Reviews (page 3 of 9)
This band was briefly a big deal on MTV and I'm still not sure why, and even less sure why this album is on the list
I've never heard of them and never listened to their songs but this is a fantastic record.
Ok
ooozin with snoozin
This sounded fine, and did nothing for me. Good job or whatever
Unironically not bad
I actually liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Really good stuff.
2.
# 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!
À réécouter! Bon! 2:1 et Hold me now!
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
Fuckin awesome! I swore this was a 70s record, cool to see that classic punk sound all the way into 1995. And they really killed it. Super consistant, with to the point short catchy songs all the way through. Reading about them, I can't believe they got lumped into fucking Britpop. Sounds nothing like it
This is the kind of album that feels like it was recorded personally for me. Just loved it.
This is a perfectly fine 90's alternative rock album. I thought I only new one of their singles, but it turns out some of these tracks appear on soundtracks I'm familiar with. So, not something I'll likely ever reach for on my own, but also wouldn't turn it off. 2.5/5
Thought I'd like this one, but it's a bit of a slog. There were some shorter songs and I enjoyed those more. The longer songs were boring and didn't do very much. 2.49/5
eh, it was ok
Thoughts before listening: 90s one hit wonder female led band. That one hit is really good, but I don't think I know the rest of this album. Review: So that hit is "Connection" and it's good. Not something that would make me want to buy the album, but definitely a solid hit. The rest of the album is basically in the same 90s poppy alt rock vein albeit with a bit of a Blondie/Go Gos girl group sheen. Not sure it deserves to be on this list although I bet this was a bigger deal in Europe than the US. For me, I'd rather something like Sponge or the Toadies made the list if we're adding largely forgotten 90s one hit alt rock bands. 2-stars
Pretty generic sounding, repetitive and not very enjoyable. I've heard worse but this was just meh.
Sharp, quick, and kind of over before it settles in. It’s fun while it lasts, just not that deep.
Meh.
I like the influences and sound here, but it gets very repetitive and very boring really quickly, so no more than 2 stars - probably. No real desire to keep relistening this sadly.
nice enough
i’m into it
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!
Generic, 5/10
I don't think I gave this album enough time in the 90s. Big regrets. Love it!
Reminds me of post-1990 running music in rom-coms.
It was okay. Not as good as I would have hoped. Only one or two with the trouble
Catchy punk-pop! Sounds effortless. However, some songs sound a bit repetitive. Would revisit when cleaning the house or needing an energy rush. Favorite songs: Slutter, Blue, Connection
I was hoping for more. Overall, a solid 90s album. I definitely would have purchased based on Connection alone. And then I'm sure that other tracks would have grown on me over many relistens. I bet I only come back for the single. Connection
Line Up - 7/10. Mid-90s Alternative Rock. Annie - 5/10. Too short, felt abrupt. Connection - 8/10. I like this one. I think I've heard it in Ted Lasso. Car Song - 7/10. Slick guitar work. Solid tune. Smile - 5/10. Again, a bit short and abrupt. Hold Me Now - 6/10. Good. S.O.F.T. - 7/10. Again, pretty good. Indian Song - 6/10. Good use of Indian themes and feel. Blue - 5/10. Not bad. All-Nighter - 5/10. Short and abrupt. Waking Up - 6/10. Solid. 2:1 - 6/10. Nice. See that Animal - 5/10. Meh. Stutter - 6/10. Good. Never Here - 7/10. Good alternative rock. Vaseline - 6/10. Good, but short. Overall Rating - 3.03/5 (6.06/10). This sounds very much like its time period. Good guitar work, good bass work, solid music.
Boring. This seems dated even for 95.
Between 3 and 4. 2:1 is so gas
Nothing bad to say about this album. It has some great sounds especially S.O.F.T. and one of the albums most aligned with my taste. However, there's nothing I really loved about the album either and probably wouldn't return for another listen. Maybe it'll grow on me...
Eh
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.
Apparently, not all Britpop blows.
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
Decent, but like a lot of these albums unmemorable.
Solid album that sounds very like 1990s britpop. No surprises I guess. Connection a GOAT.
I didnt listen to it all, couldnt muster the enthusiasm. Unfair to judge it so split it in the middle
It's okay. Little bit tame, little bit lame. The steady rhythms and 90s bored-sounding vocal make me picture the women off Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer. Like they decided to go rogue and make their own songs. Quite liked Indian Song.
pretty cool
I like this much more than Blur or Oasis. Really distinctive sound.
Loved this one. There is something about a roc band with a female singer that just makes the music sound better for some reason. Some amazing songs here Car Song, SOFT and especially Connection. Been stuck in my head ever since I listened. Excited to listen to more Elastica
I like Britpop but I dislike punk and Post-Punk. This is a very confusing mashup.
