Julia Jacklin – PRE PLEASURE

Bringing her notable brand of direct lyricism and playful nature into her third album is the beautifully talented Melbourne-via-Blue Mountains artist, Julia Jacklin. She describes the recording process of PRE PLEASURE as frantic in a press release – but its end result is anything but. Floating between tenderness and indie looseness, Jacklin’s all-round abilities as a singer-songwriter come to the fore here. Her lyrical patterns rarely follow expected routes, her minimal arrangements bring you to the heart of every breath and, overall, her music exudes maturity, making for a poignant progression from her previous work.

Themes of religion, sexual consent and relationships are explored in Jacklin’s lyrics while sonically, a purposeful step away from her familiar guitar sounds lets keys take centre stage on a lot of the tracks, Love, Try Not to Let Go being one of them. But the star of the show is Ignore Tenderness, where deeply vulnerable lyrics contrast with blissful strings and vocal harmonies for a song that encapsulates Jacklin’s musical aesthetic (and the album's theme of pleasure) in a nutshell: 'Leave no room for doubt that you are brave / A little leaf catching a wave / Strong but willing to be saved / Ignore the tenderness you crave / Be naughty, but don’t misbehave'.

Lead single I Was Neon is the grittiest of the album’s tracks. Distorted guitars lead the way in what is the most upbeat juncture of the record and shades of Brian Jonestown Massacre peek through its uber cool lead guitar riff and solos. The brilliantly titled Too In Love To Die brings back Jacklin’s intimacy once more and it continues into Less of a Stranger, where she confides in wishing that her own mother felt like less of a stranger.  

Echoes of The Velvet Underground track Heroin can be heard in Magic, where spattered guitars and folky undertones balance on a progression of two chords that evokes a slightly psychedelic tinge to the album. Be Careful With Yourself brings things back to the present with its polished sonics and empathetic aura before 60s style tremolo guitars and delicate strings on album closer End of a Friendship round off proceedings in fine style.

This is a delight to listen to on a sunny Sunday afternoon catching the last remnants of summer. Authentic, intricate and wholeheartedly personal, Julia Jacklin brims with poise at every turn on PRE PLEASURE.

Listen to: Ignore Tenderness, End of a Friendship