LA duo The Nocturnes are setting the underground free with their emotive, sweetly haunting tunes. Music writer Jemayel Khawaja takes a walk on the dark side. LOS ANGELES. Locally-based duo the Nocturnes have been honing their sound in the local underground for a while now. Their music emotes through varied voices - it's dark, yeah, baroque even, technical, melodic, and evocative. Guitarist/vocalist Emma Rundle shifts between sweet and haunting (usually haunting) over nimble guitar lines. Drummer Daniel Yasmin pushes the songs through well masked odd-meter sections that nestle in songs of varying structure. Often, the absorbing matter of their work renders the more technically adventurous aspects of their music more hidden. The band has recently released a new album, entitled A Year of Spring. The duo spent a significant amount of time writing and recording the album, and Rundle even designed the artwork for the CD. At times, the only relevant comparison regarding the Nocturnes that stuck in my head was the almost paradoxical posing, "Joanna Newsom meets Tool." Much of the album is characterized by wintry emotions over solid songwriting, often cresting in downright raucous movements. Rundle's lyrics weave images that echo the sentiments set forth by the music; tense and distant, but entirely engaging. My favorite track on the album is the second, "Nothing At All". Despite the lyrical content alluding to murder, the tone of the song is nearly breezy compared to other moments of the album. The percussion pushes a driving beat, supporting catchy vocals over a tasteful 7-4 rhythm. Other standouts include the opening track "I Love The Lighthouse Keeper" and "Curran, Curran," a moody number that careens through opposing segments that maintain the original character. A tastefully included organ, highlighted in a solo on "Trojan" adds distinct tones, along with the occasional baritone guitar. Live, they are in their element. Yasmin uses a bevy of subtle techniques to affect his sound on stage. Emma is an alluring lead, lithely picking intricate guitar parts while evoking the atmosphere in the music. The lasting aspect of their music is that very few bands are able to emote darkly, but to do it without being reliant on a textural heaviness or a nimble presentation. -LA2DAY-January 2009