Ramona Gonzalez has the touch when it comes to textured sound design. Her moody, melancholic synth-pop as Nite Jewel may have faded from fashion, but Gonzalez is still prepared to go back in search of new sounds and sensations for her third outing.
She has clearly decided that the pivot the mainstream on her last album (One Second of Love) was a step too far. Instead, Liquid Cool works the widths and the depths of the more left-field waterfront. The soundscape is hazy, gauzy and noir-esque, as murky new-wave beats and her plaintive vocals cast shadows on neatly lined tracks such as Kiss the Screen and Boo Hoo.
It’s very much a step out of time and a reminder how fast trends come and go. But Gonzalez exhibits enough gumption to convince listeners to go with her.
