The first few moments of "Is It Alright," the opening song on Mikal Cronin's debut LP, are filled with gentle, isolated vocal harmonies that immediately fill the listener with anticipation for Brian Wilson-esque pop reverie. Suddenly, in come crashing guitars, and the rest of the song begins to feel like a tug-of-war between Cronin's thrashing garage rock ways and his beatific pop aspirations. Luckily, Cronin seems equally capable of attaining either of these sounds, even arriving at some truly unexpected places in the process (when those Jethro Tull flutes pop up, it's a legitimately surprising turn that puts you on your heels). Cronin seems unencumbered by restrictions placed on the garage revivalist population, free to explore pathways that have been left for dead by those wanting to repurpose music's past. 

[The New Frontier Lounge, with the Bermudas, Si Si Si, 8 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]