It’s surprising how few people have heard of the rock band Ra. Their 2002 debut album From One seemingly flew under the radar, even though a case could be made that it was one of the year’s most consistently entertaining releases. Ra’s sound is a bit left of center, and doesn’t succumb to the usual rock genre clichés of oppressing guitars and lots of mindless yelling. Ra is a band that strives not to be ordinary or predictable, and indeed their debut’s musical platform backed up that statement convincingly. Now they are back to prove their debut was not a flash-in-the pan success. Duality is by no means a disaster, but the consistently sharp songwriting and dynamic hooks the band is known for takes a bit of a drop-off on their sophomore album.

Ignoring the useless intro track, the album jumps out to a fine start, and immediately shows Ra has not lost their edge. Fallen Angels churns out some hard-charging guitar riffs and anathematic drumming, but the song is brought to life by the voice of Sahaj Ticotin. Sahaj, both as a songwriter and a front man, is remarkably sound. His sensitive voice is dramatic without being over-bearing, and his lyrics are equally satisfying, “I see fallen angels/ As I’m walking in the streets/ Silently preparing/ What they’ll do to me.” Tell Me boasts many of the same characteristics: coolly played guitar hooks, timely drum fills, and voice that positively caresses you with emotion. Take Me Away throws some bongo drums into the mix, and marches forward with purpose until a soaring finale wraps up another quality song.

As the album moves towards the middle, Ra’s gleaming success begins to fade. I Lost Everything Today features a head-spinning bridge and a nice guitar solo, but not much else registers. The Only One is a definite improvement. While the instrumentation is only average at best, Sahaj gives this song a shot in the arm. His additive voice shows why he is one of the most talented singers in rock music today. There is no note he can’t hit, and he makes it look easy. Your prototypical rock single, Superman arrives next. The lyrics and music get too mushy, and the constant religious references get wearisome. The rest of the album is equally erratic.

Got Me Going is a decent entry, although it’s two and a half minute run time is much too short. Say You Will starts out with some nifty sound effects and a soft guitar plucking and gradually builds momentum. Another robust vocal outing and Andy Ryan’s pounding drumming make this track a clear-cut winner. Far Enough has too much heaviness and one of Sahaj’s weaker lyrical outputs to ensure its grim fate is sealed. Swimming Upstream is a rather ho-hum ballad, that fails to overcome a myriad of clichés dragging it down. Although the album has floundered in the second half, there is one notable exception.

The real stunner in the last half is Taken, a powerful song that displays Ra’s abilities to the fullest. The chorus carves out a niche in your brain, and will stay there for days, if not weeks. Sahaj’s lyrics perfectly depict the feelings of losing someone close to him, “Healing, a broken soul/ This lie that I’m forced to live in/ Taken, now that you’ve been ripped from me.” Don’t make your song of the year selection without hearing Taken.

While it’s not surprising to see bands taper off on their sophomore album, it’s unusual to see a band as talented as Ra stumble a bit on Duality. There are definitely moments on the album when you wonder where the band is going. Certainly there are more than a couple songs that you won’t be listening to at this time next year. Having said that, buy the album anyway. Aside from several outstanding tracks, the terrific vocals and generally strong instrumentation makes for easy repeated listening. Ra may not have equaled their debut album with Duality, but there’s more than enough solid material on their sophomore effort to warrant a trip to your local music retailer.

Recommended: Yes