Sahaj Ticotin made his name as the lead singer of Ra, one of the most underrated bands of the last decade in the rock music world. Ra was moderately successful, but clearly underappreciated. Undaunted by this, Sahaj decided to branch out on his own with a more upbeat, more accessible sound and the result, Another Minute, is nothing short of extraordinary.

On this solo project, Sahaj reconnected with original Ra drummer Skoota Warner with a result that feels just like old times.

The album starts with “To Make You Stay”, a song that highlights what I loved about Ra in the first place: the harmonies. Sahaj has a bit of an R&B-ish vocal delivery on this song and his powerful vocals shine throughout the song. I truly believe that Sahaj would be a great candidate for a show like The Voice, even though I’m sure he’s not the type of artist that would seek a reality show for fame.

The album continues with the upbeat “Your Eyes, Your Eyes”, a song that will get you to toe tap. The chorus is extremely catchy: “Your eyes, your eyes can make a diamond in the sunlight feel so fake, your love, your love it always keeps me warm when I’m stuck in the rain…” I love the horns in the song…kind of remnids me a bit of John Mayer’s “Clarity”. Sahaj is not just masterful at singing, but the way he layers the song with the horns and the harmonies makes for an enjoyable listen.

“I Fall Down” is simple but effective.  The song  doesn’t particularly stand out being between the two featured songs on the album, but is still graceful in its delivery.

Next is the title track and, presumably, lead single “Another Minute”. There’s a beauty in this song that is absolutely magnetic. I love how the song crashes into the chorus with Sahaj’s pleas for more time with the love of his life. As I’ve always said, the mixture of light and heavy dynamic in a song can make a classic out of a song and Sahaj really hit one out of the park with this song.

“Come What May” is actually the first song that I’d heard from this project and I like how its progressed. The song sounds a bit like what a Ra ballad would sound like with its chord progression. You can really hear the Sting influences in this song as well.

“The Willows Weep” finally brings the album down mood wise, adding a little bit of darkness to the portrait that is Another Minute. Sahaj goes all Bob Ross on the gloomy landscape of the song. No happy little trees here.

“She’s All You’ll Ever Need” is one of my favorite songs on the album, yet again, because Sahaj is so good at filling harmonies on this album. Simple, catchy, and also one that you’re going to want to stick on repeat.

“If Only” does a good job of sneaking in a guitar solo. Sahaj doesn’t rid away with rock completely on this album, it’s simply a different brand. One thing that remains consistent on the album is the harmony. I love the mix of the soloing guitars with the horns on this song because you wouldn’t think that would really work very well.

The first piano driven song on the album “Please Tell Me” gives the album some depth and yet again, a guitar solo sneaks through with Sahaj’s powerful vocals. The notes he hits and the way he’s able to hold them with such ease is enough to make any lead vocalist of almost any band jealous. I also like how the song seamlessly transitioned to “A Hand On One Eye”, giving the album some continuity.

“A Lonely World” has a vintage 90′s pop/rock sound that made bands like The Wallflowers popular. “A Cool Fire” has a great piano intro that leads to one of the softer songs on the album.

The album concludes with “Walk Around the Sky”, a bit of a curveball as it intros as a rap song introducing Sahaj. Sahaj brings the album home with yet another brilliant vocal performance. Around the two and a half minute mark, the featured rapper makes his entrance with a heavy British/Caribbean accent. If you don’t really like it, I can’t really tell you that you’re going to like this song, but it’s worth listening to on at least Sahaj’s vocals alone.

You can really tell that Sahaj’s production work with bands like Concordia and Downstait and even Ra helped him on his solo project. Layers upon layers of lush harmonies and instruments ought to make you appreciate Sahaj not simply as a singer, but as a producer as well. I can’t wait to hear what the future holds for Sahaj on his own and as the lead singer of Ra.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christopher I like to consider myself a music enthusiast, spreading excitement over the bands and artists I like, no matter the genre. My goal, as it has been since I started college, has been to break into the music business, be it through radio or music writing. Even if I don't, I enjoy writing for my personal site and for EMURG without compensation. It's my passion and I love to share it with you.

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