In modern indie-music culture, where rapid dissemination of music is seemingly valued above all else, the double album feels like a relic, the favored son of yesteryear’s cock rock egos. Fiery but frolicsome local duo Mute Era strike a blow against that perception with their new dual EP release. Too punk to be considered art-rock and yet too artful to be considered punk, vocalist/guitarist Sho Nikaido (formerly of beloved local thrashers Sweet JAP) and his wife, drummer Jessica “Katana” Driscoll, successfully use the rare double EP format to demonstrate exactly what their titles suggest: there is no such thing as purely good or purely evil. Though both names convey similar meanings, a distinct voice emanates from each short set of songs: the four tracks that encompass Light Dreams of Darkness hypnotically combine tribal rhythms with effervescent guitar effects while the four on Night Dreams of Day focus more on pulsating grit, oscillating between monstrous and fun in its sound.

Watch live performance footage of Mute Era

Nikaido and Driscoll rock out intensely while leaving room for each instrument to be heard on its own – an impressive balancing act for any artist with a lo-fi recording budget. Light's “Only Voice” initially layers multiple haunting vocals from Nikaido, ranging from brief yelps to distant moans, but effortlessly progresses into a veritable dance song as Driscoll's hi-hat throbs louder and louder, transforming what once were remnants of spirits into a high-spirited workout tune. The other high point of the double release comes with Night's “The Way She Played Back,” a sort of danse macabre version of “Only Voice,” with a start-stop chord progression played atop simmering percussion that menaces and worms through dark swirls.

For whatever reason, the tonal complexities of Mute Era's adventurous sound haven't truly surfaced in recorded form until these EPs, even though Nikaido and Driscoll have been parading around the local circuit doggedly for quite some time now. An original self-titled demo EP from the two-piece circulated around town as early as two years ago, eventually getting a semi-proper release on über DIY label Nail in the Coffin in late 2007, so other than this elusive smattering of tunes, Light and Night are the closest thing we've gotten to an official debut. Looking at the pair of releases from this perspective, it's exciting to think of what the band likely has in store for a full-length, though I wouldn't put it past them to find another engaging and offbeat alternative to the traditional 40-50 minute LP.