Jungle – ‘Loving In Stereo’ review: try to feel gloomy after listening to this. I dare you.

So, I’ve been sitting on Jungle’s new album, Loving In Stereo, and it’s out tomorrow right now. Not because I’m a lazy bastard who’s been procrastinating until the night before, as much as it may look like it, but because it’s been difficult to pinpoint certain aspects of it. I’ll give it a go now though. Shall we?

Truthfully, I’ve found it difficult to listen through in one sitting without getting distracted and having to make a conscious effort to go back, but don’t take that the wrong way. Let me explain.

First of all, no one can argue that ‘Keep Moving’ will be one of the best songs to come out of this year and I must stop looking at the album as if their already released singles aren’t a part of it.

There are certain traits that make this new Jungle record a stand-out from its predecessors such as the much thumpier, prevalent bass drum that carries the much more upbeat rhythm that the band have been aiming for throughout the album.

Circumstances of the times have an influence on any artwork that is being generated. It’s been a tough 18 months for inspiration and this record as a whole shines through the crack in the gloom. I could go so far as saying that it creates the crack, it’s truly a mood lifter. There’s not a lot more to it than positive vibes and a feeling of ‘we’ve made it’, but why would we ask for anything else?

‘Bonnie Hill’, ‘Truth’, ‘No Rules’ and ‘All of the Time’ come laced in sparkles and glamour that will make a prosthetic foot tap. Whereas the soul of songs like ‘Can’t Stop The Stars’ would be the soundtrack to Jeff Bezos’s rocketship if it were to malfunction and just keep blasting him off into the abyss until a star pops and we never see him again…

Maybe it’s because I’ve been trapped inside listening to it during the two week storm-grade rain and not in the sun making up for lost time, but I haven’t been able to truly connect to it.

Every song has given me an instant rush of dopamine, but a select few have retained it on subsequent listens.

‘Fire’ has early Mark Ronson, ‘Record Collection’ tones, with playful synths and 70’s organs with sound effects rather than vocals.

See Also

Is Bunny the album that blasts Willie J Healey into that much-deserved spotlight?

What D’you About Me? Is another favourite of mine and fills you with purpose. You see that person who’s storming down the path with her AirPods in not moving for anyone and mouthing some lyrics? Yeah? She’s probably listening to this.

What I do know is that any of these songs in a room full of sweaty, happy people will be phenomenal.

All in all, I think I was too excited by the singles to give it the full respect it deserves as a whole. I will not give up on this album and new style from Jungle, and still consider many individual songs on there as my choice when someone thrusts me the aux, but as a whole I’d maybe save it for a long journey where I want to switch off.

PS. Would anyone argue with me if I said it had hints of the Tranquility Base Hotel from the Arctic Monkeys album?