Really wanted to give this a four, due to nostalgia and the fact I still believe Justine Frischmann to be the epitome of cool. But couldn't quite bring myself to do it. Musically the album is pretty un-nuanced, the lyrics are idiotic and it's too self-satisfied. 2:1 is a cracking song though.
Its a good 90's pop punk album, only spoiled by the number of tunes that blatantly ripped off other artists. Mind you, there's nothing new in art except talent.......
Good to listen to again
Solid and deeply 90s. Connections is a banger for sure
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
Kinda sounds like a cross between new wave like Blondie or the Pretenders and American indie rock of the period like Scrawl or Archers of Loaf? They're best known for "Connection" partially taking the riff from Wire's "Three Girl Rhumba", but it also sounds a bit like Liz Phair's "Supernova" to me. Anyway, this feels like something that should be right up my alley, but despite what they say, the vital connection isn't made here for me. The sound is just about right, but the I'm not really impressed by any of the songs. It's perfectly fine and I couldn't fault anyone for having it as a favorite album of the period, but it just doesn't do anything for me.
Post-punk, female vocals. I loved listening to this!
p760. 1995. 2 stars. Generic mid 90s Britpop, and probably on the list for the token female band tick for each genre. Well done of its kind, but far too derivative of Wire to deserve anything other than 2 stars.
*Cool alternative female fronted 90's band *Like many 90s bands- can slip into generic sounding tracks as many sound similar
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.
I hadn't listened to this in close to 20 years and it's much better than I remembered. Still, I'm not sure I would ever need to listen to it again. It's fine, nothing to write home about.
When this showed up for today, I was excited to listen to it. I've heard Connection a ton of times and it's a cool song. Just wasn't sure what the rest of this would be like. The short answer is "more of the same, but a bit worse." Connection is the best song on the record, to be sure, and while there isn't anything inherently wrong with the other tracks, none of them really stand out either. Makes for a pretty average album. The sound on this is cool, but it's not terribly outstanding.
Kinda a Garbage feel, good sound
3.5
I absolutely love the track 2:1! It appears on the soundtrack to trainspotting and automatically earns this album a solid 3.
I wanted to like this more
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.
It wasn't bad at all, it was just kind of generic? Didn't mind listening but I'm not sure what makes it special
Los Planetas Plagian: ahora en girlboss
Pois había un grupo ben xeitoso detrás de 'Stutter'. Unha mágoa non telo descuberto en todo este tempo e ter que facelo a esta altura. Pero máis vale tarde ca nunca. Un disco ao que volver e cheo de temazos (#79 dos 1.001 discos que escoitar antes de morrer: 3,5/5)
Uno de los grandes discos de ruock de los 90. No inventan nada, pero qué canciones y cómo suena. Cortito y al pie. Le quito media estrella por no poner a todo 1 o 5, pero es que no me va la equidistancia. ¿Se puede molar más que Justin? Complicado.
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
Not my mood
Hot
Sorprendentemente no estaba mal.
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
Brit-poptastic!
Great 90s alternative album
No
A pretty decent album with some good songs on it, a standout for me was ‘Smile’. Not much to really say on this album it was good, didn’t hate it but it didn’t present anything super special. Sounds sort of similar to Blondie, its generic rock but makes good background music.
Aight
Favourite Songs: Line Up Car Song Blue 2:1 Never Here
Boring voice and music, more like a background noise.
3.5/5 good punk sound female lead
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.
an album with great style, energy, and a unique synth-indie rock sound.
Not bad but nothing special. Another "it doesn't need to be in the list" album
Cl1aaic music. Remember hearing this on MTV all the time back in the day when I didnt know any better. Great to have it pop up and remidn me of what it was I sued ot like. BAck into rotation you go.
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.
Derivative.
It's sounds exactly like the girl rock band from the 80's but at least 10 years too late.
Lying somewhere between Blur and Blondie (which is a pretty good mix if you ask me!). Brilliant lead vocals and really crunchy guitars. This album sounds great and has a couple of bangers on it, but maybe doesn't venture very far from the core sound.
I have vague recollections of this record playing at a few alcohol-fueled house parties in the mid-90s, but I wasn't really into it. It was a tad too pop-ish for me, and time has only slightly changed my opinion. It's still middle-of-the-road and derivative, like a Frankenstein monster made of bits and pieces of every successful band from the early 90s - a bit of grunge, a bit of punk, a bit of Blur and The Breeders... Nothing really stands out except the main hits (Connection and 2-1, which are pretty good), and I'm not sure it's memorable enough to deserve a place here. That being said, it has aged quite well. The singer is not bad, and there's a real post-punk energy in some of the tracks. It's not something I'd go out of my way to listen, but it makes for good background music with a hint of nostalgia. 5/10
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.
Not my thing at all. It really sounds the same-ish to me and quite derivative; feels like I've heard this type of music a million times before. Shocked to read that most people did enjoy it; seems I'm just in the minority here. 5 / 10
I loooooooooved this album when it came out. Super indie record. 😍😍😍
This wasn’t bad. I guess I don’t mind post punk if it’s delivered in poppy two-minute chunks. This is an album worth hearing.
