ABOUT THIS ITEM

Over the past few years, LA' s Nite Jewel has honed her pop-funk craft across releases from Italians Do It Better, Mexican Summer and LA's own Gloriette Records. In that time, Ramona Gonzalez's airy but often distant voice has found new gravitas and charisma. Meanwhile, the synth lines have gotten more agile and the bass pops tighter and tighter. The stuttered 80s synth R&B melodies unfold into one another here in ways both giddy and deceivingly nonchalant.

Taking her unique sound, inspired by the European experimental electronic music scene and US R&B, Ramona Gonzales - aka Nite Jewel - has developed her vocal stylings and is now playing with the golden era of R&B pop - Lisa Lisa, Debbie Deb, even Sade at times. Produced by longtime collaborator Cole MGN (Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti), it’s a sophisticated evolution of fidelity and nuance.

Opener "This Story" is a slo-mo ballad that, in the wrong hands, might have had you reaching for the FF>>, but Ramona's enchanting vocal and the fairly minimalist backing track make for an evocative listen. Title track "One Second Of Love" shows that she has also matured as a songwriter; always capable of creating the right kind of atmosphere, Gonzales now has the pop hooks to match. The rest of the album keeps up the quality, working its way through sparkling synthwave and singer-songwriter intimacy ('folkwave' anyone?) along the way.