Philosophers, physiologists, researchers, and your stoned friend who always manages to secure both the last beer and the comfy La-Z-Boy have been proselytizing their strong opinions on temperaments, or “humors,” for centuries now. The concept of the four humors can be traced back to Hippocrates, who thought human emotions were caused by levels of four bodily fluids: blood (sanguine), yellow bile (choleric), black bile (melancholy), and phlegm (phlegmatic). Too much or too little of any will alter behavior in humans accordingly.
There just may be a significant dose of black bile in musician and visual artist Ross Goldstein but that’s not necessarily a terrible thing. After all, a healthy amount of it helps to control our enthusiasms, keeps us grounded, invites introspection and contemplation, allows us to embrace art, and urges sympathy with the anguish of others. These admirable traits are evident in full effect on Goldstein’s sophomore album, Inverted Jenny, out August 11 on Northern Spy.
Inverted Jenny comes ten years after Goldstein’s debut disc, Trail Songs, and much has changed in his sound over that time. Comparisons to Van Dyke Parks are warranted, as Goldstein jumps between quiet compositions born of hurt and loss and jauntier jams searching for self-discovery and redemption. Subtle stabs of psych-pop are also evident, similar to the ones puncturing his work in Devin Gary & Ross, as are a few slicker, 70s-styled pieces. So…traditional presumptions on black bile be damned! This album’s got plenty of that life-affirming blood swimming through it, after all.
The exclusive premiere track we have for you today is “Pocket Camera,” one of the more whimsical and expressive songs on Inverted Jenny. Listen to it below, pre-order here, and embrace all the disgusting fluids swimming around inside you.
Inverted Jenny tracklisting:
01. Silent Meow
02. Green State
03. California
04. Disco Donut
05. Stone Skipper
06. Chessie
07. The Minotaur
08. Upstate Blues
09. Sandhills
10. Curtains
11. Blueberry
12. Pocket Camera
More about: Devin Gary, Ross, Ross Goldstein
