Jarrod Bramson and his pop-rock band, Solvents, come from Port Townsend. And, aided heavily by the violin-work of bandmate Emily Madden, the band, often compared to Big Star, even sounds a little like the little postcard town at the end of the road they call home. Exterior beauty, boatyard grit, small-town honesty: the Solvents brim with all of it. Bramson's vocal ticks, if not his tones, owe a bit to John Lennon in the way he can express regret, shame, remorse and vulnerability without sacrificing masculinity and a cynical bite. And all the while, Madden's violin sweetens and gently badgers Bramson in a game of musical one-upmanship that elevates Solvents into something special.

Bramson says the band is preparing to record a new record, and also recently contributed a song to the Smiths tribute album, Please, Please, Please: A Tribute to the Smiths - delving into "Is it really so strange" for the effort.

Romantics and pop-rock lovers would be well advised to catch Solvents at the New Frontier Saturday night. As The Stranger's Dave Segal noted of Solvents, "STFU and swoon to their tunes." We had to Google "STFU," but now that we did we totally agree. 

[The New Frontier Lounge, with Where Sails Meet Rails, Bandolier, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25^th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]