The formula of "loud-quiet-loud," as formalized by the Pixies and popularized by bands like Nirvana, is a deceptively simple, yet frequently engrossing, way of assembling songs. These frantic bursts of noise that encapsulate stretches of gentle reflection - it's a hell of a way to demand attention from a listener. While Wild Moth don't strictly keep to this format, their music similarly has a way of sneaking up on you, of faking you out. The title track of their Mourning Glow EP lulls you in with its sludgy, slash-and-burn guitar heroics before suddenly, at mid-point, shifting to a kind of anthemic, post-punk racer. It's a warning shot, a signal to those listening that they shouldn't get too comfortable. While a general gloominess hangs over Wild Moth, the insistent melodicism of the guitars never lets the songs fall too deeply into melancholy. 

NORTHERN, W/ THE EXQUISITES, NAOMI PUNK, CLAYFACE, 8:30 P.M., $5, 414 ½ LEGION WAY, OLYMPIA