Critics say: Somerville, Mass., soft-focus pop duo Gem Club are Christopher Barnes and Kristen Drymala. Together, they create cavernous-sounding piano-based ballads that, despite their earthly trappings, feel truly ethereal, as if they"re being piped in from another planet bereft of gravity. Gem Club buries vague but revealing lyrics in delicate, sometimes somber, sometimes lighthearted melodies. There is a balance between pain and hope, a sense of growth and catharsis spawned from harder days, all complemented by the breathy vocals and symphonic instrumentation.