Review: The Jade - Love Harder (Lovemonk Records)

If you can remember the group Change, 'Change!' by The Jade is in that disco/jazz ball park and is perfect for you.

We've already been Introduced to The Jade by the singles ‘Change!’ and the follow up, the glorious Latin/jazz/samba/fusion ‘Si no me quieres esperar’ with vocals by Cuban singer Ale Gutiérrez (of Habana Abierta and El Combo Batanga) but we should have guessed the album, 'Love Harder', would be even harder from a project led by Casbah 73's Oli Stewart outta Madrid.

 

It's got a huge heritage of Brit-jazz-funk bands Incognito, Light Of The World and more which is clear from the opening tracks 'Le' t The Light In' and 'Change!'.  And if you remember Sun Palace's 'Raw Movements'/'Rude Movements', you're going to love 'On That Strange' and all the other tracks (11) on the album. 

And then on 'Space Lines' they out do the big hats of Jamiroquai and 'What It Takes' will fill up the disco/funk charts.

The band is superb with Chavi Ontoria (keyboards), David Salvador (bass), Josué García and Dani Herrera (horns), Deborah Ayo and Nia Martin (vocals) and, from Montevideo! Nico Ibarburu on guitar along with Josh Hoyer, Angela Gooding, Ale Gutiérrez, jazz trumpet player Malcolm Strachan; 'At The Queensboro' being particularly jazzy-funky - did somebody say, "Donald Byrd!"

Lovemonk know what's needed in the summer and this fits the "Afro-Latin jazz-dance and Iberian funk" bill perfectly.

BUY LINK: https://onerpm.link/101104305573

Artist: The Jade 
Title: Love Harder
Release date: 20th June, 2025
Label: Lovemonk Records 
Cat. No: LMNK86
Format:   Digital / Bandcamp