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.
not the best thing ever, but not bad. Annie was good.
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.
Line Up and listen to this one.
One of my favourite albums! Thrilled to see this one included here! This album packs a real punch with great, energetic tunes with a punk edge, with catchy melodies to bring it all together. A fun time all around.
Oikein mukavaa popahtavaa mitä muuta, no ajoittaisia muita genrejä. Muijaenergiaa!
meh
An entertaining album that, for me, just misses the mark of being outstanding. The first “post-” anything I've heard that isn't terrible. 3.5/5
The Buzzcocks are clever. These guys not so much.
Exceptionally generic. At its best, it sounds like ads for cliched cleaning product commercials.
some good songs, aber jetzt nit special. 3.5.
Indie perfection. Sounds so assured in packing 15 big punches into 38 minutes, it’s rare I get to the end and don’t just play it again.
This is a good album that I never think of. 3.5 stars
Favorite Track: Annie
Lovely grungy stuff
хуй знает что это такое, будто из рекламы мтв в 90, но пойдет
Very classic 90s girl power rock stuff. A couple of standout bits, but mostly very samey. Enjoyed it, but wouldn't go out of my way to listen again.
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.
Je l'ai écouté 3 fois et je m'en rappelle pu trop mais je crois que c'était pas mal
C’était sympa, ça sortait du lot ! Je ne sais pas si je vais m’en souvenir par contre haha
Cetait plutôt cool, certaines pistes me rappelaient les musiques qu'on peut entendre à la radio dans les sims
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
This was an absolute banger of an album. Post punk new wave grunge that combined all the best elements of what had come before and made it fresh and exciting. The fact that this is a sixteen track album that clocks in at under forty minutes is insane, especially as almost every track on this album is an instant classic. Even now, thirty years after its release, it still sounds good. As far as debut albums go, this one stands head and shoulders above most others, and gets a very well deserved five stars from me.
WTF ME ENCANTA LA PRIMERA CANCION MUY BUENA IMPRESION Y MANERA DE EMPEZAR EL ALBUM, Todas las canciones estan muyyy buenaass, realmente todas tienen algo que se resalta ya sea el inicio, la letra simplemente wao wao
Revisiting Elastica’s self-titled debut turned out to be a more curious experience than I expected. When I first bought the album in 1995, at the naive age of twenty, my criteria for purchasing music were fairly simple: the lead singer was cute and the single was catchy. That usually left me with another thirty-odd minutes of music I mostly didn’t care about, or at best felt indifferent toward. I don’t carry much nostalgia for this record beyond that shallow initial appeal. It was probably a discounted Blockbuster Music purchase—maybe after sampling a few tracks—before dropping $12.99, cracking it open in the car, sliding the CD into the player, and feeling immediately underwhelmed. This time around, a few deeper cuts like “S.O.F.T.,” “Blue,” “Waking Up,” and “Never Here” stood out more than they ever had, enough to make me realize the album was better than I remembered (and I’m not entirely convinced I ever made it past track four when I first owned it). Still, today’s experience did improve my opinion of the album. It didn’t blow me away, but I was pleasantly entertained by it as a whole. In the end, however, it remains less a rediscovered classic than a glaring reminder of a brief phase in my life—buying records simply because a pretty British brunette was singing lead and jamming on the guitar, along with my own unwillingness to push past the fourth track. If I had, maybe things would have been different.
If you'd told me that this was the side project for Chrissy Hynde I would totally have believed you. The album is OK. It has AC/DC levels of musicality with flourishes of creativity mixed in here and there.
Didn't know much about them except that one hit song (and even that I wouldn't have been able to name the band). Like other bands of this era that I have recently discovered, I tend to enjoy the songs that don't sound quite so 90s. Don't know how Nirvana was about to do it but their music walks a very fine line of sounding very 90s and timeless at the same time in a way few other bands (Elastica included) have achieved. That being said, the less 90s sounding songs raised the level of this album for me.
Standard 90s punk
??? Oh, der Opener...! Gut! c
Utterly forgettable.
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.
Cooooooorect
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
Interesting
nice safe short pop album
Decent punchy British 90’s indie
3/5
I was expecting a wreck with this one. On paper it sounds like nothing I'd be into. I hit play, and the first track wasn't so bad, but nothing beyond '90s pop-punk. This effort is saved by those very basic punk influences, a low bar to pass but it's executed correctly. Arguably very well produced, lead vocals fit really well for the genre, but in my opinion the overall energy is also on the boring side. I gave it a good few listens to see if anything would stick any better. The mood on it fluctuates, never feeling any better than average. 2.8/5
6/10
Somewhere between perfect pastiche and earnest genre piece. Absolutely reamed full of hooks and ineffably c o o l.
