It can't be understated the enormous role nostalgia plays in how we ingest all matter of art, but especially music. Much in the same way that smells have an uncanny way of triggering astonishingly vivid memories, music has the ability to transport you back to a specific moment in time, even if the song in question wasn't actually playing at that time. It's kind of a magic thing, this way that songs can seem so familiar, so much like they shaped our lives, even as memories get criss-crossed and new ones get invented, resulting in instances where a song you've never heard before feels like an old friend.

Certain bands come along that have a knack for tickling the nerve in your brain that brings up all the warm feelies, song after song. After a while, it seems sensible to acknowledge that this may not be a fluke, that some bands just know how to tap you like a tree and bring dopamine bubbling to the surface. For a few years, now, a group that has scratched that itch, for me, has been Kilcid Band. It's not entirely a mystery as to why I'm so drawn to them: the band is made up of members of a lot of bands I've had a great deal of affection for, like the Speedwobbles, Santee, Pale Noise, Psychic Emperor, the Brite Futures, Abraham, and Vells, to name just a few.

With the exception of a couple demos and an early EP, though, Kilcid Band hasn't properly put out anything, which will fortunately be remedied soon, with the release of their debut LP, The Letdown. Through fanboy goading, I was able to get a listen to a preview of the album, and the collection of songs reflect their patience in waiting as long as they did to put it out. Not only are the tunes immaculately produced, they have that effortless quality that accesses nostalgia and wraps you in a warm blanket. It's thrilling to listen to an album and, track after track, hear a band nailing it.

Consisting of Tristan Marcum, Conor Sisk, Joel Mars, Kyle Hove, and Christian Powers, Kilcid Band is a frustratingly talented group of musicians who take an egalitarian approach to songwriting, letting all of their influences intermingle. From the one-two punch of psychedelia, "You're Great (And You're Awesome)" and "Said Who?", they move on to the bubblegum-inflected, hippie-flipping summer jam of "The Good Get Gone" (which, when played live, they used as a transition into "Hang On Sloopy"). Later, on "Cash Holiday," Kilcid Band soundtrack a heist with a darkly funky beat, and "I'll Turn My Head" captures the sonically expansive feel of the every-member-sings approach to modern indie rock.

Marcum's idiosyncratic high register takes lead on most songs, but Sisk fronts album highlight "It All Flows," a master class in economic instrumentation and engaging melodies, which trades muted verses for a burst of vibrant choruses. Having heard earlier versions of the songs on The Letdown, I can now see how they've allowed their material to develop into something that has the fingerprints of each member represented. Namely, the gleefully bouncy, tongue-in-cheek R&B of "Baby Be Good" gets an uptick in tempo and a renewed urge to focus on clever lyrics and exuberant hooks that were once awash in reverb.

It's here that I must disclaim that Kilcid Band will be playing a fundraiser for Squeak and Squawk, a music festival that I help run. The reason that I booked them for the show, though, is because I've been desperately angling for years to get them to play in Tacoma. Between Saturday's show and the upcoming release of their debut, I hope everyone gets to experience the joy I get in hearing Kilcid Band.

Kilcid Band, w/ Widowspeak, Mr. Motorcycle, the Cutwinkles, 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 14, $7 suggested donation, The Valley, 1206 Puyallup Ave., Tacoma, 253.248.4265, thevalleytacoma.com