glorious minutes of melancholy excess.

Welcome back.

he Sun

Something For The Weekend - January 20th 2006

Single of the Week.

"SOUTH - A Place In Displacement. For young men, South have already experiended more highs and lows than most bands do in their whole career, never letting the trials and tribulations of the music industry stop them producing brilliant records. This first taster from their forthcoming album recalls New Order at their most transcendent and should finally bring them recognition."

Filter Magazine

According to the official South website and the boys themselves, the Brit-rock trio's follow-up to the limited EP release Speed Up / Slow Down will be titled Adventures In The Undergound Journey To The Stars, and is set for release on April 4, 2006 in the US on Young American Recordings. This year the band has set up a new studio and produced the record themselves, with a helping hand in the production and mixing department by Dave Eringa, who produced With The Tides.

The first single from the band's sophomore album will be "A Place In Displacement", released in the UK only on January 9, 2006, through Young American Recordings / Genepool Records.

Rollingstone.com

"If the Stone Roses and Ride were in 2003, they'd sound a lot like South. Majestic soundscapes of throttling guitars and flowing string arrangements dance with passionate lyrics about finding a healthy way to beat commercial monotony on With the Tides..."

Music Match

The third release from London-based South is the band's most mature record to date. Gone are the overt DJ cues and superfluous production additives, and what remains is solid Manchester songwriting. With the Tides is emotionally rich and melodically vulnerable in all the right places, making it a perfect soundtrack for the dying rays of Summer.

Worldpop.com

Who the hell are South? The surprise hit of the Bugged Out festival, namely Joel Cadbury, Jamie McDonald and Brett Shaw, three multi-instrumentalists from London who've been playing together since they were 14, eight years ago. They're called South because they're sick of northern bands. 'Our name is an inverted, southern response to northern band pride,' according to Joel. 'I just hope we don't get crucified in Manchester!'

Listen out for: The existing tune Keep Close which features on compilation album The Boutique. It proves South aren't so sick of northern bands The Charlatans and The Stone Roses. But that's only part of the charm. James describes South's sound as 'London acoustic soul', a tag that acknowledges their mix of slacker beats and guitars.

Why all the fuss? James Lavelle, head honcho of South's label Mowax, says, 'They're taking lots of different influence: beats, classic ballads, more 'up' Stone Roses rock songs.' This from a man who has signed DJ Shadow, Blackalicious and Money Mark. He was right with those signings and he's right with South.

The new: 'Don't mention Coldplay or Travis,' Joel warns. 'The only guitar band I currently like is Radiohead, especially Kid A. We're influenced by everything from reggae and dub to Curtis Mayfield, Stone Roses and Charlatans.' You could mention Badly Drawn Boy and Neil Young (specifically, Harvest) and Joel couldn't complain.

Can you believe? They were signed to Mowax for two years before a record came out - and then it was the demos that they recorded before they were signed! 'They [Mowax] wanted to keep the raw sound so we didn't re-record them or anything, which to us really summed what we as a band were trying to achieve and also what I think Mowax are trying to do as a label,' Joel says.

They say: 'People were ripping into the last Oasis single because it's exactly what they've done for the previous. That's what we have that appeals - straying away from that one dimensionality that's killing a lot of music.'

We say: There are many layers of great music to mine in South.

NME

South met eight years ago at Haverstock Secondary school when Joel, Jamie and Brett were 14 years old. All three South members are talented multi-instrumentalists. Joel performs the majority of vocals, but the songwriting is shared equally and in the studio each member jumps proficiently between the guitar, bass, drums and keyboards.
South signed to Mo'Wax late in 1998, Mo'Wax's first signing since joining the Beggars Group. James Lavelle heard a tape through the band's manager and was instantly enamoured. The relationship has developed over the past year during which time the band have helped out on various remixes with Lavelle including Ian Brown.

South's first releases were three limited edition 7' singles followed by an equally limited 12" EP. The records featured tracks written by the band over the past few years and recorded on a 4-track recorder yet were felt to be way too special in their rawness to be rerecorded in a flash studio, or saved for 10 years to be put on an outtakes album. All 4 releases were met with a flurry of press from the media. At the start of 2000 they were tipped as 'ones to watch' in Melody Maker, NME and Flipside; they featured in January's The Face magazine and recorded their first radio session for XFM.

