Photo by Tam Akiko
Bonneville, a duo that is a voice for a previous era with the excitement of a modern reincarnation, is back with their first release of 2026, ‘In The Jungle’. Alongside a certain grit and tension that you’d find in 70s soul and funk, there is also a particular weight with this release, thanks to the presence behind the kit of Bernard Purdie. The Modern Drummer Hall of Fame inductee, who helped define entire eras on drums, slides in amongst the recording at FAME Studios as if returning home.
Set within a story of inner-city survival, Bonneville’s ‘In The Jungle’ leans into a darker palette than some of their southern retro-soul has previously. Strings and guitars move in the shadows, while the rhythm section and brass stabs provide a brighter side. At points, moody, raw and atmospheric, at others, the infectious melodic soaring takes hold. This 70s cinema soul structure takes nods from Curtis Mayfield or Donnie Hathaway, resisting the urge to indulge, and making something real.
McGee shares his thoughts on the vocal performance that exemplifies this scene: “I wanted to personify the darkness of a bleak cityscape, but contrast it with a heart that still beats with enough love and ambition to break through the oppression. The chorus has a call-and-response element that we discovered, and that’s what really makes it pop.”
With a third album on the horizon and the previous two emerging in recent years, Bonneville have committed to their path. Now their sound is as polished as ever, and they choose to dig deeper into their sonic lineage, breathing new life into it and becoming a focal point of the history and influence it carries today. With Bernard Purdie on drums, FAME Studios hosting the mixer and Bonneville crafting the music, the past and present naturally meet.
Check it out here:
