Hot Jam of the Day: Jordan Raf, “Hollywood” (f/ Chester Watson)

Jordan Raf
“Hollywood” (f/ Chester Watson)
Double Negative (release date TBA, POW Recordings)
The LA crooner has been on a fucking tear over these last few months, dropping a clutch of smoky, down-tempo gems. “Hollywood” distills the city’s intoxicating allure into four delicious minutes, throwing his virile tenor over narcotic washes of synth and guitar. The refrain, “take me to Hollywood, I wanna be a star,” is trite and formulaic on paper, but Raf’s strained vocal gives it a haunting power. Rising label-mate, Chester Watson, tops it off with a low-key, potent verse.