1/21 90's Britpop. Nothing really stood out to me unfortunately
Has it moments of grabbing my attention here and there but otherwise not a lot of what Im personally looking for.
I like this style, but it is a boring one from the genre.
I want to throw myself around a dancefloor
Boring 90s alt rock. And I like 90s alt rock. They had one radio track on the album and the rest feels like filler. I'd like to like it, but it's just too... meh.
Some fem punk I can definitely get down to, but it's not really anything I haven't heard before
Inte illa, men väcker heller inget.
Aside from the 2 more well-known tracks I was disappointed. The remaining tracks were just filler, no real substance. I never took much notice of Elastica in my 20's, other than stroking a few out to the lead singer, when they first arrived on the scene. Maybe I should myself credit for my musical taste in my 20's.
такая пародия на нирвану с женским вокалом, не впечатлило, но не плохо
not my fave but a good album
Rockin brit pop
I was pleased this made the list given that Brit Pop is underrepresented on this list (maybe 10 lps by the big 4, this, Supergrass, Ash, plus Urban Hymns and Everything Must Go and that’s about it.) It’s a fun album that made a big splash at the time. I think Elastica like a lot of that era, work better on an ep or a radio session - brief immediate and insistent. It was the last great hurrah! of the single after all. Sleeper are in the same territory but have aged better. And Salad gave an Anglo- Eurotrash take that remans thrilling. Yes they owe a debt to Wire. Even at the time that was obvious. But do do Minor Threat and Big Black and they’re lionised. However I’d like to make the case that this is a more groundbreaking record than we give it credit for. This is the first Strokesified album. 6 years before Is This It? Established the formula of taking an old sound, crank up the loudness, use modern technology and a cool modern Gen X front person Elastica did that to post punk. It does for Wire what Silent Alarm did for the Gang of Four. Yet Bloc Party, Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Kings of Leon, Libertines, Arctic Monkeys etc never received the same backlash for following the formula. I guess the 9Os found repackaging old music less palatable than the 00s.
3*/5 01.15.2026
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.
Huge fan of "Stutter" (that song slaps) so found this pretty enjoyable but how come nobody talks about how similar "Connection" is to Romeo Void's "Never Say Never". Favorite: Stutter Would I listen to it again: Probably
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.
Like the singer. Better rythm
Meh
Listen again
Not bad but the guitar sound became a little bit tedious
At time of listening, their biggest hit by far (Connection) is inexplicably missing from this album on Spotify and is instead replaced with a karaoke version with no vocals. Just a heads up to anyone who may be confused! On the album as a whole, this is good! I really like the punky energy. There’s lots of nice grooves in here, and the guitars have plenty of punch. Lots of short songs, but with some impact. 3.5 rounded down.
a great time. thoroughly enjoyed this!! will listen again
Some people want this to be this hidden masterpiece but I just think it’s a fun album that doesn’t touch the greatest bands of the genre
It's alright, but I really can't justify this one on the list.
Your average britpop band from the 1001challenge.
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
A few songs on this album i really enjoyed. Unfortunately for me the whining guitar sound the kept using really made the other songs quite bad. If I could enjoy that part the album would be rated much higher.
Good britpop
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
It was almost precisely one of the two things I expected. It wasn't keyboard electonica, but it was a bit better than I thought it would be. Now this is the difficult bit. It wasnt quite as good as a 3, but definitely better than a 2. Ok 3 it is.
It’s nice enough, and I do have a love of this genre. “Connection” was super cool, and still is. But the rest of the album just doesn’t match its energy for me.
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.
This was a fun listen. I definitely enjoy this style of pop-punk a lot, and I wasn’t familiar with Elastica, so I’m glad I got a chance to check them out! Nothing really hit as a song I’d like to add to my “favorites” play list, but I could see myself putting this on in the background when I’m cleaning or just hanging out at home, and wanting to listen to something more fast-paced.
Never heard of this band before but the album was ok.
Actually really enjoyed this one. Probably gonna end up being one of the better britpop records on this list. I found too much of it samey to really praise the album, but it’s still a fun, high energy album.
passive
first listen it's fine
Really good stuff, listened beyond this album and they got better! Will definitely check out more of their music!
Pretty not bad! I want to tune out and let it blend into the background then something striking starts playing. 3.5/5 almost a 4!
Still underrated Brit-pop, even though someone put them on this list. Unexpected classic rock vibes sometimes.
Fun album. Upbeat and 40 minutes long.
Line Up Connection Car Song Waking Up Stutter
When this record came out I was very anti-Elastica. But I think I was in my Coil phase at the time, so you don't want to have to trust then-me's judgment about Elastica. So, my impression 30 years on? I still find it pretty annoying, like most of these songs felt like blander versions of other bands' similar music. Technically they did a fine job, but by the time I was 2/3 of the way through I started wishing it would end. But "Stutter"'s good, and a couple of the other tracks were ok too. So, 3/5
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!)
