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Thanks to its layered background ambiance, this song has the emotional pull a duet of its genre ought to have.“Stranded” starts off like a Kathleen Edwards song, right down to moody acoustic guitar coloured by spacy, spare lead work. That engaging ache lingers for the whole song.

They’re both great singers: Cassandra’s clear voice begs your attention and gets it, and Evan’s, gruff by contrast, complements it well, making their decision to share the mic 50/50 a solid call for the betterment of the songs. Port of Call, by the way, received a tremendous number of votes for the best Local Duo.” Check out our August issue to see if they won.

They’ve been performing around town for about a year now, and this Thursday night, at The Rocket Room (doors at 6:30), they’re releasing their debut EP, Darkness and Light.

As a duo, their set-up is naturally lacking drums and bass, but the sound is full and brooding. The band is Cassandra Abbott & Evan Aucoin, each singing and playing guitar, but also juggling a battery of other instruments to add texture and atmosphere – the harmonica, mandolin, cajon, and even bouzouki.

Tickets for the show (Matthew Hare will be playing with them) are $10, or you can pay $15 for a ticket and an EP.