Reviews (page 2 of 8)
I dig it! Right up my alley.
This is really good music! I like how they combine Riot Grrl energy with the Melodys and shoegaze of Lush.
Quintessential 90's post punk
I had Wire's Pink Flag album a couple months ago and was struck by the familiar riff on Three Girl Rhumba, even though I'd never heard the album or any of the songs on it. Now I know why it was so familiar. Anyway, this is a great album, not a bad song on here. Waking Up is definitely my favorite.
It's difficult to overstate how awesome this album is. Hooks galore...a 90s pop-punk masterpiece.
I can hear how this influenced other bands after them.
Toda mi linea, punk garage británico fácil de escuchar
In every little Honda, there may lurk a Peter Fonda… the lyrical witticisms in this one… This album rocks and I was immediately transported back to high school. That’s staying power.
Love it. 90’s nostalgia at it’s best.
Blur crossed with No Doubt, loved!
Just a damn good rock album
Excellent.
Surprise album. Really great, and my favorite of the ones I had listened to that day.
Standout Songs: Annie Connection Smile S.O.F.T. Blue Waking Up Never Here Stutter Absolutely incredible album, super fun and upbeat. Just about every song is a pure joy to listen to, gets me pumped up.
really good album, 5*
God made this. Love this album, each and every track.
Although this is the first time I've heard anything about "Elastica", I have to say that I loved their album. Although released in the 90s, they have a sound that reminds me a lot of "The Last Dinner Party" but with a more rebellious attitude that comes from their more punk-oriented sound.
This took me right back to high school!! Great album!
Ziemlicher Schieber
Re-discovered this over lockdown. It's a really fun listen. Wish the band could have keep it together long enough to put out a good second album instead of what they put out.
One of my top ten records of the 90’s.
Now my favorite mostly-girls band! How did I miss this album back in the day?? Very effective, confident punk rock. The vibe is strong with this one. Connection is an astonishing piece. 4.55
Gotta admit, I didn't really know this album much outside their hit "Connection," but thoroughly enjoyed it. Holds up super well 30 years later. 90s Britpop at it best
1994 UK. Alternative rock, Britpop, post-punk. BDB
solid 4 day, maybe a 5. Reminds me of an angrier version of the lilith music I usually listen to.
The magnum opus of britpop
Really good
Didn't expect to see this album on the list. I loved it as a teen, but not one I thought would be showcased as a must listen before you die, nor do I think it deserves to be, even as much as I love it. I really enjoyed listening through the album again regardless, and it will always be an all time favorite from the 90s.
Fantastic record
Drivel Head wears her glad rags, She's got her keys, money and fags, I know that her mind is made up, To get rocked. Drivel Head needs a new man, As only a drivel head can, He's a hormonal nightmare, So beware. Another victim of line up in line, Line up in line is all I remember. Oh, how their favours change, You could have been kinder. Yes, yes, line up in line, Line up in line is all I remember. Oh, how their favours change, You could have been kinder. Yeah, this is a pretty damn good album. This list has made me resistant to most UK music, because theres been enough mediocre post punk or pop crap on this list to fill a "now thats what I call" CD, but this is an actual good album. 5/5
Yes to everything here. The October songs are HITTING so far
A little britpop a little punk — a lot of cool power chords, melodies and riffs
Grunge punk, great stuff.
Now this is some good shit. I love the female representation in this genre. The baselines all over this album are sick as hell. I will be returning to this album — this is one of my favorite discoveries of this project so far.
Yes! It rocked. It grooved. It boosted my mood. I couldn't ask for more than that. Thanks!
gooooood stuff no notes
Reminds me of the Pixies and Dischwala !!
Very enjoyable. Pleasantly surprised
Realley good!
Loved it!
Pocos discos dentro de la ola de Britpop me gustan (personalmente) tanto como este. El debut de Elastica es una fabulosa colección de canciones cortas, sumamente entretenidas y seguras de sí mismas. Si bien Damon Albarn de Blur colaboró en la composición de este disco (quizá razón de la por qué se escucha tan interesante, sobre todo si consideramos que Albarn ya contaba con unos cuantos años de experiencia), Justin Frischmann y compañía demuestran porque merecen ser un acto propio y no algo que debería ser relacionado con otras bandas en este bello LP. Sumamente recomendable.
Rockin post punk indie album
I've never heard of this group but I love this album
This is one of the 90’s best
They got criticized for lifting a riff from Wire, but this album rocks. Gem from the 90s.
One of my favorite punk albums I've listened to so far. It's kind of modern with it's boldness, energy and catchiness, all in that cool 90s style. Love how it strays from the norm with a women majority line up. Overall it's just a nice breath of fresh air. Really liked it and will come back again.
Wow I really dug this album. Definitely going to check out more from them.
Every song was great, but after reading the other reviews, I guess I need to go listen to Wire.
Very fun album! We can really appreciate all the experience those musicians have here. Rock is not a genre that I peculiarly like usually, but that one is for sure an exception.