I listened to this a little as a teenager. Love the single but the rest of the album is just ok. The britwave movement felt a little like Alex down after the downfall of nirvana
Really liked this band. No idea how I had never heard them before
This album starts pretty well. I was familiar with Connection, Line Up's a good opener, Annie reminded me of Blondie and Car Song has a cheeky little riff. However, as much as I've complained in the past about over-long songs, here the opposite is true. More than half of the songs are under 3 minutes, a lot of them are under 2. Just when you start getting into a song it ends, and it's frustrating. I'd have liked to hear a bit more of Indian Song and 2:1, and I'd have preferred a minute and a half less of Vaseline. Of The later songs, Waking Up stuck on my mind for it's similar riff to No More Heroes and Never Here, which has time to breathe, is suitably angry. It's all very Punk, but as I drifted towards the end, I could only question why I really needed to listen to this, and I couldn't come up with an answer. A low 3.
Ysäri tuoksuu vahvasti mutta jää levy aika pliisuksi. Jotenkin näitä jostain syystä aina vertailee garbagen parhaaseen tuotantoon ja siks jättää kylmäksi.
Pikakelauksella läpi, tällästä shittiä on ollut jo monta levyä aiemmin. Laitetaan kakkonen hassujen melodioiden kunniaksi, muuten silkkaa shaissea
Aika geneeristä shitsiä taas, ei houkuttele uudelleenkuunteluun.
Ourraid tää ol kyl raikas. Pändinä toki tuttu, mutta vähänlaisesti tullut kuunneltuu. Levynä semmonen, että menojalkasemmat biisit ei toimineet samanlailla kun enempi taideopiston kurssilla tehdyt. Yleisesti tää putoo varmaan brittipoppiin, mutta yhtäläisyydet aikalaisiin on aika vähäset vaikka blöörin mies tässä on huseerannut mukana. Jos saundit ei ois osassa biiseistä sekamelskaa ja harkintaa ois käytetty enempi, niin varmaan nelkku arvosanaks, mut ei ihan riitä, joten vuosi alkaa isolla kolmosella.
Aika meh levykokonaisuus. Vähän liian sliipatun oloinen, kaikki kuulostaa jotenkin päälleliimatulta. Luulin tietäväni jonkun biisin tältä levyltä, mutta ainakaan yhden kuuntelun perusteella mikään ei kuulostanut tutulta. Ehkä sekoitan johonkin toiseen bändiin? Ei jatkoon, mutta ei nyt mitään ihan hirveetä paskaa. Uudenvuoden kunniaksi lottokone arpoi kolmosen kakkosen sijaan. Kyllä sieltä kuitenkin pari biisiä vähän toimitteli.
-oooo a 90s album finally -um okay weird noises in line up -it’s fine i guess not really my sound though -connection is my fav so far -all these songs sound the same at least they are short -legit the same songs over and over -all nothingburger yawn
Right up my alley. Proto metric vibes. And I recognized the single
Like a British Garbage.
Derivative as anything but still better than almost all Britpop.
Didn't know the album, hell, didn't know the band. Not too bad.
Merry Christmas to all my thousandty-eighty-nine album compatriots out there. I'm all dapped up with my Hiby R4 Digital Audio Player. This thing kicks so much ass. I've been messing around with it all afternoon and hearing my favourite songs like I've never heard them before. Anyways, this album. I'm pretty sure I've seen this cover before, though to be fair there are plenty of things with grayscale photos and red stylised text. I'm pretty sure this is an electronic album, though I could be dead wrong. Duos are typically the upper limit for electronic acts, and electronic music isn't exactly something that women with pussies are known for creating. Britpop. My sworn enemy rears its ugly head again, aye? How many of these things are even in here? 23, and I'll have listened to 11 once I'm through with this. Could be worse - I'm at least halfway through the gauntlet. This album is pretty bleak. It follows the 90s alternative template to a T, which is only exacerbated by the 16 tracks that have been jammed into this thing. The composition of these songs aren't necessarily the same, but the general sound might as well be. Every single guitar riff/hook sounds the exact same, and the vocals rarely venture beyond sounding tepid and uninspired. While this was an incredibly dull listen, I wouldn't say I was bored. It just kind of went by. The only silver lining to this album is that YouTube Music put on I Fought the Law by The Clash once this album was finished. "Connection" is decent. The lead guitar hook is gripping and I like the gusto in the vocals. "Indian Song" is alright. I've never heard this kind of blend between Indian music and grungy, alternative 90s rock before, though it seems kinda counterintuitive to honour another nation in your patriotic music genre. They should have made the bold artistic choice to blend demonic mooslem music with their cool, alternative sound instead. They would have been truly prophetic and truly patriotic by modern British standards. Book time. Performed well in the States. Connection and Stutter have an enduring popularity. Nothing else in there of note. Wikipedia reveals that this album has a favorable critical reception and was the fastest-selling debut album since Definitely Maybe. Snippy snip time - get da fuuuuuuck outta here. In place of this album, I humbly submit Clouds Taste Metallic by The Flaming Lips for inclusion on the list.
