Nite Jewel is Ramona Gonzales, an L.A. based artist who has been crafting dreamy, lo-fi beats since her 2009 debut, Good Evening. Since that time, her signature sound — experimental mixes of surrealism and fantasy– has served her well. However, on her new LP, One Second of Love, Nite Jewel mixes it up even further. Still swirling within the realm of lush and surreal, these ten new tracks recall influences we haven’t yet heard from Gonzalez, taking her music to a new and unexpected place: the world of good ol’ fashioned pop music.

Which isn’t to say that Nite Jewel totally ditches her trademark weirdness– and we like it that way. It’s just that One Second of Love is clearer, sharper, and all around more appealing than anything we’ve heard from her before. A slow, booming synth beat provides the setting for Gonzalez’s crisp yet smooth vocals on album opener “This Story,” as she sings of a story between two lovers. Next up is “One Second of Love,” the track that answers the question, will I ever be able to dance to a song by Nite Jewel? You’ll know the answer is yes within seconds, thanks to the song’s winning style of poppy, funky new wave.

The new and exciting pop sensibilities don’t end there. “In the Dark” is a ballad that pays homage to 90s R&B, and “Mind & Eyes” has an almost alt-rock vibe from the same era. The second half of the album is a little bit slow, and minimalist songs like “Unearthly Delights” or the echoey “No I Don’t” don’t have quite the same appeal as the tracks before them. But all in all, One Second of Love takes some chances, and they certainly pay off.

If odd, futuristic retro-pop is what you’re looking for, Ramona Gonzalez is your gal. One Second of Love delivers the goods, and then some; it isn’t without its missteps, but thanks to Nite Jewel’s newfound ability to introduce dance music and pop pastiche to her music without losing her signature sound, One Second of Love is her best and most satisfying effort to date.

3 /5 bars

In The Dark by Nite Jewel

Nite Jewel – Autograph by Beige Loisirs

One Second Of Love by Secretly Canadian