Heel fijn plaatje. Helemaal grijsgedraaid destijds, en nog altijd word ik er vrolijk van. Dat heerlijke Engelse accent, en die puntige bas- en gitaarlijntjes. En een leuk feitje: De zangers had destijds een relatie met Damon Albarn, die onder het pseudoniem 'Dan Abnormal' op een paar nummers mee pingelt op de piano.
Really enjoy this one
I was just thinking about this before, so this was interesting to see. Second listen. This album just has so many songs that I like. It’s too bad they don’t have more albums (I haven’t heard The Menace yet). Favorite song: “S.O.F.T.”
Очень хорошо
Every track is a standout.
Stylish high octane rock/pop, wow this blew me away. Superb in every department, this is a great discovery
My favourite britpop album, cool riffs and quality irreverant lyrics, still very listenable and a couple of killer tracks
There were some good Britpop albums and ge absolute stinkers. This is one of the former, loved it then and loved revisiting it
Superb. Dancing in the kitchen.
Sure, it's "derivative"... Sure, they ripped off Wire... Sure, it's the sort of album that will not be remembered for being groundbreaking or taking any significant risks with its audience... But hell do those songs SLAP you in the face from start to finish. In a year filled with wonders (1995, counting at least *40* essential or absolutely gripping full-length records in my book), this debut manages to end up very high in my own personal ranking. And that is a feat all by itself. Speaking of "years", British post-punk has had a few great ones recently... But I'm pretty sure this poppish version of it here has contributed to keep the flame alive since the subgenre's inception. And even if it didn't, this LP is still a small wonder anyway. Sometimes "essential" doesn't mean "relevant" or "deep" or "sophisticated". Sometimes "essential" means "*Hell, yeah!*" 5/5. Number of albums left to review: 521 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 230 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 110 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 140
Child, please.
Awesome
Connection
Never heard of this band and was unsure when it said britpop. This ain't britpop. This was really good. Other reviews say it is derivative of other bands, but if that is true, I am checking out those other bands as well since this was good shit.
Wonderful album
never heard of them. Is this another drummer-led band? I think, then,... turns out I know & LOVE "connection" for it's edginess and her sexy voice... its 90's joyfully relived, Turns out I would have been a massive fan if I knew them. discovery! Best tracks on first listen are: Smile (oh YEAH on the finish), Connection, Car Song, Blue, (and yet, GREAT drummer, i love their sense of rythmn, and her voice is at an indiscirbable sweet spot of soft refined, and yet a punky edge makes her elusively sexy to listen to.
The 90's had some great rock and roll moments, and Elastica is up there with the best. I've always loved a rockin Tele/Strat combo and they have a great rhythm section, especially the drummer. Waking Up, yes I know they were a bit naughty, has always been my favourite and Connection would be in the top ten of 90's zeitgeist moments. Straight out great rock and roll record, loved going back to it.
From the moment I first saw Elastica on Rage, I was a big fan. And I had a huge crush on Justine Frischmann. The song was Stutter - still one of my Top 5 favourite Britpop songs from the 90’s. The look of the band - like who gives a fuck - the low-slung guitars,the thrift-shop clothes & the fabulous, breakneck tune, clocking in at about 2:20. This was well before the album was released & the great singles just kept coming - Line Up, Car Song & the amazing Connection. The album is a great listen - 16 tracks at an average 2&1/2 minutes long per track. It never gets boring, right to the great closer, Vaseline. Yes, they were sued by both Wire &The Stranglers for “borrowing” from their work. But, hey, how many times did The Beatles get sued for the same thing? This is a classic album.
Nice album! Some of it pretty generic but overall, good stuff!! Saved tracks: Connection, Car Song, S.O.F.T, Blue
Brilliant
Unashamedly cops riffs from Wire but we'll forgive them for the fact this is arguably the most fun 38 minutes of the whole Britpop Era
cool
90’s wire with a female lead singer that’s slept with both Brett Anderson and Damon Albarn. Of course this is amazing!
Great stuff. Catchy riffs, good energy, bops all round
Discazo de todo un disco de rock con buenas melodías, excelente voces y acompañamiento. Buenas guitarras y batería
It was the second time, still a good album!
Un grande
It's deeply unoriginal as The Stranglers and Wire's bank accounts will attest, but it's so direct and so joyous you'd be heartless not to love this album. Iylt is just SO COOL.
Big fan at the time - still love it now.
I thought this album was great. I only knew the one radio hit (Connection) going into this, which I liked years ago. But little did I know that it was far from the best songs on this album. Pleasantly surprised at how great this one was. I'll definitely be listening again.
Primo. Better than the often played singles, which are also great.
It's wonderful!
i love girl rock
Angry chick rock! I dug it.
