When Jungle released Volcano in August of 2023, it very quickly became the ideal album to close out the summer. To this day, three years after its debut, Volcano is the first album I choose to play when the weather heats up. With Sunshine’s release coming three years later almost to the day, it goes without saying that there were high expectations for a follow up that could provide the same energy. Unfortunately, it looks as though Jungle was unable to deliver.
Many fans have instantly begun referring to Sunshine as nothing but a lackluster sequel to Volcano, and there have been a slew of complaints that the band may have played it a little too safe this time around, trying to deliver what they assumed fans wanted. Comparing the two and referring to Sunshine as an extension of Volcano, it’s worth noting that this latest release is a much more docile record, still delivering the same atmosphere and aesthetic, but struggling with flow and lacking the wow factor that made Volcano stand out so organically. While Volcano feels impactful yet effortless, Sunshine is simply tame. Some of the more experimental aspects that previously defined Jungle have become washed out as a sacrifice for Lydia Kitto’s dominating vocals. It’s also obvious that Tom McFarland’s frequent absence leaves this record falling flat in a lot of areas. All of this is not to say that the album on its own is not enjoyable. Sunshine still delivers a satisfying end of summer vibe even while remaining mild. The opening track “Come Back To Me” does its job perfectly by setting the tone for the rest of the album right out of the gate, though I’d argue that the second half of the record does a majority of the heavy lifting, with “Someday, Somewhere” being my personal favorite. Though fans are feeling unimpressed, the album is still objectively good. The album suffers a fate almost worse than being memorable for being an objectively bad record; Sunshine is instead an album that I and many others seem to think will very quickly get lost in the shuffle of releases this year.
Rating: 2.5/5
