Operator Please/ Gloves

Operator Please
Gloves
(Brille Records)

Australia's Operator Please burst onto the artrock scene in 2007 with a song that's become a rooster around their necks; the band have publicly expressed a will to shift several feet away from 'Song About Ping Pong', a desire which seems to have set in stone a more mature follow up, with this month's 'Gloves'.
The snappy beats and whistful kookiness of singer Amandah are still intact, although there seems to be some Pop DNA missing from this more focused and strangely less fun follow up.
Before we 'do an NME' and cruelly maul a band we actually like rather a lot, let's consider the aceness on display here. Opener 'Catapult' appropriately shoots the record off in the right direction, with Amandah demanding "Action, reaction! Action, reaction!" over rumbling drums and sneaky synths. 'Logic' meanwhile, is a funky beast that ice skates along on a randy bassline and a feelgood chorus.
So where's the 'but'? Well, the band are certainly more contemplative on this record, but I'm not sure it's their best look. Forthcoming single 'Back and Forth' has a nice minor chord feel to it, but it builds to a rather limp chorus. By contrast, the band spring to life on the more multi-dimensional 'Losing Patience', which shoots off DIY space effects and urgency.
This is a smart and progressive record which, if anything, suffers from a slight lack of catchy hooks. It’s great to have them back though, and we only hope they’ll become more comfortable with phase two once they hit the road.