Jacklin may hail from New South Wales, Australia, but Don’t Let The Kids Win is pure Americana. Her debut record is full of nostalgia and self-reflection, with reverb-heavy guitars and relaxed rhythms creating a hazy end-of-summer feel.

Jacklin’s voice is certainly the star of the album; the song structures stray into well-trodden indie folk territory at times, but her raw, pure vocals keep each song sounding fresh and engaging. That’s not to say there’s no variety here; single ‘Coming Of Age’ is a raucous rock ’n’ roll ode to growing up, whilst following track ‘Elizabeth’ sees Jacklin tender and exposed, accompanied only by acoustic guitar and a haunting male backing vocal.

The album suggests similarities to Sharon Van Etten, and Jacklin also cites Angel Olsen as a musical influence, which is clear in the themes driving the album. Like Olsen’s work, Don’t Let The Kids Win focusses on ideas of female frustration and inner conflict. In fact, for much of the album it feels as if Jacklin is singing to her younger self rather than to an outside audience.

Yet the album is also peppered with fun and witty lyrics, reminiscent of the rambling lines of fellow Aussie Courtney Barnett. Cheery waltz ‘Small Talk’, for example, sees Jacklin pondering what life would have been like if Zach Braff and Catherine Deneuve were her parents.

These witticisms can sometimes be lost however, as the power of Jacklin’s voice as well its balance in the mix can cause the actual words to sound unclear. The closing title track is an exception to this; just vocals and guitar, the lyrics have a chance to really shine through as Jacklin sings a lament to the small moments in life that are often forgotten.

Overall, Don’t Let The Kids Win is a stylish debut, introducing Jacklin as a talented lyricist with a lot more to give. It might not be particularly ground-breaking or genre-defying, but it’s so lovely that by the end you won’t really care.

Maisie Leddy

(Image: Big Bad Buckle)