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
Liked ok.
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.
Nice sound and good pace but more than one listen needed to distinguish tracks and get more into it.
Sounds like generic background music in a movie
меня не зацепило, сорри.
Monster bass sound on the first track! I would love to know how they got that sound!!! I feel like the third track is used in a lot of TV commercials or something. Definitely heard it many times before. Very catchy guitar part. Overall, these guys are covering well tread ground but doing it very well. I bet they were a great live act. Cynical/disaffected British singers always get me going and I could listen to just the sound of this bass guitar all day long.
I'll admit that I don't really get the whole Britpop thing, nor why exactly this collection seems to want to trace every nook and cranny of its seemingly short-lived life. But this post-Suede band/album seems like a more interesting choice than some of the other Britpop jetsam, and it's nice to finally have a name behind that incredible 90s ear-worm "Connection". (Interesting too to have Damon Albarn feature in various tracks as "Dan Abnormal".) The rest of the album is fine, and while there weren't too many other standouts besides the very catchy "2:1", I appreciated the admirably brief tracks with no filler; plus some truly odd videos for "Line up" (quasi-Peter-Gabriel stop-motion) and "Car song" (some sort of weird Tokyo-ghostbusters-themed storyline). I also appreciated having a largely-female band that seemed to be focused on making an impression by the strength of their music and lyrics.
Sometimes they've got a good sound, as in "Connection," which makes up for the weak lyrics. Other times, not so much.
This was a pleasant surprise. Fun punky album that reminds me of Pink Flag. Maintains that 90’s alt-rock style while using its influences well. Songs don’t outstay their welcome. The real instrumental highlight here is for sure the bass. These lines are sufficiently chunky and make excellent backdrops. Favorite songs were Line Up, Connection, Smile, Waking Up, and Stutter.
Enjoyable 90’s punk album
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?
Epic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Some good tunes
Loves it.
Elastica sounded really cool when I first heard it thirty years ago and it still sounds really cool.
Hadn't realised they were so good.
Cool
Great, another forgettable English band from the 90s.
This channeling of new wave and pop punk was a great breath of fresh air when it arrived in ‘94. Ear candy and really well made, but not best album calibre imo.
Layers of plastic tube.
I like the punk guitar and the female rock vocals. Nothing new, but still great.4/5
A bit of a curio these days between Frischmann’s subsequent musical/career choices/tastemaking, the Wire/Stranglers lifts (later repeated with more Wire and The Fall), and the speculation about just how much input Elastica had from “Dan Abnormal.” To that end, my sense has always been that Frischmann had a great sense for simply what worked, be it in the early days of Suede and Blur or here, picking Donna Matthews, and on The Menace, so borrowing from Albarn might’ve been just as plausible as Wire. Dude was on an all time run, it’s hard to think that didn’t result in contributions, credited or otherwise. Whatever the authorship, Elastica is a rip smart, sharp collection, still as cool today as in britpop’s hey day. It’s a bummer Frischmann quit music.
**An ok album, too much screaming vocals and screeching instruments
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.
Album No. 0086 on my list. "Elastica" was something completely new to me to be honest; I had never heard of the group before - not even sure why, I guess I should have been aware of them before. Anyway, I appreciate an all-female band on here. I found this to be a solid album. Nice poppy post-punk stuff, solid noisy sound. I'll add "Connection", "Car Song", and "Never Here" to my playlist and have the feeling that I'll enjoy listening to the album more often in the future. It's a narrow decision between 3 and 4 stars. Because I'm really not sure, I'll let a coin toss decide. Well, and it's 3/5 stars.
A lot of high-energy fun!
surprisingly good
Still sounds fresh, great album
Yes - it's derivative, and perhaps Damon Alban secretly wrote a lot of this, but I just really don't care. Elastica pulled off something special here. The bass sound on this is soooo crunchy, sassy lyrics and catchy songs. More postpunk than Britpop. Lineup is the perfect opener, gives you the recipe for what's to come. Mostly just two distorted guitars doing different things, solid solid drums and bass dancing around everywhere.
Pretty good. Never heard them before.
Can't believe I've never heard of this before. Excellent and right in my wheelhouse.
Decent, if not middling and generic, punk rock. Songs started out somewhat avant-garde and became less interesting as the album progressed, but most songs were brief and moved onto the next before each became boring.
average at best
Was it British? Check Did it come out between 1985-2010? Check Then Robert Dimery thinks you must absolutely hear it before you die. At this point how many albums would have to be removed to have the list be called "1001 British Albums that came out in a 30 year stretch that I liked" This was a band with a hit single and then when I listened to the rest of the album it didn't stand above anything else coming out in that time. It's not bad but it's not really something that should be on the list
Nja
Surprisingly good record. Back then I heard nothing but Connection and it took me 1010 albums to get to this gem of mid 90's alternative rock
Excellent album
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
It’s 90s female vocal (britpop?). Best left to Oasis/Blur etc.
