Considering how abrasive and corrosive solvents can be, the band Solvents may as well be a swimming pool filled with fluffy teddy bears. The Port Townsend duo are a master of controlled intensity, blending guitar and violin in ways that can attack as much as they soothe. The interplay between Jarrod Paul Bramson and Emily Madden is what draws you into the world of Solvents, where everything skirts the line of dusty Americana and introspective pop. As Solvents have grown, they've tempered some of their stranger impulses, while still standing apart from the glut of weepy singer-songwriters. When they bring in a full band, their modest music reaches soaring heights; as a duo, there's a haunting sparsity that draws you out of yourself in the way that the best stripped-down artists can.

SOLVENTS, w/ Teach Me Equals, Dweller on the Hill, RedRumsey, 8 p.m., Bob's Java Jive, 2102 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, cover tba, 253.475.9843