Review Summary: Although softer and more mainstream-oriented than the debut, Ra's sophomore album is still a satisfying listen.
The Tale of Ra: Part 2
From One was a killer debut for Ra, showcasing a hard rock/nu-metal combination with Middle Eastern influence, and singer Sahaj Ticotin’s energetic and easily likeable vocals. It got everything right, excellent musicianship, strong songwriting, catchy and accessible melodies, even a progressive element existed as well. After the moderate success of
From One, Ra changed up their style here on
Duality. It is a significantly softer and poppier album. They were going for more radio play here, so there are no all-out heavy tracks here like
Parole or
Skorn. Also, the nu-metal influence that existed on
From One is mostly gone here, making this album more of a more straight-forward hard rock album. Musically it is more minimal, although the occasional melodic solo is quite nice when it appears. This does not mean
Duality is a weak album. On the contrary, despite playing it more safe here, the song-writing remains strong. Sahaj has a fantastic ear for melody, and provides hook after hook, giving an excellent performance.
The album is basically divided into 2 halves, each beginning with a spoken intro. The first half of the album is the stronger half.
Fear, a haunting spoken intro to the album, transitions into the real opener,
Fallen Angels, which is the heaviest song on the album. This is truly one of the best songs Ra has laid down, and easily the best song here. The darker yet melodic feel to the track is captivating. From the heavy power chord intro to the catchiest chorus on the album, as well as Sahaj’s strongest vocal performance, Ra grabs attention with the opening track.
While the rest of the first half can’t quite match up to the opener, it’s very solid and varied, not a weak track to be found.
I Lost Everything Today is an unabashedly poppy track, but it works without being cheesy.
Only One is a sequel of sorts to the hit
Do You Call My Name from the debut, it has a similar feel to it, and even borrows a line from it. This is also really the only place where the nu-metal influence reappears. Although not quite as memorable as
Do You Call My Name, it’s still a strong track, with Sahaj’s vocals as strong as ever.
Superman is the token power ballad. Although the melody in the song will seem awkward at first, it has a way of growing on you. The guitar solo in the middle is not technical but is very melodic and fitting to the song’s mood. Ultimately it is an effective closer to a very solid first half.
Unfortunately, the second half is significantly weaker.
Love is an interesting enough spoken intro, but the darker style doesn’t fit the rest of the songs that follow. The album loses a bit of steam at this point. The next song that really catches attention is the cover of The Police’s hit
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. It does not feel out of place, it actually fits this album’s style quite well and is a major highlight. It's actually pretty fitting given that Sahaj’s captivating vocals are actually quite reminiscent of Sting. Ra’s version is a bit heavier than the original, but it stays faithful to the original arrangement of the song while adding a unique flavor to the song with Sahaj’s vocals. It’s followed by another highlight,
Far Enough. This riffy hard rocker provides some heaviness to a more subdued second half. The bridge features some wah-filled riffing and an excellent drum breakdown.
Unfortunately, the final 3 tracks provide a very boring finish to the album. They end the album by getting gradually slower, which could have worked except for the fact that none of the tracks really stand out. 3 decent but forgettable tracks become what basically sounds like a 12-minute track that gets slower over time. It’s incredibly boring and feels like filler; after
Far Enough one track would have been sufficient to close the album.
Overall, however, Ra made the shift from heavy rock/nu-metal to more straight forward and accessible hard rock successfully. Although
Duality plays it safer, contains some filler in the second half, and doesn’t pack nearly the punch that
From One did, it is a successful effort from Ra. Unfortunately, it would only go downhill from here…
Top Tracks: Fallen Angels, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Far Enough
To Be Continued…
