Aussie newcomer Killing Heidi is clearly a band of extraordinary extremes—not to mention talent. Teen singer Ella Hooper’s sublime vocals combine spectacularly with elder brother Jesse’s thumping rhythms and subtle acoustics to spawn songs that are as comfortable on mainstream radio as on Aussie alt-pop station Triple J.

From humble beginnings in their native Victoria, Killing Heidi has quickly taken the Aussie charts by storm (winning four prestigious ARIAs) with their brand of fiery rock and sweet melody, which is found more often than not in the confines of a three minute pop song.

To say the Killing Heidi’s innovative compositions are as refreshing as a crate of chilled lager after a week in the Outback is as much of an understatement as saying Ayers Rock is a bit on the large side. “Mascara” is the one that has started the ball rolling, and a real melodic roller-coaster ride it is too. Pretty, yet anthemic, verses give way to powerful choruses with riffs Angus Young (AC/DC) would be proud of.

Ella Hooper is a star in the making not only for her incredible vocals, but also for her lyrical knack. The clever lecturing tone of the opener makes this clear, and the mature viewpoint of second smash hit “Weir” confirms it further.

In addition to the two tunes that have already made Radio stations in Oz take notice, there are at least four others that could have similar chart impact. “Superman/Supergirl” rocks with some force and is made more interesting with the different time signatures of verse and chorus. “Live Without It” oozes melody and panache. “Class Celebrities” is irresistibly catchy and evidence of a band in complete harmony. The delicate orchestration and acoustic guitar of “Astral Boy” is quite simply beautiful and really highlights Ella’s stunning voice.

Further gems are to be found in “Jon’s Song” and the childlike sugar pop of closer “Black Sheep”. Although Killing Heidi is guided by the steady hand of producer Paul Kosky, the fact that all the songs on Reflector are from the pen of the Hooper siblings is evidence that such a courageous approach to their music is all their own work.

Killing Heidi may be too alternative for pure pop and too pop to be totally alternative, but this contradiction is precisely the reason they are popular in Australia, and the reason why I anticipate Reflector will repeat its Antipodean success in the US.