Nite Jewel – One Second Of Love

Ramona Gonzalez has stripped away the reticent veneer which coloured so much of her enigmatic early material in order to honestly address some genuine sentiments on her second Nite Jewel full-length, One Second Of Love. And while her sincerity brings a welcome level of candour and intimacy to the new material, the songs still come across as slightly cold and mechanical. For even while she’s singing about something as easily identifiable and evocative as holding hands in the dark, you get the sense that the scene you would be confronted with once the lights get switched back on wouldn’t quite match the tenderhearted picture conveyed by the song itself.

Opener ‘This Story’ strives for some of Annie Clark’s vivid imagery and bold vocal delivery, but winds up as a half-told romance that finishes before any memorable resolution, either lyrically or musically, actually occurs. The party tentatively gets started with the infectious rhythms of the title track, but as the crisp, clean production puts more of a substantial focus on Gonzalez’s vocals, her mundane lyrics tend to fall flat when compared to the imaginative, but frustratingly restrained, arrangements.

‘She’s Always Watching You’ has a unconventional lilt to it that is reminiscent of Dirty Projectors, especially during the buoyant harmonies featured in the chorus, while the track’s irresistibly smooth pulse easily draws the listener in, forming one of the better moments of the record. ‘Mind & Eyes’ has a lukewarm R’n’B feel that never catches a spark; while ‘Memory Man’ seems to be searching for a distinct style to latch on to, but winds up sounding like a disoriented mishmash of influences which never fully coalesce.

‘Unearthly Delights’ has an understated elegance, but again leaves the listener with only part of the story, despite the sparse, minimalistic production. ‘No I Don’t’ layers its haunting Burial-lite beat with random typewriter rhythms, as Gonzalez restlessly sings about the uncertainty of being alone. But again, the material doesn’t seem to fit together naturally, and winds up sounding forced instead of achieving the raw emotional poignancy the track was obviously striving for.

‘Autograph’ meanders tediously without ever approaching any type of real sentimentality, and the annoying pen-click rhythms only emphasise just how repetitive and uninspired the track becomes. ‘Clive’ winds the record down in a subtle but entirely gorgeous manner, and hints that these minimal, ethereal arrangements might be what works best for Gonzalez when she eventually decides where to take her sound next. Because while One Second Of Love is never an altogether unpleasant listen, it certainly isn’t one that warmly embraces you like any good love should.