Kevin Bronson on September 27th, 2013

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“Ghost,” the first single from RÁJ, is an arresting collage of musical elements that at the very least lives up to its name. Kicking off with samples of a child’s voice, the sparsely produced ballad wraps its oozing melancholy in a veil of mystery and nostalgia. All very impressive for the debut of the 20-year-old, full name Raj Jain, who hails from the Neighbourhood’s neighborhood of Newbury Park. The video, directed by EVERDREAM and shot on location in Budapest, stars Nóra Lili HÅ‘rich & Daniel Molayem and matches the song’s cinematic despair. Maybe RÁJ has a sunnier side – he’s currently working on more music – but for now his ache-along debut track will be perfect for those reflective times, or when the winter rains come.

||| Stream: “Ghost”

||| Live: RÁJ performs as part of “The Circus” – headlined by the Neighbourhood and also featuring Lovelife and Ghost Loft – on Oct. 30 at the Palladium.