1995 - Britpop, Indie rock, Punk rock, Post-punk
A gnat in a hat. A pig in a wig. A sexy little swine drizzled in cum dancing a jig on the groove of my bum. The major says "who goes there?" and the alley cat sighs and they all end up dead in pursuit of the prize. The candlewick drips in the eye of the snail and the little boy trapped in the belly of the whale. The hourglass breaks and the storm passes through and all that is left is the memory of you.
This album is a classic 90s britpop album that is great from start to finish. It also sounds just as fresh as it did 25 years ago. Forty minutes. 16 songs. Most of them, especially the semi-Wire/Stranglers covers, very catchy.
Really enjoyed this. Wish I’d discovered it when it was first released
I enjoyed the music. It was amazing, I added so many of the songs to different playlists to jam out to them.
Driven, punky, spiky Britpop with excellent guitar riffs and driven bass, catchy tunes and if they borrowed too much from The Stranglers and Wire the swagger and sneer of Justine and Donna showed they didn’t give a damn.
Faaaantastic 90s Punk album. 5 baby.
Гуд
Awesome. Reminds me of Sleater-Kinney
What a great record. Was really surprised by this. Never even heard of them before but this album is great start to finish. Punchy energetic alt rock with some nice grungy and synth pop elements interspersed. Loved it
I had never heard of Elastica, but it's going to be in my rotation. It was just before my time enough that I'm not surprised I missed it, but so many things I love are clearly inheritors of this sound.
Me gustó mucho la dvd
Liked all songs. Easy to listen.
Had a struggle picking a score for this. I'm going for a five but I was very close to going for a four. I love all these songs, head banging all the way through. The deciding factor was the fact that the songs "2:1" and "Never Here" were a real change of pace and vibe, and I think that was the final bit of variety this album needed to not be too dry and samey. I've heard bands like this before and their sound isn't always as well executed (sounding too muddy). Best thing these guys are doing is having two guitars and the bass sometimes playing three totally different parts throughout - normally I expect punk rock to just have one main riff plodding along. Shout out to the song "Connection" as the theme song to Trigger Happy TV, I used to watch that all the time. Favourite song on here is probably "S.O.F.T.".
Brutal.
только добрался до них! 5!
This is an all time favorite.
One of my favourite albums so yeah 5 stars
awesome!
Loved it. Seminal brit-pop album from band that should have had much longer run.
8/10 "Boo boo hoo, there's too much Britpop. I want more beep beep boop boop. Wah wah". The guy who edited the book is based in Britain, one of the great musical nations. This book reflects that. If you want one that is US-centric, go petition your senator. This is one of the great mid-90s albums with 4 superb stand out tracks. Very cool, hasn't dated.
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: S.O.F.T.,Stutter, Never Here Most of the music coming out of the 90s England/UK/Great Britain is categorically either electronica music or Brit Pop, and so to hear what I would also consider to be a true "alternative rock" band on the List was somewhat refreshing. This was kind of gritty/grungy and raw, a bit post-punky and fortunately for me, very light on the new-wave elements. There are some decent guitar licks on various tracks and the music never goes too pop-y. I like this more than not.
Finally some female led britpop!! Now if only Lush were on this list…
i really liked this album, to me it sounded like there was a bit of a punk rock
With a very punky structure, this album is actually a mixture of popish sounds with some new wave and a little bit of britpop, although it is nearer the post punk side rather than the britpop one. But those different influences converge surprisingly well in this record. It feels very carefree and vivid while keeping very beautiful melodies and a very sweet voice over punky guitars and drums, creating a very joyful sound. This album really is a great and very enjoyable one, while also sounding pretty fresh. And a very funny one to listen to too!
Fabulous i loved it so much!
I enjoyed this. Sounded a lot like Blur but a bit heavier and faster at times.
This is right up my alley. I missed it in the ‘90s, which is too bad bc I was the prime demo for this: young third wave feminist into female-led rock, rage, and partying. Great post-punk songs with sustained, exciting energy. Would have been great to see them at a festival.
Don't understand why Blur releasing Song 2 was then 'finally turning their backs on Britpop' or whatever but when Elastica released the secret third Team Dresch record it's apparently fine to be called Britpop?
3.5
Pues muy prestoso
Solid
I'd never heard of the band before. I really enjoyed the album. Powerful rock with equally powerful female vocals. I'll definitely give it another listen. 4/5
Some places called this britpop and some said grunge but it really doesn’t fit either. Just generic 90s alt rock? I don’t know, it was really good whatever it was though
I loved this at the time, saw them live and was blown away but they were unable to sustain any momentum due to hard drugs and the music industry moving on in the late 90’s. I always wonder what would have happened if they stayed together
Pretty great alt album. I enjoyed this a lot. Maybe because the rest of this week wasn't that exciting.
Cool band. Reminds me of the Pixies in some ways. I'm saving this album for relistening. Nice 👍
Sounded good at the time, still sounds good now.
solid album.
Energetic & fun! ★★★★
Not sure why this was classified as britpop. Very fun!
I had never listened to them before, and I’m glad I did.
