Jungle are back with new album Loving In Stereo. I’ve become a big fan of theirs over the last year or so, simply because their music is perfect for all occasions. Whether it’s something fun in the background whilst you’re Busy Earnin’, or as something that turns a good time into a great time, there’s something for everybody to enjoy, and I’ve been enjoying it a lot. This new album is no exception, proving to be another solid addition to an already dazzling discography.
From first impressions, Loving In Stereo is a record that embraces variation, and harnesses the return of jovial emotions that’ve been rediscovered after the difficult times felt during For Ever. While the first two records set the foundation and solidified those roots respectively, they often followed the same paths. With this record however, I feel like Jungle have headed into new territory and that is EXCITING.
Through the orchestral smoke of ‘Dry Your Tears’ comes ‘Keep Moving’. The lead single shakes off the funk and dives straight into the heyday of the genre. Bright piano keys, dancing basslines and tons of percussion flood the ears with a care-free attitude that brightens the soul. It wishes to simply get you moving and it succeeds in a big way. It’s also here that we get a taste of the group vocals which traditionally would act as the driving force behind Jungle’s songs. On Loving In Stereo however, they take a step back. Sounding much more natural and a part of the song rather than the focal point.
Personally, I think the tweak to the vocals is a great move. It allows each song to have their own flavour. ‘All Of The Time’ has a classic old-school vibe to it. Shuffling into view with its percussion and grooving melodies, while the harmonies have a soulful quality to them. It’s a welcome change to the creative process, one that sees Jungle at their best. ‘Romeo’ bursts into the room with a bold set of synths, and Bas contributes an energetic vocal performance that absolutely fits with the vibe, whereas ‘Lifting You’ eases the tempo with a shimmering performance. Becoming the ‘Casio’ of the record.
‘Fire’ sounds straight from the 80s with flurries of vocals and wandering basslines, before leading into the glorious serotonin of ‘Talk About It’. The new vocal dynamic sees numerous harmonies collide against one another as the instrumental pummels against the eardrums. It amps up the tempo and leads us to ‘Truth’, which is potentially Jungle’s heaviest song to date.
Loving In Stereo is a fantastic album, and potentially my favourite Jungle record. The shift towards a more collaborative sound has opened up some many avenues for the duo to explore, and that freedom is shown throughout. Each song comes with a distinct personality and deliver different shades of sound to the ears, which I absolutely love. The amount of variation in this record is unreal, and the appearances from Bas and Priya Ragu makes me yearn for more collaborations in the future. What a record.