The roads are slick with condensation, the sky a clear azure. The lido is crisp before 7.45 am, the sun not yet above the tree line. I change quickly and jump in without testing the water. Better not to know and get the shock over with fast. Head under, wonderful. Two lengths of breaststroke. Then a bad coffee from the cafe. I sit on the bleachers and watch the sun rise and listen to new songs on a playlist.
This morning, it’s Julia Jacklin. Her fourth album, The Gem has a couple of lovely singles. The Melbourne singer-songwriter’s lyrics are both vulnerable and spiritual. “I’m just trying to get through the day,” Jacklin sings on Get Away From Me. She has drawn comparisons to Haley Bonar, This Is Lorelei and Slow Pulp, but she most reminds me of fellow Australian songwriter Courtney Barnett, with her slightly deadpan singing style and gentle, controlled voice.
“You don’t need to call me up darling if you’re not coming home tonight,” she sings. The song is pure country-infused rock. The classic tropes of heartbreak, a guy who can’t commit, and a girl who wants to push him away before she gets hurt. With a lovely minor key change halfway through, and a looping, rolling bassline. The whole album is contained in this song. A wonderful blend of luscious pop-rock, bright, upbeat jangle and stripped-back acoustics.
Julia Jacklin – Get Away from Me (I Think I’ll Love You Soon)
Leave a comment