Delightful
Line up - 4 Annie - 3 Connection - 5 Car song - 4 Smile - 4 Hold me now - 3 S.o.f.t. - 3 Indian song - 3 Blue - 4 All-nighter - 3 Waking up - 4 2:1 - 3 Vaseline - 3 Never here - 3 Stutter - 5
I liked this more than I thought I would. I blame local LA radio for only playing the same few songs over and over. There are some good songs on this album.
A quien no le va a gustar un buen album de femcel rock de los 90?
I bought this when it first came out and though it is obviously influenced by Television and other new wave artists I admired its energy and the song construction.
Better than I expected, I wouldn't say it's essential, but if you wanted to feel like you were in England in the early 90's then it definitely captures the spirit. At it's best it's like a disco punk version of blur, but I don't think it's consistent enough across the whole album, it maybe feels like there's 3 different paths they're trying to go down and never really landed in one spot
This is more my speed. Hot bass. Nice vocals. Good time.
This is so awesome I really like this I’ll defo listen more I really like the vibes of this
Surprised I've never heard this before. Loved it, reminded me of riot grrrl but with a slightly softer/more pop edge.
8/10
I liked it lol
I never took much notice of Elastica back in the day. I just remember guys fancying them and a focus on Justine’s love life Par for the course for women in rock. This is pretty good though. Yes, it’s very derivative at times but it works. Punchy. I like it. 3.5
Loved it then but forgot about it.
Liked the vocals, nice guitars too. Didn’t pay enough attention to choose a fav track tho
I really love the few harmonies on this album.
Alt rock
I really like this band. File for examples of cool lofi
This was good ear candy. Nothing complicated, just sugar and easy to digest.
3.5/5
I had this weird constant realization listening to this album that in spite of the fact that "alternative rock", whatever that may mean to you, was really coming together as a genre in the 90s, not a lot of it was really punk in that classic 70s Ramones-style way. Elastica really embodies that here in a way that really caught me off guard, with a lot of 90s polish that takes it somewhere pretty interesting. It's hard not to admire where they were going with this.
Very cool, liked the brevity of a lot of the songs
this album is always bittersweet for me knowing Damon wrote much of it and after they broke up Justine basically gave up on music all together . So good but also. It’s girl blur
Wouldn't be on here if it wasn't British but should be on here. Cheers.
Vocally, a little limited and almost monotone. But that may have been the sound they were going for. “Line Up,” and “Connection,” were in heavy rotation back in the college radio days, so I’m rounding up from 3.5* due to positive nostalgia.
A fun album from start to finish. A couple I recognised as singles which got some play when I was a kid. I do wonder if their other albums are worth a bit of a dive. I guess that's on the list.
I've never heard of them and never listened to their songs but this is a fantastic record.
I actually liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Really good stuff.
# Album Name: Elastica # Artist: Elastica # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Quite a nice punk new wave feel to the album. Plenty of good tracks on this album. Nice music, nice vocals. Few well known tracks. # Top Tunes: Line up / Connection / Car song / Smile / SOFT / waking up # Would I listen to it again? Yes
Åh, 90-talet! Vilka minnen till detta album. Älskar det också som ren nostalgi. Waking Up, Smile, Connection, Stutter, Vaseline... Allt är bra och catchy!
If Wire and Blur had a bastard child. And I like it. Not every song is a winner, but the sound and attitude is cool throughout
Bit of a gem from the peak Britpop era. Kind of a sister album to Parklife from Blur. In fact it’s arguably better. Solid 4. Going back into rotation….had forgotten how tight this album is!
Good fun rock and roll. Sounds very ahead of its time to me. I would have pegged this as a mid 2000s indie sleaze band.
A bunch of nice bite-sized indie pop rock songs. Connection is the most famous, thanks to Trigger Happy TV, and the rest all sound at least a bit similar, but I dig basically all of them. Nothing groundbreaking, but a lot to enjoy, for me especially, maybe, because this induced a lot of 90s nostalgia in me for some reason. The whole album is also short and sweet.
571/1001 16.03.2026
i love it. the only problem is that the songs are short.
Better than Coldplay
pretty cool
Can’t remember the name of the singer but they’re a pretty sick vocalist
These ladies brought the rock with their debut! Caught some of this way back when. Their sound's grungy and fun. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Line Up - Connection - Waking Up - 2:1
Who really cares who you might think they ripped off. At the time I was young and going to multiple gigs a week Elastica came around. They were great, the album was great and not having listened to it for some considerable time I still think it is really good.
Kinda a Garbage feel, good sound
Connection is such a classic and classically cool song. If it were just that for 40 minutes this album would be a 10/10 but…it’s not so it’s this which IS great but there are one or two misses.
