Rather than pinning her music to existing genres, Ramona Gonzalez aka Nite Jewel prefers the phrase “Liquid Cool,” which is also the title of her latest LP. After 2012’s One Second of Love, the LA-based singer/songwriter parted ways with Secretly Canadian, and Gonzalez’s new album was recorded strictly on her own terms, from the pace of its release to musical direction. The electro pop & modern R&B influences still shape the 9-tracker, but the album takes a more hazy, lo-fi approach to production, and the subtle backdrops pair well with her soothing vocals: check out “Nothing but Scenery,” “You Now,” “Over the Weekend,” and “Running Out of Time.” Other highlights include the house-y “Boo Hoo” or the more upbeat “Kiss the Screen.”

• music label: Gloriette Records 2016

reviewed by 07/2016