Operator Please
Gloves
EMI

When Operator Please released their debut single ‘Get What You Want’ in 2007, the Aussie band seemed to have the world, and salivating marketers, at their feet.

After Virgin airlines picked up the track for their Aussie ad campaign, the Queensland band was quickly slapped with ‘the next big thing’ tag sending chart topping hits and Aria awards in their direction.

At the time, the band looked set to have had a dream run. Though as the threat of overexposure loomed and potential ‘please explain’ moments faced them when a former member posed nude for a magazine, cracks started to appear.

Lengthy international touring took the band out of the local limelight, giving them and their fan base enough distance to breath, experiment and grow up.

Fast-forward three years and Operator Please has released their second album, Gloves.

The first thing that stands out about this album is the lack of deliberate bubble gum pop and cheap one-liner lyrics.

Interestingly, Gloves has a substance to it that doesn’t squeal of selling out for the dollars.

‘Logic’ was an obvious choice as the return single for the band. It has just enough bubble gum residue to lull back their faithful, and pitch the band as a more polished, serious act.

‘Just Kiss’ smacks you in the face with an unexpected fanfare of electrified violin and drums. Together they perfectly set the scene of the band’s version of up-tempo indie-pop mayhem.

‘Back and Forth’ is a cheeky track that has a Tegan and Sara feel about it, with slightly high-pitched vocals and sweet swinging melodies.

‘Jealous’ meshes together soft strokes of electronica and their traditional choices of drums, and keyboard.

Overall, Gloves is quite the surprise. Operator Please has not only made their return with a solid second effort, they have evolved their sound and managed to break free of their sacrine sweetness.

Tags | Review: Operator Please - Gloves