As is to be expected and at the very least hoped for, Julia Jacklin is evolving every time she comes out with new music. Her latest outing takes shape in that of PRE PLEASURE, a new record in where she makes every song count within very little time. In her third studio album Jacklin takes what she knows and continues to enhance it. She offers somewhat more of the same, only better. The Melbourne musician showcases her special style of indie rock and insures a fresh listening experience for her currently established fan base that is slowly but surely growing.
PRE PLEASURE doesn’t take long to get through, not even reaching forty minutes in the ten track collection. Within the allotted time her selection of songs is still varied and overall, absorbing. As has become common place with Julia Jacklin, her lyrics are the most engrossing part of the entire album. Her writing is her major strength in spite of other areas where she may lack, even though said areas are few and so inconsequential that it’s simply not even worth giving time to. PRE PLEASURE is a body of work that primarily consists of memory, personal experience, and cogitation.
There’s a deep and intimate tone explored throughout that stands apart from her two prior works, giving PRE PLEASURE a slightly contrasting vibe in comparison
The consistency of her music lies in the quality of her writing, and as addressed before, her word play is amongst some of the best lyrics being put out right now. Jacklin is a true wordsmith, always finding ways to cleverly tell stories with sharp intonation in an intelligently nuanced approach. On the instrumentation end, she keeps things fairly simple. The need for over the top editing or irrelevant additions to the music production are left aside in favor of more traditional guitars and percussion to aid her distinct vocals. Vocally she’s taking steps towards challenging herself as well, occasionally opting to attempt at stretching her range a bit further than usual. There are no weak songs in the bunch and each has an appropriate place in the line-up. They’re not all the same however, nor are they all that different either. She’s managed to assemble an assortment of tracks that while perhaps may differ in sound, are consistent with the album’s content as a whole. This isn’t an easy thing to do actually, thus making Jacklin a force that is on a steady ascent towards greatness.
Dropping a debut record is hard enough without having to worry about how to follow it up with a sophomore album, but now with her third it seems as though Jacklin has little to worry about in that regard. She has managed to space each new release out roughly three years apart, indicating her intent to take her time so as not to rush the process. She appears in no hurry to hit her ceiling and PRE PLEASURE is just a sign that she’s still on the rise and is not losing any steam.
