As with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, there is little doubt as to who is responsible for the Grates rapid ascension; that would be 22 year-old frontwoman Patience Hodgson.    Although the Australian trio covers a lot of ground—watch as Hodgson careens from stark huskiness to cabaret punk and back again—Hodgson is always engaging. "I'm what you desire/and I'm gonna take you higher," Hodgson sings on the group's solid full-length debut, Gravity Won't Get You High.

The album begins with a wispy one-minute gem, but it is a red herring. By the second track Hodgson has already revelaed her cards, taunting the listener with lines like: "I'm not listening / I'm going to go like this to you / La la la la la." Not only does Hodgson play the part of the tough guy, but she's obviously having fun while doing it.   Still, it is apparent that the Grates are serious about what they do, and songs like "Rock Boys" and "Inside/Outside" prove it.   The young Aussies have a great sense of melody, and many of their songs are rich and complex.  "Sukkafish," for instance, begins as a bramble of folk only to morph into riot-grrl grunge by the chorus.   Gravity Won't Get You High is both startling and distinct—a commendable achievement for a band's first full-length release.