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.
Reasonably fun and crunchy, but not quite sure why it's on this list. "S.O.F.T." was my favorite.
Punchy. Pop. Me likes
I thought I would like this more but maybe I’ll have to listen again, I can see it growing on me. I liked car song, all nighter, Indian song, others were forgettable - between a 3 and 4 - I’ll come back to some songs but not others
I owned this CD back in 1995, but don’t recall anything about it except for Connection. This is so generically 90s. It’s bland and boring and unexceptional. 2
Good, but that's about it. I can see how this might be beloved by some, but I didn't feel like there was much essential about this, and while I wouldn't mind listening again, I don't think I'll be thinking about it a few days from now. Faves: Connection, S.O.F.T., Blue
Band and album where all new to me. Sometimes reminds me on the band "Garbage". With elements of grunge and punk. I enjoyed it. Not easy to decide between three and four stars. 3,5
Is this two all-female punk records in sight of a week? Only a push of the play button will tell. Also a google search could tell. Although people on the internet call Deep Purple the first metal band, so maybe listening for myself is the way to go. Who knows. I am behind, let’s make like an elastic band and hurt myself when I snap it. I don’t know anymore. Line Up - Hmm. Not punk. Kind of like Hole. Annie - This thing rips along pretty good. Hell yeah. Repetitive but scratches the right itch or whatever. Good stuff. Connection - Was this in a phone commercial? It awoke a thirst for either nationwide 3G coverage or well-fitting jeans. I can’t decide. Car Song - A song about a car. Or a song about a person with a car. Or maybe, the real car was the friends we made along the way You be the judge. Smile - I hate when songs try to tell me what to do. Hold Me Now - See previous track. S.O.F.T - I thought it was S.A.W.F.T? Can’t teach that. God that guy turned out to be a complete moron and probable sexual abuser. Whooda thunk it? Indian Song - What about this song is Indian? Do I even want to know? Blue - Smurf All-Nighter - Is this describing the record? Waking Up - This will be me in about 5 more songs. 2:1 - I’ve never understood aspect ratio. I’ve always struggled spatially (yes that can work as a fat joke if you wish), but what in the sweet hell are these nerds talking about? I think it’s a universal rule, that the more you understand something, the less you enjoy it. See That Animal - Yeah that 4 ton walrus over there. Looks pretty immobile hey? WRONG. He mauled six zookeepers last year. They never found their bones. Stutter - Ughhhhhhh Never Here - I know once this is over, this album will vanish from my mind like it was indeed, “Never Here” Vaseline - Some excellent product placement takes us out of the beige gruel that we have been mired in for a few hours. Oh brother. This was borrring. This felt like corporation approved girl rock to market to dumb 90’s dudes. Apparently a good chunk of it was ripped off as well from a band called “The Wire.” Man I miss that show. This might be the kind of the music that appears on a Sony sampler disc. For the record, this wasn’t the worst thing I’ve put myself through here, but it was one of the more forgettable things that wasn’t 90’s Britpop. Oh god unless it was??? 1.5-2 HIGHLIGHTS: Annie I guess?
The Good: We know this music is going to bend! The Bad: Turns out it bends the wrong way… The Ugly: album = artist name… I will say this, it is nice to have a bunch of <3 minute songs on an album. It is punky, so there’s that… However, I didn’t care for Suede, and I don’t care for Elastica. If singer-lady would have really cared for music, she would not have given it up for art, to eventually marry a professor of meteorology… I mean, seriously? Fucking Dimery could’ve chosen a couple of the awesome bands of the early/mid-90s that were dominating US college radio stations, but alas, hardly any of those are represented on this list… instead, I got to waste another day hoping to find something great to add to my collection. 2* because I am starting to HATE 90s alternative british bands...
Perfectly fine britpop/rock album. My biggest complaint is the best songs are the ones allowed to breathe - every song that is under 2 mins would totally benefit from being stretched a little more to developed a bit more. Still there are things to like here, but could've been a lot better overall. Top tracks: Connection, S.O.F.T., Never Here
Boring music
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
Pretty good lesser known Britpop with an indie bend. The female vocals also make it stand out in what was a notoriously male-dominated movement. Is it essential listen? Not really. But it is an interesting curiosity. Key tracks: Connection
1001 albums die je echt moet luisteren voor je doodgaat!!11!! En dan is dit er 1 van. Ja het is een album, en ik heb het geluisterd voor ik doodga. En ik heb 1 nummer opgeslagen omdat ik tijdens het luisteren dacht "Goh, dit is best een leuk nummer" maar verder? Als iemand me straks onder schot houdt en me vraagt nog 1 nummer van dit album te noemen en anders zal ie schieten dan word het geen beste uitkomst. Opzich wel eens leuk dat een ontzettend vergeetbaar album een vrouwelijke frontvrouw dan heeft. In plaats van de meeste rockzeikplaten die een man als frontman hebben. Tsja, ik heb me niet echt geirriteerd ofzo aan dit album, maar ik zal er waarschijnlijk ook echt nooit meer aan terugdenken. Dit krijgt van mij dan toch 2 sterren, puur omdat ik denk dat 1001 albums die je MOET horen voor je doodgaat wel iets strenger mag zijn op de albums die ik dan daadwerkelijk zou moeten horen. FAVO: Waking Up
Bleh blah bluh
Very good.
