Brooklyn’s Justin Ramanos, currently crafting music under the name Jay Pray, is gearing up to release his debut, self-titled LP, and we’re thrilled to be sharing it with you a bit early today. Surging with melodies and instrumentals that marry to create a perfectly dreamy whole, it’s exactly the sort of unabashedly positive (or at least positive sounding) material that many of us crave during the winter doldrums.
Though a more effervescent guitar/piano pop sound begins Jay Pray, his core competency appears to lie squarely around dense synth layers and ephemeral vocals, both trickled over a solid rhythm section. All the while, the lyrics sit comfortably in the pop realm, offering buoyancy that feels cheerful without being cheesy. There’s a sense of wonder and possibility woven into the fabric of these tracks — both the instrumentals and vocals, particularly on tracks like “Time,” offer up a healthy dose of warmth that sits with you long after the songs end.
Enjoy the stream above, and be sure to grab the album when it comes out this Friday!