RÁJ is the latest in a long line of new artists who choose to introduce themselves with just music and let the rest come later. “Ghost” starts of with a looped recording of a child’s voice before bringing in a single guitar and some haunting vocals. When the first verse starts, it starts to sound like the kind of song a solo Chris Cornell could have made, but as things progress it takes on a very different tone, introducing a thumping beat then breaking into a dramatic, layered arrangement.
When artist after artist started introducing themselves mysteriously, intentionally avoiding giving away too much too fast, I started to think of it as a gimmick—artificially created mystique used as a way to get attention. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize that it works. Even more than that, I realize that when this happens, we really are forced to judge music based on the music itself, and it’s hard to argue that it’s a bad thing. In an age full of information overload, knowing a little less can be nice. So RÁJ, whoever you are, nicely done with “Ghost.”
