As a body of work, Crushing feels small, intimate and inward. But these are big songs, full of big ideas, from a big talent.
Grunge-rinsed, feminist-flipped, upcycled Fifties guitar an’ all: Crushing is a triumph.
‘Crushing’ is a strikingly candid exploration into the highs and lows of the end of a relationship and what comes next. On the surface it seems more like lows and lows, but the more you listen the more you get the full spectrum of what the word ‘crushing’ can mean.
It's this type of devastating emotional honesty -- one that admits both strength and weakness -- that, along with the performances, sets this record apart from others in its heavy-hearted category.
On the lovely Crushing, Jacklin clearly and concisely digs into knotty emotional terrain and comes out with an undeniably new kind of breakup album.
Jacklin clearly had to sort through mountains of wreckage to arrive here, but the album’s autobiographical nature is what makes it so affecting ... in recognizing the non-exclusivity of her experiences, she made something singular.
Few albums can make such bold statements without seeming heavy-handed, but Jacklin’s sophomore effort feels as natural as the words rolling off her tongue.
This melancholy filters through to Crushing, but with a more stripped back style, allowing the plaster peel away, exposing the wound of losing someone - in both life and love.
A profound statement that stands as an early candidate for this year’s strongest singer-songwriter breakthrough.
Crushing, like love, is a journey worth taking.
In among the scab- and finger-picking and lines that creep into your ear and needle are indeed blasts of bitter humour.
Despite drawing out deep emotions, Crushing evolves with incredible ease and highlights the captivating strength of Jacklin's lyrics.
Despite the weight that hangs on its shoulders, Crushing doesn't feel defeated, rather it's the sound of a fearless songwriter putting the past to bed and regrouping stronger than ever.
Instead of the tentative questioning of its predecessor ... Crushing is most definitely about one core theme – recovery from savage heartbreak. And it is breathtakingly raw.
Throughout, Jacklin’s lyrics are intimate, confessional and endearing, often capturing those moments in relationships that end up preserved in memory forever.
The album title alludes to both infatuation and the pressures of an intense affair, and a candidly confessional tone permeates the whole album, one based around Jacklin's expressive vocals and predominantly sparse arrangements.
Remarkably generous in its open nature, it further cements Jacklin’s place as a future alt-country great.
Unpacking messy feelings over delicate guitars, ‘Crushing’ may have been born from a place of confusion, but Julia Jacklin’s voice sounds clearer than ever.
After suffering a recent breakup, Julia Jacklin has written a body of songs that express the pendulous swings brought about by that major life event, from elated liberty to shattered insecurity. Crushing's directness is its strength.
Crushing by name and crushing by nature, the singer-songwriter's second album is the sonic equivalent of cracking a smirk and jabbing your knee at an offending man-spreader.
Jacklin isn’t an impersonator – these songs are stamped full of her personality and they mark a major evolution as a songwriter.
On an album that mines failed relationships for self-discovery, the Australian singer-songwriter shows her talent at distilling complex situations into searing couplets.
Crushing is raw. Jacklin and the band aren't playing new sounds, but the groove is locked as she tells her story of heartbreak to her final breath.
Crushing is by and large a breakup album, but it’s more a reckoning with one’s mysterious and daunting personal potential than a reflection on someone else.
She provokes an emotional groundswell in the quietest of moods, one acoustic song at a time.
Life, love, heartbreak: none of it is particularly novel as musical material, but on Crushing, Julia Jacklin lets us learn from her experiences with her heart on her sleeve.
Yay, it was worth the hype! Julia Jacklin makes honesty look easy. There is a memoir quality to her writing style I quite enjoy; the songs are reflective and self-aware. While I find some similarities to Angel Olsen and Adrianne Lenker in her vocals, Jacklin's nuanced imagery and heartbreaking melodies helped make this a gripping record throughout. This does not feel like wallowing in the past but learning and moving forward from experiences. There is an excellent blend of more raucous break-up ... read more
Julia Jacklin offers up to the listener an enthralling piece of music that is beautifully honest. It tackles a variety of topics and thematic contruscts with a rather large emphasis on the contrasted impulses and feelings that are associated with love and romance. It feels like Jacklin is trying to convey her opposing feelings of not only wanting to be loved, but loved in the right way, and also wanting to fulfill her own desires and cravings and not be lonely. I think she i striving to find ... read more
There's a layer of pure honesty in Julia's songwriting that hit me hard. Her lyrical style is heartwarming and reflective while also having a layer of self-awareness that you rarely hear in music of this style, especially in breakup albums. "Crushing" has some of the best lyrics of the year, but her vocals are so beautiful and passionate and the folk instrumentation is so meticulously crafted that they add even more to an already emotionally powerful record!
Fav Tracks: Turn Me Down, ... read more
A comforting and spacious album with gorgeous vocals and heart-wrenching, detailed storytelling (When the Family Flies In, Head Alone). I just wish there was more going on in many of these songs – as such, my favourites are the more vibrant cuts. Pressure to Party remains one of my favourite Australian songs from the 2010s.
1 | Body 5:07 | 91 |
2 | Head Alone 2:58 | 87 |
3 | Pressure to Party 3:02 | 90 |
4 | Don't Know How to Keep Loving You 5:32 | 93 |
5 | When the Family Flies In 4:00 | 84 |
6 | Convention 3:16 | 80 |
7 | Good Guy 4:11 | 83 |
8 | You Were Right 2:22 | 80 |
9 | Turn Me Down 5:49 | 89 |
10 | Comfort 3:07 | 85 |
#2 | / | Far Out Magazine |
#2 | / | The Wild Honey Pie |
#3 | / | Double J |
#5 | / | The Music |
#5 | / | The Skinny |
#6 | / | Loud and Quiet |
#8 | / | Paste |
#12 | / | The Independent |
#12 | / | Uncut |
#16 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |