As far as bands coming out of Phoenix, Arizona go, there’s nobody out there quite doing it like Jane N’ The Jungle. Still relatively new to the scene overall with one album, 2019’s Concrete Jungle, to their name along with a handful of singles and an EP, JNTJ is a band that has spent their time together focusing hard on the sound they want to bring to the table. For those familiar with Concrete Jungle, the band’s newest single “Raw As A Jewel” will be a welcome addition to the band’s concrete sound — for newcomers, look no further; your song of the year is here, and just in time.
“Raw As A Jewel” sees Jane N’ The Jungle at the top of their game, at least so far. The production is crystal clear and continues with the work they’ve already begun with producer Chuck Alkazian. Lead vocalist Jordan White’s presence on this track doubles down on the powerful choices she’s already been prone to making on the band’s other recent singles, “Metal Ghost” and “Dirty Dog,” but her melodic focus with “Raw As A Jewel” sees the singer shifting into a more pop-driven, rock ’n’ roll front-woman aesthetic than the heavier material that had come before. It’s a bold, smart choice to pivot into a song as finely-produced and articulated as this within the rock scene, but the choices work for the band without any hiccups and allow the group to play within a new sound without sacrificing their core heavy rock inhibitions.
The song’s chorus is simple yet bears a powerful message: “I wanna bare it all even if I fall for you; raw as a jewel, nothing to lose.” There’s a distinct attention paid to the power dynamic of an old flame reigniting, and the way that Jane N’ The Jungle tackles the complex subject is as eloquent as it is catchy. “Don’t keep coming around like I should care, you know the reason I am here. Willing to lose a career for you, willing to give you all of me.” It’s powerful stuff that most bands only ever dance around, but Jane N’ The Jungle proves that they can strut their stuff while talking the talk, and they do both with a proficiency that most bands can only dream of.
Working as a third new single from the band, “Raw As A Jewel” is a bold new style and arrangement for the group in comparison to their small catalog. The band’s homage to classic ‘80s female-led rock is effortlessly catchy, and hopefully a sign of more of what’s still to come from JNTJ, as there’s little doubt that “Raw As A Jewel” will be anything but a major success for the band. It’s a crucial piece of music in the band’s overall narrative, and the fact that the song carries itself with such a distinct message, sound, and impact all in one go is worth paying attention to in and of itself. Most bands are concerned with dolling themselves up into facsimiles of what they think they should be, but Jane N’ The Jungle is here, raw and vulnerable as can be.
