Bluebrain is the brainchild (rim shot!) of Ryan and Hays Holladay. The brothers grew up in D.C., but left the city in their teens for the Big Apple. There, they were in a solid band called The Epochs, but recently, they returned home to pursue a new direction for their songwriting.

“Brooklyn is a fantastic place but eventually it just becomes unsustainable,” Ryan said. “We grew up here in D.C. and it feels like we’re back home. That said, this city has changed so much since we left ten years ago. Right now, especially, it feels like an exciting time to be here.”

Bluebrain’s sound is hard to pin down. On a track like “Ten By Ten,” they employ a soaring string roar sample over driving metronomic beats. Three minutes into the song, all the flash and layers are stripped away to reveal a simple guitar and vocals line. And then, boom. Everything comes crashing back in. It’s electronic, but not. It’s poppy, but a little dark and ominous. The vocals sound a bit like Prince (good Prince). On another track, “Caught Up In The Laughter,” the brothers take a different route. A slow piano line yields to a shuffling, frenetic beat, which comes and goes throughout the song. Again the sound is a bit minor, and ominous. But the whole thing is quite orchestral, even epic. It’s tough to fit so many moods into one song, but they somehow do it with aplomb.

Last month, the duo played their first show in D.C. at a house party in one of those ample Mount Pleasant mansions. The room was crowded and too hot. They performed behind two podiums rigged with microphones. Between the brothers, a huge screen flashed a range of morphing images.

“Working with live visuals has been a blast … it’s something we’ve never really done before. Its another tool you can use to set a mood, which is great,” explained Ryan.

From the back of the room, neither of the brothers were visible but the images and their big sound kept the crowd entertained.

This Saturday, Bluebrain will perform for the second time, at Comet Ping Pong. Doors are 8 p.m. and there’s a recession-friendly $5 cover. Their album Soft Power comes out this fall on Lujo Records. You can listen here.