Jungle - Volcano

Jungle’s deceptively massive name has thus far been built on radio-friendly earworms (case in point ‘Busy Earnin’’ with its Saturday Night Fever-style ‘70s stomp) and a relentless positivity as last displayed on 2021’s ‘Loving In Stereo’. It’s the latter which congregates most obviously throughout this fourth full-length: of the titular ‘Volcano’ picture not the perilous eruption but instead the trickle of lava, or gradual dissipation of ash. The vibe is still high, but there’s a free, relaxed nature to it all: more boozy backyard barbecue than sticky dancefloor. And while the outfit’s dedication to ‘70s soul is such that repeated moments inspire a ‘Wait… is that a sample?’ query (the euphoric backing vocals of ‘Holding On’ akin to something the Avalanches might dig out, for example), guest slots from Channel Tres (‘I’ve Been In Love’) and Bas (‘Pretty Little Thing’) ground the record fully in the 21st Century, as does the propulsive beat of opener ‘Us Against The World’. Jungle’s latest is more breezy bops than all-out summer smashes, but nevertheless extremely rich and warm in sound.