The Grates, a pop indie group from Australia, released their first full-length album this year, “Gravity Won’t Get You High.”

This new album features songs from several demo releases spanning from 2002 to 2006, along with some previously unreleased material.

The Grates sound is best described as quirky, independent pop rock with female lead vocals. Any fan of indie pop will find this album to be anything but a letdown.

The first track, “I Won’t Survive,” is a brief mock operatic piece that catches the listener off guard at first but sends a clear message that this album is going to be like nothing else heard this year. “Lies Are Much More Fun,” the second track gets the listener’s foot tapping early and keeps their attention with fun, jiggy dance rhythms and whimsical lyrics.

The third track, titled “19-20-20,” is available as a single. With its exciting horns and catchy riffs, it is understandably a standout track with its only flaw being that the simple lyrics can get redundant.

One of the catchiest tracks of the album is “Science is Golden.” Patience Hodgson sings, ” … What’s the go with all these new set of rules that you live by? ‘Fraid you might die? Watch them go by …” With energetic drums, dance claps, addictive melodies and inspirational harmonies, this song finds a place in the listener’s heart very quickly.

“Sukkafish,” gives the listener a change of pace with an obvious bluegrass influence on the guitar and vocal styling. Two other tracks not to miss, if you can’t take sitting through a whole album, are “Inside Outside” and the final track “I am Siam.”

The Grates are Patience Hodgson on lead vocals, Alana Skyring on drums and John Patterson on guitar. They are touring north and west U.S. and will be leaving for a United Kingdom tour in October.

Alex Cooper can be reached at [email protected].