Of course, there will be comparisons to Jungle’s discography, it would be remiss not to, but what Lloyd and Kitto have created really does sing to its own tune. Where Jungle are the dance floor fillers, Loaded Honey is the slow dance at the end of the night that makes you realise what it’s all about. “In Your Arms” sets this standard with its repeating “I belong, in your arms” motif – affirming the record's mission with classic romanticism that could otherwise only be felt at a wedding’s first dance. Across the tracklist, what begins as blissful infatuation gradually gives way to longing, reflection, and finally acceptance, like watching a romance unfold on the silver screen.
The duo states that Love Made Trees wasn’t confined to studio sessions or strict scheduling; rather, the record was made through natural feeling together over time, and it shows. Not a moment feels forced, not a melody feels overthought, and as they drift through all aspects of love and relationships, it feels effortlessly blissful – even the more turbulent tracks. “Don’t Speak” is a great example as it tells the yearning of a jealous lover, but its lyrics return to the album’s romanticised form with “Don’t speak (I will love you) / Need me, you need me.” “Lessons” then takes this idea and softens it, this time focusing on a couple trying to sort things out, but once again remembering “no one can hold me / the way that you do” – and the unmissable ‘pom-pom-pom’ arpeggios decorating the track with a hook you can’t help but bounce along to.
1950s and old-timey production decorate the album’s
tracklist, with “Over” being one of the most apparent. Kitto’s lower
range makes a rare appearance here, embellished with her higher trills
towards the three-minute mark – gorgeously spread across the track’s
repeating two-step drum and strummed bass. It’s no easy feat to reinvent
music that’s been played for three-quarters of a century, but Lloyd and
Kitto’s twist keeps it so fresh that you just want more. “Hello
Stranger” closes the record similarly, but this is where hints of Jungle
can be found – interesting use of sampling and repetition keep this
song flowing for its sub-two-minute runtime, harkening back to the
opening track to round off the record.
“Tokyo Rain” is probably the most ‘Jungle’ you’ll get, with
its broader, upbeat and grand scale to its instrumentation, but even at
the highest moments it is gentle and soft in a way that Jungle haven’t
ever needed to be – adding depth to the quiet moments and colour to the
louder ones. Other tracks like “Cisco Bay” and “Really Love” keep up
this mid-tempo Jungle style and flavour the album as you make your way
through the tracklist (think a slower “Let’s Go Back”) but where the duo
shine is on the track with their namesake, “Loaded Honey.” This lullaby
of a sad song packs in so much punch with its minimal arrangement, its
yearning guitar strums, and flowing strings – and to really ram it home,
instead of optimism, the cinematic romanticism for this one lies in its
sadness.
Love Made Trees, at its heart, is about romance.
It comes across in its music, its lyrics, its emotive storytelling and
natural flow from track to track. “Bullet” encompasses all of this, and
as Kitto’s distorted vocal sings “If I'm lonely I'll be thinking 'bout
you”, you can’t help but drift off into the cinema of the love song.
This record achieves everything it strives for and remains true to its
core, all coming back to the relationship between its two makers. Like
the best kind of love, Love Made Trees doesn’t need to shout to be unforgettable – it just needs to sing.
