Radiant Dawn

by Operators

Overview

On their 2016 debut, Blue Wave, Operators established a lush, anxious synth pop indebted to '80s post-punk. Three years later, the follow-up, Radiant Dawn, doesn't alter their sound so much as it lets it breathe, taking the urgency down a notch, resulting in a more reflective tone. Still delivering pulsing, floor-filling dance-rock, the sounds of prodding synth bass and harmonic synths drive songs like "Faithless" and "I Feel Emotion," in particular, and the album in general. The opening verse of "Strange" features a relentless 16th-note bass part that only changes pitches with movement in the chord progression as it accompanies lead vocalist Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs, Divine Fits). Lost in feelings of isolation ("Is it strange to feel so alone?/And these days are empty and cold"), his delivery is parts frustrated plea and internal monologue. The album is likewise steeped in arguably timely existential angst, addressing topics like alienation and imagined global catastrophe ("Terminal Beach") alongside sturdy beats and a mix of eerie and glistening synth voices that edge toward darker corners. The punkiest entry appears mid-album in the form of "Despair," an agitated, three-minute track with high-pitched, dissonant cymbal timbres, crisp drums, warped spaceship-like effects, and lyrics full of dread, while the closest thing to a power ballad is the still danceable "Come and See." Radiant Dawn closes on a bouncier, if still wary note with "Low Life." Featuring Arcade Fire's Tim Kingsbury on bass, his lively bassline and the ascending keyboards lift Boeckner as he sings of always ending up right back where he started. While there are 14 tracks in all, five of them are brief instrumental interludes that only add to the dramatic, often compelling character of the record -- and they're danceable, too. ~ Marcy Donelson

Product Details

Release Date:	05/31/2019
Label:	Last Gang Records
UPC:	0634164955014
Rank:	60030

Tracks

1. Days
2. I Feel Emotion
3. Faithless
4. Public Void
5. In Moderan
6. Airlock
7. Terminal Beach
8. Object Sighting
9. Despair
10. Under Occupation
11. Come and See
12. Strange
13. The Radiant Dawn
14. Low Life

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Operators   Primary Artist
Tim Kingsbury   Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

Arlen Thompson   Engineer,Producer
Operators   Composer
Napster Vertigo   Producer
Oliver Leach   Photo Art
Simon Roy   Cover Art