Aleks And The Ramps: Facts

- I've been half following the comings and going of Melbourne indie-arty- experimental-poppers Aleks And The Ramps ever since I first threw off my public-school-boy faux-leather shoes, stumbled into the department of transport and delved into the world of live music. Being young. impressionable and not all that tough, I started getting right into a lot of music that one may consider a little soft around the edges, a little too fun for some- and this was the time I first laid my eyes upon a group of young upstarts and go-getters by the name of Aleks And The Ramps- at the time I swear I could make out this small, but bright spark delving deep within them, buried but bursting to blast out. Fast forward 6 years later and to be honest with you, I assumed the group would have either faded into obscurity or imploded in a neat little memory and we were all left to get on with our meandering lives- but somehow Aleks And The Ramps are still a band, and just like myself, have matured into something far better than I could have ever hoped for- new album Facts is the album that better tip these fools over the edge- it's part Richard In Your Mind, part old-school Architecture In Helsinki- catchy and quirky but subtle and restrained enough never to edge near that questionable cutesy grey area. By the end of the record the album sounds very little like the band I used to know, with frontman Aleks Bryant's voice edging towards the slight twang of David Berman if he wasn't so bummed out all the time, while also finding room to channel a little of Stephen Malkmus, when he jams out on the end of a couple of the longer tracks, including on of my favourite tracks, Finish- which I was going to play- but it's really not a great example of the groups overall stoned, so I went with equally as impressive, Here Comes Your Ghost, which even includes backwards singing and clapping, neither of which sound out of place on this record. Facts, is definitely the most surprisingly good record of the year thus far, which isn't saying all that much considering it's only February, but hell release this thing in July and I'd probably still stand by it. The group are playing a stack of smallish shows all up and down the east-coast in February and March (including Hobart!) so there's no reason to miss out (unless you live in Perth, sorry guys).

- Jay Edwards.