Jungle fans waited ‘For Ever’ for more of the same [Review]
The band needs to be a bit more daring moving forward, to avoid being labelled as a one-trick pony
Jungle’s fans have been waiting for what seems like forever for their second album, um, For Ever. It’s taken four years for the band to complete following their highly successful self-titled debut.
Unfortunately, their process doesn’t seem to have changed in that time. From the samba-led opener Smile, we hear the same layered octave vocals and funky bass lines that made them stand out in 2014. And in an extreme lack of originality, the slow groove of Happy Man follows the exact template and has the same tempo as their mega-hit Busy Earnin’.
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The album has some strong moments – Beat 54 (All Good Now) recalls the big beat boom of the early 2000s, and Heavy, California marries Bon Iver-style vocals with classic 70s funk, all wrapped in a fun, pool-party atmosphere. Give Over and Cosurmyne are both more exciting and unpredictable than the other tracks.
Overall, while the instrumentals are solid throughout, Josh Lloyd-Watson’s vocals sound too similar to what we’ve heard before.
The band needs to be a bit more daring moving forward, to avoid being labelled as a one-trick pony.