South - Up Close and Personal

Unlike many of their Brit-pop mates, South have always been able to add color and atmosphere to their moody, electro-tinged tunes. On the limited edition Up Close and Personal, a combination DVD/CD featuring just two new songs (and with nine songs on both the CD and DVD), South give the bland treatment to a bunch of tracks that didn’t need to be re-worked. The CD, containing live studio tracks, comes off much better than the DVD. A breezy version of the well-known “Paint the Silence,” the haunting harpsichord of the “Ruby Tuesday”-like “Loosen Your Hold,” and Joel Cadbury’s trippy slide on “I Know What Your Like” all maintain elements of surprise and stay interesting. There’s also a nice cover of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” that starts mellow before building towards its conclusion and a stripped-down “Safety in Numbers” that will be hit or miss with fans. The two previously unreleased tracks, “Something & Nothing,” with its Radiohead-like vocals and “Autumn Morning,” a clubby dance number with a drum machine, are average at best and don’t warrant purchase of the album. The DVD, recorded during back-to-back April shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles, features very basic live footage that is not shot that well. The layers of South’s songs don’t translate to this live setting, as evidenced during the recorded strings of “Motiveless Crime.” Scenes shot backstage, during a radio interview, and in the studio are also nonessential, as the band talks about the making of their latest record and how “it’s been a long, long road.” Even the three bonus music videos (“Safety in Numbers,” “A Place in Displacement” and “Up Close and Personal”) seem a little too low budget for inclusion. While Up Close and Personal lacks the mood and darkness of their proper releases, it's probably a good document for someone who must have visual footage of the band or who is looking for a “greatest hits” package. [south.uk.net]