Pretty Old take cues from the delicately driving and melancholy pride of bands like the National as well as the spark and verve of punkier groups like the Weakerthans and Jawbreaker - from whom Pretty Old derived their name. The Seattle three-piece is one that was clearly raised on punk, yet remains comfortable to bust out a sadly shuffling ballad or two. In performance, these slower songs tend to get injected with the infectious spirit of the live atmosphere. Still, there is something undeniably affecting about a line like, "Your soaking wet hair starts to curl while your grocery bags tear," which - with its intimate picture-painting - evokes vivid memories with just the simplest of rhymes. It's this sensitivity that elevates these essentially straightforward songs into something much more personal and evocative. And when the band's energy is up, Pretty Old's indie rock is compelling on multiple levels. 

LE VOYEUR, 10 P.M., NO COVER, 404 E. FOURTH ST., OLYMPIA, 360.943.5710