Ik kende dit niet, maar ik vind het best een aardig album. Beetje grungy/punky/brittypoppy. Vrouwtje op zang doet het prima. 40 minuten, 15 tracks. Het wikifeitje van de dag is dat Damon Albarn (die ja) bij wat nummers meepingelt op een synthje. Qua huiswerk is het een licht dagje, zo ook voor de gekken die mijn ratings lezen. Qua luisterplezier een 3,5. Heroineverslaving wordt genoemd in de Wiki, dus 4 sterren.
Haven't I heard a bunch of these tunes on other people's albums? Talent borrows and genius steals? Why so many flashbacks of mobile phone adverts and Saturday Night TV? Anyway, tunes more catchy than COVID and attitude in spades can overshadow any sneaking memories of others' songs and terrible TV. One of the great Britpop albums and if you didn't have a crush on one of the members were you even there? Best Tracks: Line Up; Connection; Waking Up
Hot
Pretty sure I've heard "Connection" before. Good song. Overall this album is pretty sweet. Love the very prominent bass. Fun easy listen but not a whole lot stands out.
- Definitely disappointing to hear about the plagiarism. - That said, it's still a great album, lol. - I really like the instrumentation - I think that it all works together pretty perfectly. I especially like the groove of the bass. - Also enjoy that it's melodic post punk, and Justine gives it a believable, cool edge with a voice that's also easy on the ears. - I do find it a little too long; some of the songs don't hit as hard as others.
Girl punk girl punk
Fire album
Really liked this and struggled between four and five stars. Great guitar-heavy pop songs with a post-punk flavor. Love the slightly bored vocals and the lyrical themes.
Sumt er svakalega töff. Elska 2:1 og Connection, Stutter og Vaseline eru mjög góð. Og restin er fín. Ég er að hugsa um að lyfta þessari upp í fjarka, því ég væri alveg til í að hlusta aftur.
Probably doesn’t really belong on the list, but I like it, and I’ve listened to it a lot (even played some - remember Gael?). Elastica, like Garbage, feels like one of the last British female-fronted alt rock holdouts in the middle of 90s Britpop and the electro/trip-hop wave. I spent years chasing a track from an ARTE teaser, thought it was Sonic Youth, turned out to be “S.O.F.T.”, which is genuinely well written. Happy to revisit. Didn’t change music history, just a really solid alternative record with almost no weaknesses.
Wasn't sure what to expect but this sorta sounds like a British Hole at times, which I'm perfectly cool with. Also the Wire comparisons are maybe a little on the nose but not inaccurate. My only real gripe comes with the fact that a lot of these songs seem like they need some extra time to flesh themselves out and they just...stop. That isn't always a problem for me, but here it feels a little sudden. I only wonder what would've happened if Justine had stayed in Suede.
8/10
Pretty good just what I needed after a crazy busy day at work
This album was in constant rotation for me as a teen, and it still holds up. Elastica brought a sharp, punchy edge to Britpop. As a majority-female band in that era, they stood out, and you can hear their influence in groups like The Beaches. It’s quick, catchy, and different: a record that still feels fresh today.
Of all the really popular albums of the Britpop era, Elastica was one of the few that managed to create a record that still sounds fresh today. They had a sneer and swagger that other bands just didn't have.
I have this on CD, but after ripping Connection and Car Song to Winamp (I’m that kind of old), I must have never listened to it again because not much here sounds familiar. I really missed out. Listening to it now, it’s a pretty good album all the way through. It has a cool mid-nineties alternative sound, but doesn’t have that whiney feel that I get from their Oasis and Oasis-like contemporaries from across the pond.
C’était sympa, ça sortait du lot ! Je ne sais pas si je vais m’en souvenir par contre haha
I listened to this a lot when I was in my Riotgrrl era (although I don't think it actually counts as such, it was more just lumped in with other records I was into at the time). So any easy one to rate as already familiar with the hits. Top tracks: Line Up, Connection, SOFT, Stutter
??? Oh, der Opener...! Gut! c
It's a crying shame these guys only released 2 albums. Were they limited by the genre they were in? Well I don't know if I can pinpoint this album's genre; a mix of punk, riot grrl, new wave perhaps? Overall, I had a good time with this. I was a familiar with a few songs (Connection, Stutter), and they are some of the best on there. Made a few new discoveries I really liked: Annie, Car Song, Vaseline. This is just my kind of album! Maybe it doesn't do anything new (or maybe it does), but it clicked. I imagine many won't like it. I do.
It was fun but I really don't find myself coming back to it ever. Still you could do far worse on this list and it was nice to see more female rock representation. 7/10
Somewhere between perfect pastiche and earnest genre piece. Absolutely reamed full of hooks and ineffably c o o l.
I want to throw myself around a dancefloor
Wow, what a cool find. This album shows the importance of a strong opener. I absolutely loved “Line Up” and that kept me engaged and open-minded even if the ensuing tracks weren’t quite as great. Nice reference to Wire on “Connection” (Wikipedia informed me of controversy about Elastica plagiarizing Wire and another band, The Stranglers. My first reaction was that this was a nice allusion, almost like sampling. I have never heard of The Stranglers but in this instance I liked their response, basically “sure it’s plagiarism, we’re not concerned.”). Aside from the cringey “Indian Song” the rest of the album is a solid collection of snappy, focused punk songs, reminiscent of the Dandy Warhols. It closes out strong with my other favorite track, “Vaseline.” Whoever sequenced this album gets my fourth star.