Summer 2000 saw an intensive stint in Wessex studios where South's debut album 'From Here On In' took shape. The album is set for release on 28th March 2001. As if making what undoubtedly will become an 'Album of the Year' was not enough, South took time out of the album recording to collaborate with James Lavelle on the mind-blowing soundtrack to 'Sexy Beast' - the debut film from video director Jonathan Glazer, starring Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone.

Since finishing the album South have been proving how they can enthral a dance crowd on a huge stage at Fabric and on the on the Big Beat Boutique tour just as they can stun people with sublime acoustic sets in small pub venues. In November, the 'Interim EP' featuring two tracks from the album and two exclusive tracks gave the first taster of South's studio recordings.

The first full-release single from the album 'Paint the Silence' was released in the UK on March 5th followed by the album 'From Here On In' on March 26th.

ATM

If this spectacular first taste of South's second album, With The Tides, is saying anything, it's that London triumvirate Joel Cadbury, Brett Shaw, and Jamie McDonald are all set to trounce the already impressive credentials of their debut full length for Mo' Wax. Wrap multipart Pet Sounds vocal harmonies in vast tracts of overblown orchestration, throw in some thumping drum work and a chorus that Ian Brown would kill for, and the result is simply two and half minutes of sonic splendour.

Record of the Day - UK

"...Wherein South return no longer underachievers but veritable masters of sound and song. Not since the frist Stone Roses album has anyone captured this mood quite as effectively as South..."
The Guardian UK

From Radio 1 Website

South are a folky-rocky band (although that's a bit of a dangerous description as they swing between chilled and clubby), who have been drawing musical comparisons to sounding like The Verve, although they've quoted reggae, dub, Curtis Mayfield and the Stone Roses as their influences. There's three of them - Joel Cadbury, Jamie McDonald and Brett Shaw - with them meeting 7 years ago at Haverstock Secondary School.

Joel does most of the singing, but they all take their fare share - them all doing a bit of the vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and writing. They're sure of themselves, with Brett claiming "We don't ever make any bad tracks - not ever", and already remixing Ian Brown's 'Dolphins Were Monkeys' under the guiding hand of big cheese and Mo-wax label mate James Lavelle. Lavelle signed them two years ago after becoming obsessed...

They've toured with the Big Beat Boutique's Bands and Booze tour, there's an album on the way next year called "From Here On In", they've released 2 E.P.s, and this track is released on the 20th November. One to watch.
From Dotmusic.com

Phwoar, there's quite a buzz about this band. This is about their fourth gig and every other one has been impossible to get into without wilting under the weight of hype and industry lovies. South have got all the ingredients which make deskbound music money-heads see dollars in their eyes; the looks, the youth, the style, the talent. And they're on Mo Wax, which is cool.

Label founder James Lavelle is fully behind them, having produced the album with his present Unkle partner-in-crime, Rich File. And there are remixes of debut single 'Broken Head' (out in March) kicking about town at the moment by Jagz Kooner, Death In Vegas and Unkle.

They come on stage looking like the Stone Roses with skinheads. And that's not only a visual comparison. 'Paint The Silence', the second track, is total Ian Brown with skank, but they kick off with 'Sight of Me'. Joel Cadbury plays bass and sings his soul out in a red Supreme t-shirt; Brett Shaw is on drums and Jamie McDonald is on guitar and backing vocals. That's the main band but also on stage are Will Harper on keys and Rich File as The Equalizer/sonic engineer. It's kind of Sonic Youth with a clean London stride. Soft, beautiful love songs stressing the modern.

Just to confuse matters these boys seem to all be able to play each others instruments, doing a musical chairs type swap every other track. Joel meanwhile slowly gets more confident as he sorts out his rock star poses. This must be a tough gig for a new band, it's the launch night of Ammocity's club and many London faces have crawled out of the woodwork to see what the fuss is about.

