The 15th of October saw the release of The Jim Jones Revue’s third album, “The Savage Heart”, and as with its predecessors it truly stands out from anything else released around the same time, seeing the band take a more experimental route instead of solely being loud (and by ‘loud’ I mean ‘LOUD’) as they are known for.

The Savage Heart kicks off with lead single “It’s Gotta Be About Me”, which will be stuck in your head for days with its ferocious rhythm - a song that sounds great in any setting from a live show to blaring out of your mp3 player’s headphones. A few other tracks on the album are reminiscent if the in-your-face up-to-eleven style, such as “Catastrophe” and “Where Da Money Go?” (inspired by the August riots in London last year) which both pulse with attitude.

The Jim Jones Revue have expanded their sound with a few “quiet” and stripped down songs, such as “Seven Times Around the Sun” which is basically percussion and call-and-response vocals. “Chain Gang” is another example of a new direction, with piano that plays every vertebrae in your spine and whirring guitar, it really creates a chilling atmosphere and soundscape. “In and Out of Harm’s Way” has to be the highlight of the album, it has dark undertones but will still have you struggling to keep from moving along with its smooth infectious groove - much akin to the incendiary “Cement Mixer” from their debut.

The biggest surprise of the album has to be the final track “Midnight Oceans and the Savage Heart”, which closes the record with a bit of a gentle ebb - it’s a ghostly echo of a lost love ballad that would easily belong playing through an old wireless radio. Its eerie reverb and softer lyrics prove that the ‘Revue isn’t just a one dimensional band: they can play really energetic shows but they can still also write a diverse group of songs that work incredibly well together.

The Savage Heart is out now, and you can hear some of the songs in their Southend video (Part 1, 2 & 3).