Very cool find. One of those albums that shows how much a band enjoys doing what they do. Elastica doesn’t try too hard to make music. They just…make it. Nothing about this album felt forced or drawn out. I look forward to listening again.
Very Cool! Very creative guitaring & songwriting. They rock out in a fun, cool way. 2:1 is a more subdued song for them (but a great one. especially love the vocals/harmonies on that one) and most of my generation will remember it from the Trainspotting soundtrack. Connection was an instant favorite when I first heard it years ago. They take the album out rocking hard with Stutter.
Car Song is one of my favorites songs of the 90’s. Connection is another solid hit. This album overall is sharp, slick, concise, smart power pop. Not perfect enough to make me fall deeply in love with them but gosh, is it a thrilling vibe. They live in that same vein as Veruca Salt. Solid 4 if there ever was one.
These ladies really rocked out, and I thought this was a lot of fun. 2:1 and Connection were familiar to me (great tracks!) and the rest really grew on me after a few listens. I wish I could understand their lyrics better, but still dug their grungy sound.
It’s obviously a ridiculous sexist myth that Elastica were only successful because Justine Frischmann’s lame-ass boyfriend secretly wrote her songs for her (women are just as capable as men of remixing Wire numbers, I assure you) but I do have to admit that it’s pretty damn funny to entertain the idea that Damon Albarn was out there penning catty lyrics about his own erectile dysfunction. Anyway, everyone should stream Stutter a hundred times
Half Blondie, half Nirvana makes for a record that was much bigger than the Britpop label it got stuck with.
I don’t know if it was just the mood I’m in today but I really enjoyed this
I liked the two rehashes of the Wire songs 'I am the Fly' and 'Three Girl Rhumba', the strange homage to The Strangers 'No More Heroes' and finally what I call the 'Joy Division Song' or 'Never Here'. Ok, we all know Elastica wore their influences on their sleeves, but it is still a top album and the average listener would probably not spot these plagiarised songs. Everyone does it don't, they Oasis? No one cares about that.
# Playlist Track - Connection # Notes - Love the energy on this one. Pretty much the spirit of the 90s, from the somewhat angry and angsty attitude all the way to the thematic "india" track which contains 2 sounds from Indian stereotypes. - I probably would loved that as a teen in the 90s. - A nice break from the past million awful britpop albums included in this list.
Fun album. Upbeat and 40 minutes long.
These guys slipped by me in the Blur-Oasis-nirvana world of the 90s, but these songs are well worth the rediscovery listen. Great guitar work and solid rhythm underpins a nicely versatile group of tight pop songs (c’mon, they’re not really punk!)
Really liked this band. No idea how I had never heard them before
Like a British Garbage.
I needed some (post)punk to cleanse my palate after several overly dramatic, drawn out albums in a row. Loved it.
connection 1995 post-punk, britpop united kingdom
This is some solid 90's alt rock if I've ever heard it. Kinda off-kilter at times but if you don't like this album, I don't like you
Starts out a lot different than I was expecting, that's a good thing. I don't remember hearing about them back in the '90s. Evokes some of the early Pixies sound, not just because of the woman's vocals but the off-kilter riffs and dynamic shifts. I'm also hearing Chairs Missing era Wire and maybe a touch of early Gang of Four. Still sounds like a fresh take on those post-punk sounds, smart guitar rock with attitude.
Feels like this would have been on the Empire Records soundtrack. Enjoyed it more than I was expecting - not really abrasive - easy-listening femme punk?
Elastica sounded really cool when I first heard it thirty years ago and it still sounds really cool.
I like the punk guitar and the female rock vocals. Nothing new, but still great.4/5
Going in, I have already saved 5 songs from this album to my Spotify likes. It's been a long time since I listened to this whole thing all the way through... Everyone knows Connection (I think...) since it's been in tons of soundtracks and was immovable from alt radio in the late 90s. It's still a great song. The rest of this album is really good too. Fantastic bass tone, really great playing from everyone. I disagree with this being classified as Britpop. It's not. It's straight-down-the-middle punk-influenced 90s indie. And I'm a sucker for a rock band with a female singer so this was probably always gonna get a high rating from me. 4/5
I should've listened to this in the 90s. This album is about 30 years old and still sounds fresh... I've seen this cover and it featured on lists but never indulged. That was a mistake. Really good album. Well constructed pop punk songs with good hooks that don't overstay their welcome.
A lot of high-energy fun!
Pretty good. Never heard them before.
Can't believe I've never heard of this before. Excellent and right in my wheelhouse.
