Rum Jungle’s second album maintains the indie-rock sensibilities of their 2025 debut full-length, Recency Bias, albeit with a deeper, more revealing emotional pull. “Lowlife” was written at a time when vocalist/guitarist Benny McIntyre was questioning his self-worth, while “Coal Dust” explores the shifting perspectives that come with age, particularly in relation to one’s hometown. “What’s Next,” meanwhile, charts a moment of clarity and reflection for someone who coasts through life without any care for the damage they cause others and themselves. With Charlie Hole (aka Thomas Porter) and Pacific Avenue’s Harry O’Brien co-writing almost half the album with the band, Marginalia marks the first time the Newcastle group have worked with outside writers. Penned while on tour, in between long-haul flights and the silence after gigs, the results veer from the woozy, Arctic Monkeys-esque swagger of “Got Time” and The Strokes-inspired bluster of “What’s Next” to the Pixies-esque “Coal Dust,” all jangly guitars, sauntering rhythms, and the ever-present wash of nostalgia.