The Gem is the fourth studio album by the Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin. It was released on 25 September 2026 under 4AD and Remote Control Records.
The album's title refers to a pub in Collingwood that Jacklin began frequenting when she moved to Melbourne, and the studio in which the album was recorded sits right above it.
Critical reception
On Album of the Year, the album has an average score of 78 out of 100 from seventeen critic scores. Any Decent Music gave it a weighted average score of 7.7 out of 10 from seventeen critic scores. According to Metacritic, it received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from twelve critic scores.
Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen of The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars, writing that it "offers a window into the contradictions and confusions of Jacklin's smart, sensitive mind". Writing for The Line of Best Fit, John Amen rated the album 7/10, commenting, "The artist’s persona (the forthright introvert?) serves as MC, but a shadowy presence (the mercurial Persephone?) lurks beneath the surface". He concluded, "If The Gem is frequently beguiling, it’s for this tamped volatility or simmering despondence, a not-so-quiet desperation bubbling in the depths".
Track listing
Personnel Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal. Julia Jacklin – voice, production (all tracks); electric guitar (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9), drum kit (8) Robert Muiños – production, engineering, mixing (all tracks); tambourine (1, 2, 4, 7, 9); bass guitar, voice (1); electric guitar (3, 9) Jordan Power – mastering Jacob Diamond – acoustic guitar (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10), voice (1, 4–7), electric guitar (2–4, 7, 9), guitar (5) Jess Elwood – drum kit (1–4, 6, 7, 9), voice (1) Olaf Scott – Wurlitzer piano (1, 2, 6), synthesizer (6), piano (8) Mimi Gilbert – voice (2–4), bass guitar (3, 4, 7, 9) Richard Bradbeer – bass guitar (2), double bass (5) Nathaniel Poynter – flute (8) Elsie Rigby – voice (10) Maggie Rigby – voice, acoustic guitar (10)
Charts + Chart performance for The Gem Chart (2026) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 5 New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ) 32
References