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In my world of opposites, a post on some blissful ambient/drone from Good Weather for an Airstrike is followed by some irrepressibly fine pop stuff from ALT-J; colour me eclectic.

There is something beguiling and enchanting about these four demos from ALT- J. The vocals carry an odd, quirky quality (in a good way) that makes you think they may be from Scandinavia rather than Leeds. Right now there seems to be jst the four demo tracks rattling around, although there is a 6Music session and a video of them performing Rush of Blood to the Heart on the Going Deaf for a Living site. ( a few more of the Maida Vale sessions can be found on Youtube)

Of the four tracks on Soundcloud and downloadable from their FB page Matilda, although not initially not my favourite, weaves it’s idiosyncratic way leaving you hard to imagine never having know it.

Breezeblocks is an insistent little blighter, already with a fair popular following, has some oddly gamalan reminiscent xylophone elements and is notable for managing to introduce the brand name Germolene into the lyrics somehow.

The fourth track Tessellate is my personal favourite from this clutch of tracks. A brilliant plunky baseline and foundation piano line. “Triangles are my favourite shape” is a class line and presumably accounts for the bands ident. Perhaps I am having a funny turn but there feels to be a hidden eroticism and vague sense of threat to the suggestion ” Let’s Tessellate” –  a charmingly bizarre song and a quite excellent track from a band who seem to offer much.

Having missed them at their recent Bristol show, here’s hoping to some more outings soon and maybe some more material?