Taking their inspiration from the Stone Roses and other baggy heroes, South are a London trio notable for their youthful optimism and exuberant guitar-rock songs. Sadly their debut album is severely marred by self-indulgence, with many of the more ambitious tracks descending into stoned doodling. Still, there are plenty of soaring melodies and strong hooks to make up for it and at their best the band radiates the intuitive chemistry that comes with having been together for eight years. They're still a long way from the finished article but given the time to develop, South might yet produce something really special.
