Pitchfork

I'm admittedly perplexed as to the meaning of the title of South's third album. Are the adventures in the underground themselves journeying to the stars, or has an important comma simply gone missing? Anyway, based on the sound effects at the beginning of album opener "Shallow", the Underground in question is London's subway system, and if "A Place in Displacement" is any indication, the stars are New Order.

"A Place" is a near-perfect distillation of the Power, Corruption & Lies aesthetic-- vocalist James Cadbury even sounds like Bernard Sumner on the chorus. Derivative though it may be, it's a hell of a song, one of several standouts on the album. The fact that there are several standouts is important, because South's previous records have seemed more like a cohesive mass of sound.

Part of this relative eclecticism may stem from the fact that, after working with James Lavelle and Dave Eringa, respectively, on their first two albums, South produced this themselves with an occasional assist from Eringa. Their penchant for exploring texture is well-established (it was established a little too well on their debut), and it seems that being at the boards gave them more opportunity to roam, while also forcing them to closely scrutinize their work. The result is more dynamic structures, more tempo changes (often within songs), and an enjoyable album that's strangely slightly less satisfying than their last one, With the Tides.

The reason for this may simply be the songwriting, which is good but only distinctive in patches. "Shallow" works more on the strength of its production and constantly shifting drum grooves than the melody itself, which is merely serviceable. "You Are One" has a chorus that feels like it's part of a different song from the verse, while the interesting backing vocals on "Safety in Numbers" swallow the lead instead of complementing it. But there's also "Up Close & Personal", which makes the most of its bipolar path through verses that alternate between quiet strumming and big harmonies borne on drums and glockenspiel.

Overall, South are in roughly the same place they've always been, making good post-Britpop music that sounds fantastic and sometimes erupts in a moment of unadulterated brilliance. They're still figuring out how to harness those moments and make them really last. We'll be in for a treat if they ever do.