Bringing their own touch of Nashville-style garage/traditional rock ‘n’ roll, Those Darlins electrified a packed crowd at Hangar 9 Friday evening to promote their new album.

For whatever the reason, any time bands from Nashville, Tenn., perform in Carbondale, they bring with them this unique energy that bleeds hours north from Nashville’s neat little niche. Wholly, Tennessee has one of the most decorated histories of rock music that spans well more than a half-century. As far as the contemporary acts go, JEFF the Brotherhood does it with their sonic explosion of dirty distortion, flanger-filled-psychedelic guitar riffs and booming drums. Turbo Fruits sells it with rough-riding biker ballads and happily slackened, but powerful doses of retro rock.

Then there is Those Darlins.

The group led by Nikki (Kvarnes) Darlin and Jessi (Zazu) Darlin are out on a nationwide tour promoting their third record, “Blur the Line,” an album that maintains their southern punk and garage rock influences, but also shows growth and more openness compared to their last album “Screws Get Loose.”

Despite the departure of a founding member in Kelley (Anderson) Darlin, the group remained steadfast, adding Adrian Barrera on bass and ascending onwards with their tenacious, play-with-an-edge style that makes the Nashville quartet so entertaining.

The album is named after the title track, “Blur the Line,” a song reflecting the journey of searching for a creative space while maintaining mental stability in the natural workings of life.

“So, it’s kind of like the idea of blurring the line between being sane and insane, or good and evil, or male and female,” Zazu said. “It’s about how everything in life isn’t just over here and over here; everything is intrinsic and works together.”

“Blur the Line” was recorded at Those Darlins’ self-owned record label, Oh Wow Dang Records in Nashville. The group worked with producer Roger Moutenot, who has worked with famous acts Yo La Tengo and The Velvet Underground’s John Cale.

Those Darlins present a lot of vulnerability and salaciousness for this effort, lyrically and visually. The album cover features the four completely nude – cut off from the lower-torso down – hugging each other on the set of an all-white background.

“This album was kind of a personal journey – a personal growth for all of us – especially for me and Nikki as songwriters,” Zazu said. “We went really deep within ourselves and tried to kind of put more out there than we ever have before. So the idea of the cover was to represent that vulnerability in laying ourselves bare.”

The group has also released a series of risqué music videos recently. From the Ramones-esque anthem “Optimist,” which features a lot of hip shaking and lower-torso gyrations to Kvarnes’ dark fantasy “In the Wilderness,” a song that seemingly connects the animalistic desires to human sexuality.

“I don’t really write about heartbreak very often…pretty much ever,” Kvarnes said. “I have one song that came out of something like that; but then it kind of spawned into a totally different song. That’s not really the biggest part of my life. I feel like I could put way more energy into something else.”

Zazu said each song offers growth and a step in a new direction. Each song, to her, is like leaving a little breadcrumb that trails back to those original feelings; yet it is essential to keep moving forward.

“When you play the song, your heart may not be broken anymore,” Zazu said. “A lot of times – at least for me – those songs help me move on from that heartbreak. But when I play, it doesn’t make me feel heartbroken anymore but it does kind of remind me of who I was at one point.”

Kvarnes and Zazu are cognizant of Those Darlins’ recent transition and credit each other for shaping this identify that has continued blossoming since forming in 2006.

“We have a much stronger view of the art that we want to make – maybe just a stronger sense of self,” Kvarnes said.

Lyrically, the album is more transparent and sometimes the songs seem to be interpreted literally. In “That Man,” Zazu opens up by singing, “Everyone is afraid of me/that’s all they say to me.” Although she suggests that her words should not always be interpreted verbatim.

“The whole idea isn’t really to say that I think everyone is afraid of me, but just that sometimes it feels like I come across as intimidating, that I don’t realize that I am. I’m just being myself because I can be a total weirdo,” she said.

Zazu and Kvarnes are not the sole contributors in establishing the band’s aura. Drummer Linwood Regensburg provides his own energy. Regensburg facilitates the sound check by suggesting chords to Zazu during “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” by the Ramones. She looks up to the ceiling while gently strumming her candy-red and gold-plated Fender Stratocaster, trying to locate the tone. Regensburg calls out “A, B and E” to her while he plays to the rhythm of the verse. For the chorus, he suggests that she play a B minor and G (although it is actually C# minor and A). She locates the tone quickly and the four have fun jamming out the Ramones’ song.

By show time, Those Darlins played through the exhaustion of a six-hour drive from their show in Kansas City, Mo., the night before.

Kvarnes sings a tamed version of “In the Wilderness” over cascading guitars rich with whirring phaser effects and crunchy distortion. Several fans recognize the transition into “Screws Get Loose,” and cheer on Zazu before she delivers a wonderful rendition of the song with her warm and illustrious southern drawl.

The audiences’ enthusiasm escalates about five songs into the set. “What have I done/You say oh, God what have I done” the crowd sings along with Zazu after she and Kvarnes play dueling solos touching back-to-back. Then suddenly, Zazu jerks forward toward the edge of the stage and gives a conniving stare down with bulging, fiery brown eyes to the audience, scanning the crowd from left to right. It is a display of that blurred line that she talks about, putting into question her sanity and whether or not it stems from a place of creativity or pure lunacy – or perhaps both.

Those Darlins launch into “Optimist” sending the crowd into a ruckus, which produced an unprecedented mosh pit met with confrontation, broken beer glasses and one instance of a lacerated neck oozing with blood – the essence of rock ‘n’ roll.

The members of Diane Coffee joined the band on stage, singing along and dancing to the moody ballad, “That Man.” A vivacious encore of The Velvet Underground’s “White Light/White Heat” seemingly had everyone in Hangar 9 singing along and jumping up and down to the late Lou Reed’s noisy masterpiece, followed by “Be Your Bro” to bring closure.

Truly, the bond that Kvarnes and Zazu share on stage is endearing. Their growth from a couple of gals playing light-hearted, lo-fi folk tunes to distinguishing themselves as musicians who have found their voice in playing gritty, well-crafted Nashville-style rock ‘n’ roll is impressive. That’s not to say that they necessarily need each other to be great, but they complement each other so well.

After all, without a Nikki Darlin or a Jessie Darlin in the band, Those Darlins becomes a single darling, and that just would not be right.

Dylan Frost can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext. 254.