Jungle ‘Sunshine’ review: The now-trio’s latest is smooth but safe

Across 13 years and five studio albums, Jungle have become a solid, predictable and entirely frictionless fixture of the UK radio airwaves and festival line-ups. After emerging with enduring hits such as ‘Busy Earnin’’ and ‘Time’, 2023 album Volcano gave the duo of Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson a welcome shot in the arm with the refreshing presence of singer Lydia Kitto. Its single, ‘Back on 74’, provided radio stations another slick but safe staple for summer afternoons, and advertising campaigns got their new soundtrack.

Kitto is now a full-time member of Jungle for fifth album Sunshine, but little else has changed. Whether Sunshine is a perfect new summer soundtrack or an-other risk-averse effort from a band who have found their lane and rarely left it depends entirely on your previous conceptions of Jungle. It’s unlikely that new fans will flock to the band on the basis of the record, but there remains a charm and luxurious feeling to their smooth throwback hits.

Opening track ‘Where Are You Now?’ slides smoothly into a mid-tempo swing that the album doesn’t leave for its duration. Kitto’s voice remains a welcome presence throughout, bouncing off the signature joint falsettos of McFarland and Lloyd-Watson in a way that gives the music more dynamism.

‘The Wave’ nails the band’s disco-lite best of the album’s nine tracks, and there’s a welcome change of pace on the breathy and acoustic-led ‘Heavy on My Soul’, hinting at a future which might involve a few more risks and left turns. For now, though, it’s business as usual for a band that are comfortingly dependable but due a shake-up.