South

Taking note from MoWax Recordings and U.N.K.L.E. impresario James LaVelle, South gets intimate on their stateside debut, From Here on In. It's a divine mess of atmospheric rock & roll woven around sultry electronic grooves and lush dream pop. The three lads of South -- Joel Cadbury, Jamie McDonald, and Brett Shaw -- share songwriting while composing something sharp and elegant. They're not exactly melancholy like Coldplay, but South may have an edge on what it's like to be Radiohead. The intricate soundscape wavers between the fading beauty of "All in for Nothing (Reprise)," and "By the Time You Catch Your Heart" casts a somber passion. It's easy to assume South was influenced by the Stone Roses and the Charlatans UK, but the misery doesn't last. U.S. bonus track "Save Your Sorrow" might be too similar to Ian Brown, but the soulful disposition of grainy acoustics and the song's groundwork moves beyond the woes of Madchester. "Paint the Silence" is the album's swan song, but it's fresh with shimmery guitars and the mellowness is unpredictable. South has an intellect beyond their years and From Here on In is a storm of romance without the expectations. LaVelle's guidance was not taken lightly. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi