Pretty almost to its detriment--at times it dips too close to background dinner music--this Washington, DC-based violinist's solo debut nonetheless flashes culture-bridging ambition too, as it melds Indian and Western classical music with the intermittent pulse of hip-hop. That rhythmic exploration unites the nine tracks as Raj weaves together her violin, tabla, cello, piano, cajon, guitar and Christylez Bacon's beatboxing ("Shivranjani" and "Bhairavi Beatbox," both album highlights). nistharaj.com