From Newcastle, Australia, indie rockers Rum Jungle is continuing to take the world by storm with the release of their debut album, Recency Bias (Feb. 21). Hot off a successful tour in their home country, the band is taking their act to the States, with an LA date at The Echo on March 25.
Named after a defunct band lead singer Benny McIntye’s dad was part of, Rum Jungle is rounded out by Josh Giles (guitar), Frazer McDonald (drums/backing vocals), and Michael Kolmajer (bass guitar). They first made a buzz locally, sending waves across Newcastle and Australia with projects like the 2017 EP Crazy Days. But long before then, the four were simply looking for excuses to hang out after graduating from school, at first jamming with acoustic guitars before roping in McDonald.
While the four have enjoyed their fair amount of success, they’re perhaps best known for their performances on Triple J, including a cover of Rihanna’s ballad “Stay.” Despite other rock bands being the obvious choice for them to cover, the decision to choose a Rihanna song speaks to their influences, ranging from Phoenix to Charli xcx.
McIntyre, taking after past frontmen like Alex Turner and Ezra Koenig, has come into his own over the years. With songs like “What’s It Like,” he sings as though he’s holding onto the last bit of hope for love to come his way, a far cry from lighthearted fair like “Everything Is Easy.”
Even though he’s “In the deep end / With no idea how to float,” he’s willing to give himself to an unidentified significant other. That self-assured simplicity from the band can be heard throughout Recency Bias, which benefits from keeping matters stripped-back and showing how much they could do with so little.
Previously, Rum Jungle has kept to a tried and true formula of pop-leaning rock from bands that came up in the 2010s. But unlike others who have long attempted to replicate the sound, the band’s ability to make their songs feel seamless speaks to how they can fit the right pieces together.
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Past singles such as “Keep” and “Back Home” are lovely in their own right, but their recent material is what happens when a band has locked it all down just in time for a breakthrough into the mainstream. True to “Everything Is Easy,” they make it look easy.
Words: David Sosa
“What’s It Like” by Rum Jungle is out on streaming services. For more on new music and tickets to upcoming shows, including an LA date at The Echo on March 25, follow them on Instagram and their website.