While groundbreaking this album is not a favorite of mine, but there are quite a few songs on this record that I still enjoy listening to today. The legend of Elastica and the influence of this record still inspires many bands that I listen to.
I'm a sucker for angry women singing 90s alternative music.
peppy
Good album with a good mix of songs
It’s not always a good song when we get an album and all the artist’s top songs on Spotify are from that album. This sounds very similar to some other stuff on this list. Low 4.
Sounds pretty dated for a mid 90s album but any britpop is an automatic 4 for me so it doesn’t matter
Connect is super catchy. Line Up is really good and Stutter is a good rocker. Definite shades of Blondie in this album. Not a bad thing at all.
Punchy. Pop. Me likes
Pretty middle of the road grungey rock.
This is good, punchy and punky but has some of the Britpop sound as well, some of these tracks reminded me of Blur's more upbeat stuff. The vocals also have a Courtney Love type of sound. I wasn't really aware of the plagiarism, not being that familiar with Wire other than hearing it on this list. Maybe blissful ignorance is a good thing
Very good.
Nice!
I really loved this but unfortunately it’s British so I have to get rid of a star
Rating: 8.5/10 So much fun to listen to this, great combination of punk and pop.
Nice guitars
so fun when it was released, I still have this record - awesome grrrl power catchy rock and roll love it 4.5
The perfect driving album. There are so many songs I like on this album. Its full of life and energy.
Once again, the Britpop selections in this list come through with the goods. Being famously both Brett Anderson and Damon Albarn's girlfriend (although not at the same time...) did Justine Frischmann a massive disservice. She was a brilliant frontwoman in her own right and despite whatever musical contribution Albarn may have provided on Elastica, she absolutely knew how to deliver superb, tight, catchy 2-3 minute rock songs. It just made such an easy introduction to every review, interview and article that nobody could resist. The majority of this album is straight-up single material (and a third of it was actually released as singles); 'Stutter', 'Waking Up', 'Annie' and the excellent 'Blue', punctuating legitimate transcends-the-Britpop-genre classic 'Connection'. They also had a bit of fun trying different vibes such as the atmospheric, shoegazy 'Indian Song', the sleazy '2:1' and post-punky 'Never Here', but there's always another 2-minute bopper to bring you back. It never outlasts the attention, never drops the adrenaline and has passed the test of time convincingly.
Tempted to give this a 4 because i had a ton of fun listening to this.
a guitar tone i spent ages trying to recreate. one of my favorite albums of the 90s that i bought for a single and loved much of the rest of
We know by now I love a short, fun, melody filled album!!
If they didn’t sell concert t-shirts that read “Elastica Makes Me Ecstatica”, then what was point of any of it?
I really enjoyed this record. It was a great mix of sounds that made it am interesting and enjoyable listen. I will definitely be revisiting again soon.
Surprisingly good considering all the ratings. They rip off the right bands and keep on rocking
YAY
Great, raw songs. I'm gonna admit: I was skeptical when I saw the dreaded Post Punk' tag on this album, but it's damn nice.
What others call ripping off Wire, is called referencing if all credit and dues are given. Which is what happened here. Nice blend of the shoegazy sound with a punk attitude and powerfully yelled female vocals. Reminds me of stuff like Lambrini girls and Amyl and the Sniffers. Not refined, but looking for that here is missing the point.
Just a fun punk record
Great grungy brit-pop, I would put this one up there with The Breeders and PJ Harvey.
Pretty generic pop punk, but it happens to be a sound I like
8.5/10
I wasn’t super impressed with the first few tracks, but as the album went on it really locked into that perfect 90s punk sound. Once it hit its stride, the raw energy and punchy riffs made the whole thing come alive. What I really liked was how lean the record felt. Sixteen songs in under 40 minutes is exactly how this kind of album should be—fast, scrappy, and straight to the point. It keeps the momentum going without ever dragging. Favorite song: 2:1
i don't think women are capable of making bad punk
I know I knew the name, but could not recall songs until I heard “connection”. This has been one of a few records from the 90s and listening to the sounds and production has been interesting. The records are professionally produced, but there is a sense of rebellion against the establishment. I didn’t notice this at the time. But on a lot of these records there are hints of the band just goofing around in the studio. Something you didn’t see before. “Smile” sounds like a cover of another artist. This is going to drive me crazy. It’s not a cover but it sounds like something else. This album is way better than “connection”. It’s a good song and was a good single, but man this whole album is really good. I think I remember “stutter”? It sounds familiar.
*Listened before the project* Never imagined I’ve got this in 1001
4 star good vibes
A good album, I liked Annie, Smile, Vaseline and Never Here the most.
great mid 90s Britpop. A favorite album of mine for many years
It is catchy. I didn't think I would like this as much as I do. It isn't anything crazy unique, but it is fun and the singles I remember.
