Jungle – ‘Volcano’ album review: another dancefloor burner from the masters of the form
Over the last decade, British duo Jungle have redefined what it means to be an electronic band. With a distinct style that pairs dancefloor-ready rhythms, high-pitched hook vocals, classic R&B grooves, and a dash of slick coolness, childhood friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland have released three albums of pure jams. Now, we’re getting a fourth with the duo’s newest LP, Volcano.
A delightful mix of high-energy beats and pure joy, Volcano is as explosive as the album’s name suggests. The one-two punch of leadoff tracks ‘Us Against the World’ and ‘Holding On’ prove that Lloyd-Watson and McFarland are way more interested in creating a fresh take on soul and pop than they are in fitting inside the “DJ duo” mould. The music might be synthetic, but the intent is all analogue – right from the heart.
The features are equally inspired. Despite rising to a place of prominence that they have never been at before, the Jungle guys aren’t cashing in with high-profile guest spots. Instead, they’re tapping talented artists who actually contribute to each song’s unique structure: American rapper Channel Tres on ‘I’ve Been In Love’, British producer Mood Talk on ‘Don’t Play’, and Sudanese-American rapper Bas on ‘Pretty Little Thing’ are particular standouts.
Even when they’re just acting as mad scientists within their closed-off laboratory, Jungle are still producing some of the most radiant summer jams that you’ll hear this year. ‘Dominos’ should only be played when it’s hotter than 18 degrees Celsius, with no exceptions. If you’re not sweating, you’re not doing it right. When the song’s hook line claims, “Every day’s so wonderful”, it acts as the central mantra to Volcano. The same goes for ‘Palm Trees’, a track that channels the sounds of the beach with sound effects and palpable heat coming off the song’s funky bass line and crystalline keyboard lines.
Sometimes these light-as-air elements threaten to make Volcano float away completely. The acoustic guitar-cowbell combo of ‘Back on 74’, as its title suggests, is meant to be a conscious throwback. That’s all well and good, but Jungle are far better equipped to look into the future than to rip off the easy-grooving funk of the past. Similarly, the icy sheen over ‘Good At Breaking Hearts’ briefly threatens to kill the immaculate feeling that the duo had worked so hard to keep going.
But by and large, Volcano is the perfect summertime album. ‘Every Night’ takes that classic disco rhythm and keeps it pulsating over and over, squeezing every last bit of groove out of their samples as humanly possible. ‘Coming Back’ adds increasing layers of sounds and noises to its arrangement until it becomes impossible not to get lost in its infectious beats. The attention to detail is remarkable, but it never gets in the way of what Jungle are really interested in: hooks and good times.
The more you pay attention to it, the more interesting elements and instruments get revealed to you. But if all you want to do is get out of your own head and have an amazingly fun time, then Volcano just might be your favourite album of this year. It’s a record that proves that Jungle are in their sweet spot, working at the absolute top of their game. If Jungle released an album like Volcano every year until the end of time, I wouldn’t have a single complaint.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.