Operator Please - Yes Yes Vindictive

NME have gotten all flushed over them, they're floor-filler extraordinaires, and they wear skinny denims. That makes Operator Please a high fashion brand. So it's no surprise that they bound into the UK top ten with the frenetic It's Just a Song About Ping Pong, and well done to them. But beyond strutting it with music's catwalk-culture kings and queens, is there a band of real substance there? Refreshingly, Yes Yes Vindictive proves to be a case of substance over style, and beyond the requisite shotgun start, Operator Please show throughout that they're more than capable of kicking back and reflecting. The attention-deficit pop of Zero Zero and Terminal Disease will certainly have the kids coming back for more, but of far greater interest is the promise of curtain closer Pantomime's weeping, string-scored crescendo, which makes the prospect of a possible party comedown album a thrilling one. [Paul Neeson]