RAINES

Picture the scene. We’re in the final act of a rom-com. The main characters have had their fling and have now fallen out, as tends to be the way. Then comes the realisation that they are meant to be together and so begins the sprint through the city to – paraphrasing Harry Burns here – start spending the rest of their life together as soon as possible. ‘Ghosts’, the debut track from Liverpudlian Mike Nelson AKA Raines, is exactly the sort of track you’d hear in this moment.

A soft, simple yet striking piano ballad, Nelson’s vocals take us on a rollercoaster ride through the melancholic lows and the uplifting highs of love; every aspect of a relationship distilled into an emotion-packed pop tune.

It’s the kind of track that feels like it can both end a relationship and strengthen one, highlighting just how fragile human emotions can be.

Ghost is a heck of an introduction to Raines and hopefully he has plenty more tracks like this stored away, ready to break some more hearts with.

Words by Chris Taylor

Tipped by Mattia from Going Solo and Elena Jimenez from Popped Music