‘Amateurs’: the album Julia Jacklin calls “one of the best of our time”
Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin has made several records that could and should be considered amongst the best of our time. After debuting with Don’t Let the Kids Win in 2016, she delivered a stunning sophomore effort in Crushing, investigating the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of modern love through soft strums and muted snares. Her vulnerable songwriting style set her apart from the monotonous indie scene, as she proved herself to be one of this generation’s finest talents with a pen and a six-string.
Within another three years, she had delivered yet another contemporary classic in Pre Pleasure. Building upon the sound she had already established, the record delved into her difficult relationships with religion and sex. Despite their apparent simplicity, her lyrics were entrenched in real emotion, punctuated by the indie rock instrumentation she surrounded them with.
Though Jacklin has developed one of the most distinctive sounds in the modern guitar music realm, she does take influence from her peers and her predecessors, whether it’s the formative impact of pop icon Britney Spears or the poetic talents of Leonard Cohen. Helming from slightly closer to home, Melbourne-born Laura Jean has also exerted an influence on Jacklin’s approach to songwriting, particularly on her 2022 record, Amateurs.
During an appearance on Amoeba’s ‘What’s In My Bag?’ series, Jacklin selected the record from the Hollywood-based record store before showering it in praise. She described it as “incredible” and even deemed it “one of the greatest albums of all time,” sharing her hopes that more people will give it a listen.
With just one listen to the record, it’s easy to see why Jacklin fell in love with it. Charting her struggles through existing within the arts over gentle strings and strums, the record is right up Jacklin’s street. Some songs even sound as if the ‘Good Guy’ singer could have penned them herself. The Aussie singer estimated that she has listened to Amateurs “more than any other record in the last few years,” acknowledging that Jean has been a huge inspiration to her.
“I’m so grateful that she writes the music she does,” Jacklin enthused before reminiscing on – or, more accurately, regretting – the time she performed alongside Jean. “I recently sung with her, and I really fucked it,” she admitted, “because I was really nervous and because she is my hero. So, thank you, Laura. Sorry for messing up your show.”
It’s easy to see how Jean’s influence has bled into Jacklin’s own creations. In the image of her fellow Aussie songwriter, she has forged her own soft indie rock style with achingly simplistic lyricism, but she doesn’t exist in Jean’s shadow. She may have found songwriting inspiration in Amateurs and Jean’s other creations, but she doesn’t lean entirely on those inspirations.
Rather, she has taken the baton from Jean and ran with it, pushing her soft style into new directions. As she pulls from other artists and her own experiences, she has earned her place alongside Jean as one of the most exciting acts in the Australian indie scene right now. Meanwhile, Crushing and Pre Pleasure have earned their places alongside Amateurs as one of the best records of our time.
