London duo Jungle wants you to have a good summer. The pair of Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland have released their third album Loving In Stereo after a lengthy rollout with five singles and extravagant music videos to match. It gave an idea of what was to come, but now with the full album, we can see the full picture.
Since their debut album in 2014, the group has emerged as one of the more interesting forces in funk and disco. They became a darling for brands, with songs placed in commercials around the world, plus video games, though not because the tracks were cheesy and safe, but rather some music supervisors had taste. They released their sophomore album For Ever in 2018 that didn’t have the same commercial success as their self-titled debut, but kept the momentum going until today.
Now they have another album Loving In Stereo that builds on the themes of those two and explodes with more energy. This wasn’t a pandemic album, unlike many of the records we are hearing these days. Much of the album was written in 2018 and 2019. However, the time away from touring allowed them to sit down and retool some of the album.
The band actually wrote this about finding new love, moving on from the past and getting through tough times. It is about the freedom you feel in those moments. That is exactly what many people need today as we still battle some of the worst years in the past generation.
There are songs that are a little slower like “Lifting You” or “Goodbye My Love,” while the jazzier “Bonnie Hill” adds a little sax and a jazz flute like Ron Burgundy was playing in the background of the studio. The Bas feature is a curveball on Loving In Stereo, adding a SoundCloud era summertime rap track to the project that is distinctly California.
However this is an album that feels at its best with the moments of pure unbridled joy with songs like “Talk About It,” “What D’You Know About Me?” or “Keep Moving.” Many of them were singles, and for good reason, creating those brief periods in your day where you can get lost in a song.
This is something that will feel amazing live, whenever you get a chance to see them. There will be dancing – some of it joyous, hands in the air, throwing your drink on strangers, and others, slower, grabbing your partner for a kiss and swaying head on shoulder. Jungle has delivered with their third album, hitting us with the bangers, but also some slower ballads. Summer should be fun and Jungle wants to help make it so. Pick up your copy of the album here.
