JULIA JACKLIN - The Gem

Having wrapped up her contractual relationship with Polyvinyl, Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin didn't let herself panic: finding herself without a manager or a label turned out to be more of an opportunity than a problem. Rediscovering an everyday life made of small, even mundane gestures had the effect of setting her artistic expression back in motion. The result is a set of rational reflections and sonic bodies in perfect balance between introspective textures and energetic surges; songs that flaunt a folk-rock aesthetic while rooting themselves in the liturgy of modern female singer-songwriting.

With this fourth album, recorded within the walls of home — The Gem is the name of the venue beneath her house in Melbourne — Julia Jacklin arrives at the court of 4AD. The stylistic coordinates remain partly the same as on her early work, though the prevailing impression is one of greater conviction and coherence. The opening track, "Brand New", immediately lays bare both anxieties and hopes. What follows are songs with comforting, gentle tones ("Angel Vision"), melodies that are lovely yet resolute ("The Hardest Thing"), and pop surges ("Get Away From Me (I Think I'll Love You Soon)") that cement "The Gem" as the author's most buoyant album.
Without revolutionizing her own musical identity, Julia Jacklin offers a more natural and balanced version of her abilities, both as performer and as songwriter. Tracks like "If I Had The Hand Of God", a bittersweet reflection on her own role as a musician, and "I Wish", one of those acoustic ballads that smell of sleepless, solitary nights, highlight a maturity that bodes well for the future.

A solid, highly enjoyable work, "The Gem" restores well-deserved visibility to the Australian singer-songwriter. Jacklin rediscovers the naive essentialism of her early days while at the same time venturing into intriguing arrangement choices (such as the use of harp on "Real Life") and experimenting with a fine slowcore guitar touch on the long country-noir ballad "Walk On Me" (which also delivers a touching vocal performance). All of it wrapped up in a record that sounds like a debut or, more realistically, like a rebirth.

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12/10/2026