South are good at anthems. Fabulous baggy anthems which, like the 'sweet sixteen' lyrics of 'Paint the Silence', capture the beauty of being a kid walking down the street in the summer wearing flares and feeling totally groovy and blissed out. They are an indie band, vaguely retro, yet contemporary. I was not keen the first time I heard the album, but it grows like a good 'un and gives the ears a decent scope. Semi-Jeff Buckley with sunshine.

The dance affiliation keeps the bass at a sexy pace and by 'Southern Climbs' [the ballad] we get the feeling this is what Ash were expected to do. They're classic, mellow and uncomplicated. 'All In For Nothing' shows they can rock out; the drummer's going all out Genesis and there's a comedy Yello, 'The Race'-style guitar break. It's a progressive-psychedelic multi-media medley that beats the pants out of a lot of the lo-fi folktronica rubbish kicking about at the moment.

They don't feel like the future of rock'n'roll yet, but The Equalizer is bringing on the Star Wars crash noises in a somewhat Seattle style which gets the very London crowd moderately excited. They're not cheesy Oasis wannabies blowing a fame gasket either. Final track, 'Broken Head', is like an Alpine Stars electronic waterfall with a thud of rock. Bless them, I didn't make it to Spike Island either.

Jockey Slut April 2000

In an exclusive interview with Jockey Slut, Mo'Wax head James Lavelle admitted to suffering from depression following Polygram's take-over of Mo'Wax's parent company A&M in 1998 and the personal attacks in the press that followed the release of Unkle's 1998 album 'Psyence Fiction'.

Now linked with maverick indie XL, Lavelle is working with his latest signing South, a trio of 22-year-old musicians at Wessex Studios in north London, home to the recording of The Clash's 'London Calling' and The Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy In The UK'.

"With the Unkle album I never said I was going to make the best record in the world," said Lavelle. "It started with people saying it wa sfantastic and by the end of it people saying I'm an arsehole. Despite everything me and DJ Shadow went through on the Unkle record we're still as strong as we always were. The perception out there was we'd fallen out; we haven't. DJ Shadow has said he won't make another record unless it's a Mo'Wax record. He's working on it at the moment."

His current Unkle partner is long-time friend Richard File who is currently collaborating with him on the production of South. "me and RIch did an Ian Brown remix together with South ('Dolphins Were Monkeys') and found it was a good way to go with their album." The two outfits have also collaborated on the soundtrack for Jonathan Glazer's first film (Glazer directed the controversial 'Rabbit In Your Headlights' video for Unkle). "It's called 'Sexy Beast',"revealed Lavelle. "It stars Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley. It's a brilliant character-based, English film rich in memorable dialogue - like 'Nil By Mouth' meets 'The Long Good Friday'. We did all the heist murder scenes; it's very trippy and dark." Joel, the singer from South, added: "We had eight days to deliver it, so we just jammed around the visuals and then sculpted it around on the computer."

Lavelle's enthusiasm for the band was the reason South' who're essentially a rock band, signed to Mo'Wax, according to guitarist Jamie. "We've got the power to develop," added drummer Brett. "We can do our own mixes and do our own thing. Mo'Wax has given power back to the artists."

"They're taking lots of different influences: beats, classic ballads, more 'up' Stone Roses rock songs... I want them to constantly evolve," added Lavelle, who has spent eight hours a day for the last three months with the band.

Of Mo'Wax, he remarked that he was intent on recapturing the days "when it was fun". "I spent a year in mass depression not being able to deal with much and I've come out of it and thought, 'You know what? Fuck everybody,man'. We're trying to balance the label out so we can have some fun with it. Putting out records on all different levels."

Lavelle also hinted at working with more techno-based artists like Slam and hooking up with the likes of Darren Emerson, suggesting an even more diverse roster on the third 'Headz' compilation also due later this year.

Face Magazine January 2000

South (Mo' Wax)
A rock band signed to Mo'Wax? But why? "Since the UNKLE record, I've wanted to work with more bands," says James Lavelle. "The label has to move on." Three seven-inch singles due soon, showcasing melodic folk ('Sight Of Me') and Clash-style stompalongs ('Time To Riot'). Nice FACT! The band love tropical fish. Their favourite is the Friendly Ray.