Australian singer/songwriter Julia Jacklin has shared one last single ahead of her third album PRE PLEASURE, coming this Friday (Aug. 26) on Polyvinyl Record Co. “Be Careful with Yourself” is out now alongside a visualizer shot by Rick Clifford, and edited by Clifford and Jacklin herself.
There’s been quite a bit of buzz around Jacklin’s new album, and the effortlessly lovely “Be Careful with Yourself” will only toss more fuel on the fire. Electric guitars softly sway back and forth between two chords, like two people who simply can’t quit each other, while a steady low end and bright, yet unassuming riffs maintain the chorus-less track’s insistent momentum. Jacklin’s heartfelt singing and songwriting are the show’s true stars: “Please stop smoking, want your life to last a long time / If you don’t stop smoking, I’ll have to start, shorten mine,” she croons, depicting a love she’d choose over life itself. There’s a warmth and generosity to the song that feeds the soul—Jacklin’s narrator so can’t imagine a future without their lover in it, she’s prepared to micro-manage their life if it means they get to spend it together, and she conveys that all-encompassing care in such a way that even you, the listener, feel loved.
“Be Careful with Yourself” is our fourth and final preview of PRE PLEASURE, following “Lydia Wears a Cross,” “I Was Neon” and “Love, Try Not To Let Go.” Paste lauded lead single “Lydia Wears a Cross” as one of the year’s best songs (so far) back in July.
PRE PLEASURE, meanwhile, is Jacklin’s follow-up to her 2016 debut album Don’t Let the Kids Win and 2018’s acclaimed Crushing. “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,” wrote Ellen Johnson in her review of the album.
Watch Jacklin’s “Be Careful with Yourself” visualizer and 2019 Paste Studio session below. You can read Paste’s PRE PLEASURE review and preorder the album while you’re at it.
