Liquid Cool by Nite Jewel

For her first album in four years, Los Angeles artist and producer Ramona Gonzalez pared down her sound to its bedroom-disco essence. Drawing on the vibe of contemporary R&B, vintage synth pop, and underground beat music, her new album, "Liquid Cool," brims with anthemic hooks but offers them with relaxed ambivalence. With textures that suggest "Dirty Mind"-era Prince, the concise three- and four-minute tracks vibe like never-were AM radio hits. It was written and performed by Gonzalez in her home's walk-in closet; as a result "Liquid Cool" is missing the commercial sheen that propels could-be hits onto the mainstream charts. In its stead though is something more vital: a singular artistic vision." Randall Roberts (LA Times)