Whiplash with this one for me. It starts as something tailor made for me. Girl led punk rock. Just fast and harsh but with some pop sensibilities. Then it sorta falls off after 5 or 6 songs. It just turns into kinda ok pop rock or like a grunge thing everyone else was doing at the time. When those tracks started I was thinking hole or garbage as an analog. And those are fine, good even but I was excited for 16 punk rock tracks and thats not what I got. I got blue balled a bit. Swollen and tight. Its still good. Just not what I was looking for. Not exactly. At the start this was an easy 5 star but maybe its only a 3. But ill probably split the difference cause I still liked the more regular of the time tracks, just not as much as the others
I really like the sound and energy of this record. I loved that Sleater Kinney album and this is like a slightly weaker but maybe vocally stronger comparison to that. The drum recording on this is so DIY yucky and I love it so much. I would happily listen to anything on here any time but I don't think it's like a masterpiece amazing record. Vaseline and Stutter are my favorite ones but it's a pretty samey album that it's hard to pick out singles. Overall a very deserved 4.
I honestly really enjoyed listening to this. It reminds me of no doubt/pulp but with more new wave. Also i loveee the vocals. Didn’t have a specific favorite the album sort of feels like one big song maybe All-Nighter?
I did not expect to see a US one hit wonder listed as an album I needed to listen to before I died, but the whole album is quite good! I would classify this higher than some of the weaker albums like Suede thrown on here for no reason.
Þetta kom á óvart. Fyrstu tónarnir voru eins og ég væri að fara á hlusta á Hives-pönk en svo varð platan samt skemmtilegri við frekari hlustun. Ég er líklegur til að gleyma henni en vil samt gefa henni 3.5 sem ég toga upp í 4 af einskærri góðmennsku
I’m on board, but just not always. I’m giving them extra credit here because I thought this was Veruca Salt or another in the vein I’d heard before, so this is on behalf of all them.
4/5 Best Track - "Connection"
Musically interesting and well-written in parts, though I’m still not totally sure why he’s held in as high regards as he is. 3.5/5
Not what I thought britpop was supposed to sound like.
"Indian Song" is fucking terrible but I was pleasantly surprised by the rest.
Surprised with how much I enjoyed that
Man you want rock you got it. Man you want a good time you got it. Man you want to maybe remember what it was like to play Rock Band at your grade 6 birthday party you got it. The vibes are really nice
no, it's not reinventing the wheel, but it doesn't have to be cutting edge to be a good time. just a plain fun listen.
Decent. Enjoyed it for what it was.
Love the raw sound. Feels like a throwback and a precursor to postpunk garage revival.
Memories! Heard this one at Sam’s a lot. Bangers!
Honestly pretty good. Prefer female led punk to male led punk I think
4/5. 90s alternative brit-punk rock. Would listen again.
When I saw the genre listing, wasn't thinking much of it. Surprised me to find this album has more in common with the Seattle riot grrrl/punk scene compared to bands I'd more associate with brit pop and post-punk. The bass work is fantastic, and between that and the guitar, its got a deep and weird Sleater-Kinney vibe to it. Really liking stuff like Car Song, S.O.F.T., and Hold Me Now. Didn't think the British had PNW grunge/punk in them, yet here we are.
Why the bloody hell have I never heard this? It's like the pixies and sonic youth. Dead fun and jagged
Interesting music, very 90s!
Eigentlich ganz cool rockig, aber manche Lieder leicht nervig
I love the swagger and there's some of the best songs of the era on here, but too much filler
A little over stuffed but really solid
Yeah, it's good alt rock.
Caught me in the right mood for this
Always loved this album
Really dug this.
This was one of my favourite albums in the '90s and I listened to it so much that the entire album is like a pop symphony. It's an extremely good piece of Britpop, especially because Elastica stole some of their best bits from Wire (very punk)
Actually really good.
Very good! 3.5/5
A very enjoyable album
4,5
I did not really ever pick up the name of this group back in the day but I am glad I know it now. Fun is the way I would most describe this electronic pop style. It has good energy and a few memorable songs. They have enough uniqueness not to throw them into the "crowd" of alternative college rock of the time, but I think they may have fell victim to the crowding as a few of their songs "almost" made it and ended up edged out by a lot of competition. It is odd that we go into musical "lull" periods where not too much is really great and we have periods where "too much" is really great that decent to good bands get rather more overlooked. At least now I have a name with the tunes I remember!
very solid debut i wonder why they weren't bigger in the US 4/5
Not sure why I hadn’t listened to this until now. Really good
Track three is the trigger happy tv theme?
Oh so good. Thought it’d be a sort of britpop trash but actually it had more depth.
How had I never listened to them before? Very Blur like Britpop but different and cool
This is an over-produced pop-punk album and I've always loved it.
A great album that definitely got my attention back in the day. A little slow on the back end except for “Stutter,”but still a great vibe.
Pretty good.
Fun, punkish album. Needed to hear before dying? I'm not so sure. Highlights: connection, indian song
A regular album in my catalogue!
New age Wire