The Grates
Science Is Golden

How’s this for a list of tour buddies: The Grates toured Australia with Arctic Monkeys, played the Bowery Ballroom in New York with The Dears, are supporting The Young Knives on their current UK tour and played the MTV2 Gonzo date in Glasgow. So far, so indie. I really thought I’d hate them just from reading the press release. And there’s a girl singer – I HATE girl singers (Hot Puppies, Juliette & The Licks and Long Blondes are exempt from that, cos they rock). It’s the whiny, shouty _“Look at me, look at me” _kinda music that I can’t stand, especially from women. We should be above that bollocks. Anyway, I digress…

I’ll admit I completely misjudged this band – 'Science Is Golden' is fast becoming my favourite song this week. Lead singer Patience has great voice, full of breathless excitement. Musically, the usual jerky guitars and odd bleeps and bloops are a bit of an indie staple, but what sets this song, and indeed The Grates, apart, is their sheer excitability. I’m a big fan of the new breed of quirky pop bands and The Grates seem to have hit on the winning formula. There’s a real energy to this song as it rattles and rushes along, complete with a handclapped middle-eight, chorus bursting to a crescendo at the end, pitch-perfect vocals, ace harmonies... it’s mega.

And the moral of the story? Don’t judge a band on their touring companions!