Jing Xia’s sophomore album is an exploration of the emotions that define our human experience. Inspired by ancient Confucian philosophy, which holds that humans are born with seven core emotions—Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Fear, Love, Hatred, and Desire (喜、怒、哀、惧、爱、恶、欲), each track reveals a different shade of feeling. The album is a fusion of styles and cultures, featuring guest musicians such as Aaron Collis of Rum Ragged, and percussionists Persio Dominguez and Andrew Kagumba.   

A celebration of Newfoundland spirit and community, “Joy–The Dance” blends the energy of traditional East Coast music with contemporary guzheng performance. “Anger–The Flame” captures the intense, fiery energy of this emotion. While “Sorrow–The Elegy” features moments of sparseness which captures the loneliness of saying goodbye to people, places, or even versions of ourselves. An exploration of the unknown, “Fear–The Veil’s” haunting harmonics and dissonant textures evokes a cinematic tension between what is seen and unseen.

While the first single off the album, “Love—The Breeze” captures the lightness of love, “Hatred – The Bridge,” captures the heart pumping, all consuming nature of the emotion. With a blend of rhythms from the Dominican Republic, Uganda and China, the track showcases that coming together, especially through music, can be the antidote to the fear often found at hatred’s root. 

“Desire – The Void” strips away the instrumentation found on most tracks on the album. With only minimal inclusion of nature ambient sounds, the guzheng is at the forefront, creating a haunting, solitary sense of longing. 

“Harmony – The One”,  the album’s focus track, brings the journey full circle, weaving the seven core emotions explored throughout the album into a balanced resolution. The final track has a gentle balanced energy allowing listeners space for reflection. Xia creates an emotional journey which both captivates and challenges.