The Jungle Giants “Love Signs”
If any album is going to lift the collective spirits right now its the fourth album Love Signs from The Jungle Giants. It is hard to believe that four years have passed since Quiet Ferocity but there’s no doubt that they have more than endeared themselves to fans right around the country on the festival circuit and on their headline tours. There was definitely a sense of anticipation of singles Heavy Hearted and Sending Me Ur Loving. If your hips are shaking and you’ve got those feet moving it is a pretty good sign that you are going to really dig the rest of the album.
Love Signs was written and produced solely by front man Sam Hayles who was not afraid to push the envelope and take The Jungle Giants sound in a new direction. Recording in his home in Melbourne Hayles spoke to Hi Fi Way about experimenting with elements of 90s R&B and hip-hop with most noticeably Ashanti and Timbaland plus some new toys in the studio.
Lead single Heavy Hearted released back in 2019 was a subtle teaser of what was to come experimenting with electro pop styled disco grooves straying away from that indie rock sound which we were used to. There is definitely plenty of sparkle on Love Signs and the fresh sound is highly infectious.
The album is loaded with plenty of gold opening with the electro funk title track which starts with a dial tone of an analogue phone which sends off all the right signals from the get go. Those uplifting feels morphs right in to Treat You Right and In Her Eyes. Whether it’s matters of heart on Sending Me Ur Loving and Heartless to the likes of album closer Monstertruck it is quite remarkable how much this band has grown. Also, the influence of Hayles partner Grace aka Janet Planet from Confidence Man can’t be underestimated either. Grace features in the playful vocal exchange on Treat You Right and helps Hayles nail In Her Eyes.
Love Signs is a fun listen start to end and ranks right up there as their best work to date. Now it’s a matter of what colour vinyl? Neon green, neon yellow, neon orange or neon pink – just grab all of them!
Album Review By Rob Lyon
