PRE PLEASURE
by Julia Jacklin
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
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  1. Exclaim
    Aug 23, 2022
    90
    Julia Jacklin is a unique talent. Know her. With PRE PLEASURE, Jacklin once again makes herself impossible to dismiss. She not only lives up to the hype, she deserves more of it.
  2. Uncut
    Aug 22, 2022
    90
    As a lyricist, she remains the understatement queen, “Let’s keep all our doctor’s appointments” from “Be Careful With Yourself” perhaps one of the most superbly subtle statements of devotion in recorded song. Nobody underdoes it better. [Sep 2022, p.26]
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  3. Paste Magazine
    Aug 22, 2022
    83
    Jacklin displays a newly developed maturity in PRE PLEASURE’s 10 near-perfect songs, while maintaining her talent for crafting hooky indie rock that often catches you off guard with its emotional weight.
  5. Beats Per Minute
    Aug 29, 2022
    81
    Though her debut album told us there’s virtue to having some miles on the soul, PRE PLEASURE kind of does the inverse: a more seasoned, matured artist letting the kid in herself win and giving herself permission to swing away at life.
  6. The Observer (UK)
    Aug 29, 2022
    80
    Written on keyboards rather than guitar, Pre Pleasure was recorded in Montreal with Marcus Paquin of the Weather Station; you can hear the uptick in arrangement and production in the painterly thrum of the instruments.
  7. Under The Radar
    Aug 26, 2022
    80
    Out of compassion, hopefully Jacklin has nothing but sunny days ahead. But her ability to rip out the listener’s heart and stomp it about a bit, on the dance floor or otherwise, will hopefully never leave her.
  8. The Telegraph (UK)
    Aug 26, 2022
    80
    This is Jacklin’s most personal offering yet and while the pain of mining her soul for such material is clear, through these diary-like confessionals, so too is her catharsis.
  9. AllMusic
    Aug 25, 2022
    80
    Although Crushing is a hard act to follow, Jacklin pulls it off gracefully here, with an album whose dramatic arc and songs hold their own.
  10. The Independent (UK)
    Aug 25, 2022
    80
    Pre Pleasure is one of those rare records that reveals the whole artist, cheap kicks and all.
  11. musicOMH.com
    Aug 25, 2022
    80
    Jacklin has an uncanny knack for documenting her generation’s anxieties and issues, and wrapping them up in songs you’ll be humming for weeks. She is quite the talent, and going by Pre Pleasure, she’ll be around for quite some time to come.
  12. Glide Magazine
    Aug 24, 2022
    80
    While you’re trying to keep up with Jacklin’s detailed songwriting, you may miss what is going on behind her well-crafted melodies. On Pre Pleasure, her typical acoustic rock sound is intertwined with lush string sections and hints of experimentation.
  13. DIY Magazine
    Aug 24, 2022
    80
    From start to finish, Julia has created a world entirely of her own - one which revels in representing her with unflinching honesty using a delicately-woven soundscape. Hers is a world where solace and solidarity are steeped into every brick.
  14. Mojo
    Aug 22, 2022
    80
    With every album, Jacklin is finding more of herself, strengthening her voice. It's complicated, but Pre Pleasure is a joy to hear. [Sep 2022, p.88]
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  15. Slant Magazine
    Aug 22, 2022
    80
    Jacklin spends most of Pre Pleasure offering captivatingly penetrating personal commentary, whether backed by distorted guitars or mere whispers of arrangements.
  16. The Skinny
    Aug 22, 2022
    80
    Authentic, intricate and wholeheartedly personal, Julia Jacklin brims with poise at every turn on PRE PLEASURE.
  17. Pitchfork
    Aug 26, 2022
    74
    Pre Pleasure takes its time unwinding and occasionally leaves too much unsaid. Some songs drift away, setting a mood rather than communicating an idea. But when Jacklin allows the two to work in tandem, she excels.
  18. Clash Music
    Aug 25, 2022
    70
    Whilst there are some bright gems for Jacklin fans interested in her ability to be vulnerable and confessional, there seems to be a whole lot of build-up – and not a lot of climax.
  19. The Line of Best Fit
    Aug 22, 2022
    70
    Although PRE PLEASURE is stylistically leaps and bounds from debut album Don’t Let The Kids Win the tenderness and vulnerability of earlier Julia Jacklin albums isn’t lost.

Awards & Rankings

71
#71 Best Album of 2022

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Ricko
    Nov 24, 2022
    8
    This has really grown on my over the last few weeks and it feels like I've got in on permanently at the moment. The opening trio of "LydiaThis has really grown on my over the last few weeks and it feels like I've got in on permanently at the moment. The opening trio of "Lydia Wears A Cross", the Joy Division melody of "Love, Try Not to Let Go" and "Ignore Tenderness" is as good an opening to an album as you'll hear. It's not as if it tapers off from that point either with the quality levels remaining high throughout. Her best yet and combining this with 2019's "Crushing", Julia Jacklin is establishing herself as one of the top level songwriters of the last 5 years.… Full Review »
  2. MsDeandra
    Aug 30, 2022
    7
    A very solid album. Didn't think it would be my cup of tea but it's good. If you have the time, check it out.
  3. TheLizardWizard
    Aug 30, 2022
    9
    Very solid album from start to finish. Julia's melodies are truly a treat on the ears.
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