Texan singer-songwriter Jess Williamson’s sophomore album Heart Song is not even a year and a half old yet, but Williamson is about to return with a new collection, her first for Mexican Summer. Named Cosmic Wink, it finds Williamson once more exploring a new chapter of her life in new surroundings while, appropriately enough, further broadening her musical palette.

The name Cosmic Wink is apparently a nod to the Jungian concept of synchronicity, summing up an album as rooted in an “inspired companionship as it is a rebirth.” Plenty of Williamson’s past work chronicled her experiences in and outside of Texas, her stints in other towns and the call of home and the anxiety of searching for new places. Cosmic Wink picks up where its predecessors left off, with Williamson having fallen in love and decamping to California. Across the album, she meditates on her new life, at times conveying her thoughts via folk-rock, other times bearing the influence of her new home by situating ruminative narratives in enveloping, warm compositions that recall stray elements of ’60s rock.

Along with the announcement, Williamson has shared Cosmic Wink’s lead single “I See The White.” It’s a lowkey gorgeous composition, an acoustic rocker that sounds like a meandering, twilit journey down the beach that’s equal parts melancholic and joyous. Starting with the memorable line “Tell me everything you know about consciousness,” “I See The White” soon builds to one hell of an old-school pop paean of a chorus. Here’s what Williamson had to say about the song:

Love is at once so precious and so painful when we acknowledge how little time we have with the ones we love. Most of us walk through life like we will live forever. Since most of us have no memory of ever dying or being born, it’s pretty common for us to act like we are immortal. There are benefits to this way of living, but the dark side of that is it can lead to a lot of complacency. But start to notice the graying of your dog’s fur around her eyes, see the sun move lower in the sky, recognize that the wave you’re riding will one day descend, and see how your life starts to change when you inject a little more gratitude into your every day. This song is a love song and it’s also kind of me throwing a tantrum. It’s begging for answers and making a few demands too. I get it, life is short but our souls live on, right? So, I’m gonna need my sweetheart to come too, okay? And maybe my dog. Is that so much to ask? Musically, I wanted this song to feel joyful and pretty, because why shouldn’t we celebrate love alongside the tough questions? Life is wild and beautiful and sad and ecstatic all at once, and I wanted this song to be the same way. We might as well dance and sing and have fun with the time we have because we’re here and then we’re gone, and nothing lasts forever… or does it? 😉

“I See The White” also comes with a video by Eli Welbourne that alternates between matter-of-fact beauty and tongue-in-cheek reflections on mortality. Early on, Williamson serenades a skull and accidentally shatters an hourglass. Later, she dances on the beach and wanders LA. Check it out below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “I See The White”
02 “Awakening, Baby”
03 “White Bird”
04 “Wild Rain”
05 “Thunder Song”
06 “Mama Proud”
07 “Dream State”
08 “Forever”
09 “Love On The Piano”

TOUR DATES:
04/06 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
04/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre
04/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
04/13 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
04/14 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
04/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
04/19 – El Prado, NM @ Taos Mesa Brewing
04/21 – Austin, TX @ The North Door
04/26 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
04/27 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
04/28 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
05/01 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern
05/02 – Washington, DC @ DC9
05/04 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
05/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
05/06 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
05/08 – Montreal, QC @ L’Esco
05/09 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
05/10 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx
05/11 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s

Cosmic Wink is out 5/11 via Mexican Summer. Pre-order it here.