Make me Special (The Ultimate Collection 1987 - 1990)

Finally, the work of Love Jungle in the late 1980's and early 1990's sees the full light of day through Bristol Archive Records. At the heart of this Bristol quartet was the creative and personal dynamic between guitarist, Neil Darby and singer / keyboardist, Angela Huggins; not an unusual thing in bands at the time. The likes of The Sundays, T'Pau, Skin Games and Eurythmics saw the musical mixed with romantic between the female singer and male guitarist (usually). Love Jungle had a small part of the elements in those acts, but had a lot, lot more to them. Am I Good Enough? has a lush Echo and the Bunnymen era sound-bed topped by Huggins vaulting vocal pyrotechnics, producing a heady, whipped cream explosion. The tougher, strident This Covenant evokes The Cult. Love Jungle show serious rock teeth here. In total contrast When I'm Gone summons up something of a Sixties Phil Spector era 'wall of sound' theme and production in full folk opus mode, while the bitter-sweet summery pop vibe of Peace and Love pulls apart some of the preconceptions in the phrase. Make Me Special is a sturdy body of work that shows off a talent hacking its way through the steamy wastelands of hope, emotions, fun, disappointments and other experiences to a point of clarity and excitement. Delve in, it's worth the journey.