Jungle’s Volcano has completely swept me off my feet. Its energy, intuitiveness, and track listing make it a frontrunner for my album of the year.
By Erika Gedgaudas
photo: AWAL Recordings Ltd
Before July of this year, I was a very casual listener of Jungle. Their singles, like “GOOD TIMES” and “Romeo” softly introduced me to the dance scene. When Spotify notified me that their fourth album Volcano dropped on August 11th, I decided to give the band a real shot. And I’m so glad I did.
There is so much to say about what a triumph Volcano is in terms of sound, vision, and ability to put a cohesive album together. What left the biggest impression on me is Volcano’s track listing: each song is in the right place. The album builds and falls when it needs to, creating a natural progression that almost makes the audience feel as though they’re listening to the soundtrack of a movie. When you press play, you are greeted with the cool groove of “Us Against the World,” every few measures building upon themselves until a high-format, fuzzy Lydia Kitto leads us into the chorus sung by a choir, belting, “It’s us against the world.” This sets up the crux of Volcano—it’s you and them, losing yourselves in the music against all else.
The album’s high point, ironically, is its first sub-120 BPM track, “Dominoes,” and the subsequent two songs that make up the work’s best three-track run. Sonically, “Dominoes” feels like a chill at a party, sitting outside but still hearing the madness indoors. Kitto’s vocals are pulled back, yet still full of energy, the lyrics reminding listeners of what was relayed in the introductory track: “Everyday’s so wonderful / You and I are so beautiful.” The following tracks, “I’ve Been in Love” and the hit “Back on 74” bring a jumpier groove than in “Dominoes,” preserving the album’s ‘70s sound and giving listeners something to really dance to (as seen by the virality of the music video for “Back on 74,” whose choreography is rightly being hailed by viewers). The three tracks encompass the flirty, carefree, throw-your-worries-in-the-trash energy of the album that, if nothing else, makes the work plain fun to listen to.
From the "Back on 74" music video / photo: Jungle4eva
Something Jungle appears to have experimented with on Volcano is using backup vocals not just as flair but as its own instrument. This is by far the most musically intuitive aspect of the album—vocalizing the music, rather than synthesizing it, makes it feel more personal, more communicative. Because the vocals are either layered or sung by a choir of voices, the sound feels more full in comparison to some of Jungle’s previous work. Even downtempo tracks like “Pretty Little Thing” are brought to life simply by the addition of more voices, more people to groove with.
I have only two minor qualms with the album: transitions, and Roots Manuva. Firstly, for a dance album with such a strong through line, it would only make sense for each song to be connected, to fade in and out of one another. Yet, the only natural transition between two songs comes after “Us Against the World” into “Holding On.” The rest of the tracks are not offered the same flow, transitions feeling awkward rather than smooth. Secondly, while “You Ain’t No Celebrity” has a dirty, crunchy beat that matches the rest of the album, Roots Manuva’s feature feels lazy in comparison and nearly ruins the song for me. His lyrics read: “You push and pull, pull and push, you push and pull / Over easy, easy over, over easy” repeated, then “Who’s that, who’s there, who cares?” In his laid-back delivery, Manuva comes off bored, interrupting the energy every other vocalist brings. It seems that in asking, “Who cares?” Manuva refers to himself.
Despite these drawbacks, however, Volcano remains an incredible feat of musical performance. Its story feels immersive and each track feels personal. The album has a heart and soul; you can hear it beating in every drum, every bass line. Between the production, vocals, and flow of every track, it truly feels like it’s you and Jungle against the world, energies feeding into one another to actualize the dreamlike acid trip you only see in movies. I sincerely hope Volcano is rewarded for its integrity and that Jungle continues to perfect their sound. I rate Volcano five Reveries out of five.
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