The strange mixture of punk and Britpop drove Elastica to fame after the release of their critically lauded debut in 1995.
Elastica seems to owe much to Blondie while not seeming too much like the 1970’s and 1980’s pop punk outfit. The British band is something new, something creative, and something wholly entertaining. And with Justine Frischmann’s rebellious vocals backed by Annie Holland’s bass, Donna Matthews’ guitar and Justin Welch’s drums Elastica proved to be an almost completely female force to be reckoned with.
Frischmann initially helped to form Suede, but after some tension within that band she split and formed Elastica. Elastica first hit airwaves with brief, punk tracks like Stutter, Line Up and eventually Connection even before they released their full length debut. Self-titled, the eagerly awaited album went on to become the quickest selling debut album in British history beating out fellow Brits Oasis for the title.
Elasica was met with great critical and commercial success in both Britain and stateside. Most notable stateside was the modern rock success of Connection…the song that I was first introduced to in 1995 by my sister whom has a strange yet refreshing sense of musical taste. Many of Elastica’s songs, despite their successes, ended up to be at least in part lifted and twisted from other acts and the band found themselves in court yet were settled out of public eye before the band’s popular debut saw the light of day.
Touring in 1995’s Lollapalooza festival, Elastica remained closed lipped until the eagerly anticipated sophomore album was released in 2000. The Menace never got the same level of appreciation as their debut effort although it was still a decent disc on the whole that probably deserved more attention than it was eventually awarded.
Released on the DGC label in 1995, Elastica is a rough and upbeat, fast and furious post punk, Brit-pop free for all. Each song can be summed up in much the same way. Each is fast and each relies heavily on both pop and punk. The resulting sound is divinely fun and anything but passé.
My first exposure to Elastica was thanks to the tight pop funk track Connection. Little did I know all those years ago that the album was actually worth buying with a total of fifteen other tracks including other worthwhile offerings like Line Up, Stutter, 2:1 and so many others. Sure, Elastica is by and large a chick band, but they don’t wallow in their own self-pity. Oh, no. Elastica harbors a sharp wit and devilish sarcasm. These two characteristics of both the music and the lyrics lend well to the overall sound and attitude.
Aside from the most popular tracks I’ve already mentioned, this debut effort has some other lesser-known gems. Smile reminds me very specifically of Blondie with Frischmann’s melodies sounding very much like those growls and wails produced by Debbie Harry two or more decades ago. Hold Me Now is also an awesome track with driving guitars, a funky beat and sounds like some of the best tracks I’ve heard Garbage produce. It also strikes me as one of the most appealing tracks on the entire album. Other songs of note include Car Song, Waking Up and Vaseline.
To go through each song would become repetitive and counter productive. Elastica is something new and different. Their sound is a bit difficult to classify. I’ve spoken about their pop, punk, and Brit-Pop roots. In addition some of the songs on occasion include a tinny New Wave riff. But, this album as a whole harkens back to punk attitude and Brit-Pop at its absolute best.
At sixteen songs, this would seem to be a long album. But consider this…it is punk and punk tracks don’t last nearly as long. The average song here tops out at about 3 minutes allowing for each new track to sound fresh and interesting. The hook-laden songs are impossible to resist with great fun mixed with great irony.
I do enjoy Elastica and recommend the album completely for most every music listener. From people who enjoy Brit-Pop to those who enjoy punk rock, Elastica is an innovative and entertaining album. I give this impressive debut disc 5/5 stars.
Track Listing:
1. Line Up
2. Annie
3. Connection
4. Car Song
5. Smile
6. Hold Me Now
7. S.O.F.T.
8. Indian Song
9. Blue
10. All Nighter
11. Waking Up
12. 2:1
13. See That Animal
14. Stutter
15. Never Here
16. Vaseline
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