Search - South :: With the Tides

(four and a half stars) Listen and appreciate

trainreader | Montclair, N.J. | 12/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's quite difficult to classify South -- perhaps similar in some ways to the shoegazer genre of Ride and Catherine Wheel, or maybe more like the Britpop of the Stone Roses and Charlatans UK. No matter who they're compared to however, one thing's for certain, South is a terrific band, and, to this reviewer, "With the Tides" is even better than their debut "From Here On In," which was very good indeed. Complex textured instrumentation with soaring vocals and choruses -- almost every song on "Tides" is a winner.



The first three songs set the stage for everything that follows and provides the listener with the range of the band. "Colours in Waves," might be my second favorite South song -- just behind "Paint the Silence" from "Here On In." "Natural Disasters," has an almost Beatlesque feel (think a more pop version of "Strawberry Fields Forever"). Like the Beatles, South isn't afraid to experiment with sound not normally associated with a rock and roll. Check out the harp in "Nine Lives," or the harpsichord in "Loosen Your Hold." "Same Old Story" could have been South's break-out song, as it's perhaps more "hit" oriented than the others, but the the essence of the band isn't compromised at all.



Songs 8 through 11 take the listener down gently with a more mellow approach, but the closer, "Threadbare," has a harder edge, almost reminiscent of Radiohead, as if South's telling us not to get too comfortable.



"With the Tides" has no weak songs and is quite incredible in its consistency. I would have awarded the album five stars if "Paint the Silence" was included on it rather than the prior album; but, even without this song, it just misses the top rating in my opinion.





"

Solid Album, Solid Group, Worth a Listen!

J. Benjamin Haga | USA | 01/12/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"'South' is one of those artists that you are either going to like, or dislike. I would not liken it to the extent that 'Boards of Canada' can segregate music listeners, but there are definitely some bits of their music that may make you shy away.



'With The Tides' starts out with a bit of a slow touch and moves onto Tracks 03 and 04, which are quite strong. The albums flows well and is a very enjoyable listen for many occasions. 'Silver Sun' is also a strong track which brings a bit of a 'Beetles' feel to it.



I highly recommend this album for those that like ambient music and indie (hard to use this word with them) with a bit of a post-rock feel.



Favorite Tracks: Track 03, Track 04, Track 06, Track 09"

By far their best release

Sneaky Pete | Colorado | 12/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are shopping for a South album I would grab this one. A perfect blend of their talents, really captures the heart of the band and did I mention its reall really good."