Don’t Let the Kids Win

Even with all our birthdays and other mile-markers, sometimes aging catches us by surprise. Australian singer/songwriter Julia Jacklin gets caught up in that very sentiment (despite being only 26) on the song “Coming of Age,” with its simple chorus of: “Didn’t see it coming/My coming of age.” Jacklin’s debut, Don’t Let the Kids Win, quickly caught the masses’ collective ear with its fine musical balance of slight country-tinged vocals and gritty, simple rock ’n’ roll. Songs like “Pool Party” and “Hay Plain” are memorable with their straightforward refrains, crunchy electric lines and chugging drums, while others like “Elizabeth” and “Same Airport, Different Man” fall into a more delicate, solo-folk realm with their bare structures and warm, finger-picked tones. Jacklin’s vocal timbre calls to mind artists like Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten, but her upbeat instrumental air feels more akin to fellow Australian Courtney Barnett. It’s a little bit of everything at once, and much like aging, it’s the amalgamation that makes it unique.