1001-A continues to expand my girl rock chops ✅✅✅ S. O. F. T.
at its best im all about it, i just had a hard time with the vocals, especially in the early tracks
Nun too crazy but you can't ever hate that. The strokes comp is there (ironically, the frontwoman's dad was also the head of a company), this one got a rawness to it. Would listen again. Fav song Stutter
i already listened to this a while back on my own. i remember not enjoying it all that much, but i'm willing to give it another spin for rating purposes Line Up - 4/5 Annie - 3/5 Connection - 4/5 Car Song - 5/5 Smile - 3/5 Hold Me Now - 3/5 S.O.F.T. - 5/5 Indian Song - 2/5 Blue - 5/5 All-Nighter - 3/5 Waking Up - 4/5 2:1 - 4/5 See That Animal - 4/5 Stutter - 5/5 Never Here - 4/5 Vaseline - 2/5 Average score: 3.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ admittedly, i had a somewhat better listening experience the 2nd time listening this wasn't too bad. solid in some portions, but same-y in others. while i appreciate the shortness of tracks (considering this is a 16-track album), i think that's part of why my rating's a bit lower. some tracks were also so short that i just couldn't justify giving them more that 3 stars, if even that it was fairly enjoyable, but i don't think it packed enough punch to round up to 4 stars for me
Nice!
I really loved this but unfortunately it’s British so I have to get rid of a star
Not bad but I got bored
80s grrl rock. Not bad. Not my jam
I dig it! Right up my alley.
Rating: 8.5/10 So much fun to listen to this, great combination of punk and pop.
Hmm
90s Grunge in essence, simple and straightforward. It is very much of its time - and I mean that as a compliment, this is the blueprint for what 90s alt-rock was trying to sound like. Catchy, fun lyrics, abrasive but not punishing. There are points where it feels repetitive, like if I was listening to this at a bar I'd be thoroughly enjoying myself, but I'd probably grab a shot around "Smile." It's far from a bad song, but drags a bit (which I very much appreciate that it's only a minute and 40 seconds) There are other points where the album feels shy "S.O.F.T" builds up instrumentally but the vocals stay at this same sleepy yell that I'm left a bit disappointed. 3.5
Good
I remember seeing this cover in the past without knowing about the album and thinking it was some kind of new-wave punk album from the late '70s, and now that I've listened to it I can say that it sounds like some kind of new-wave punk album from the late '70s too, then afterwards I check the reviews and everyone's saying they ripped off a post-punk band from the late '70s and I'm glad we're all on the same page I don't know where the Britpop comes in but maybe that's just my lack of understanding the genre Ultimately it seems like it succeeds in being a decent album from 1979 that was some kind of foundational cult classic for its time except it's actually from 1995 and I don't really find the appeal for myself Living proof that the past does exist in the event that a nanomachine uprising targets and destroys all traces of pre-1990 music on Earth
Outside of the weird burp/throw-up sounds in the background, Line Up is a cool opener. Definitely have heard Connection before (maybe in a commercial?) -- also really cool song. Car Song has a fun progression to it that is nice to bob along to. S.O.F.T. is a standout to me -- solid jam. For me this album stands along the 3/4 divide. There are some interesting sounds and themes explored throughout, but ultimately I found myself losing focus through much of the second half.
Sure! Good energy, good voice, seems like it influenced alternative rock that followed it.
Pretty boring and generic sounding punk album that got off to a really bad start with whatever groaning or whatever that was in the first song
Weird sounds happening in this first song... but otherwise I'm kinda digging it. Went into this with not very high expectations but halfway through and I'm surprisingly loving it. Reminds me of some Paramore and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. End of S.O.F.T. bangs! Some songs kinda went nowhere and started sounding alike, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. High 3.
Decent
I'm not sure how it got onto the 1001 albums list, but it's worth a listen at least. I found it to be a decent mid-90's britpop/rock record that doesn't really stand out all that much. I'm glad I listened to it but wouldn't have noticed it otherwise.
Fun but sounds very generic
Nice guitars
Quite a good slice of mid nineties Brit pop. A good listen.
It was alright
This is really good music! I like how they combine Riot Grrl energy with the Melodys and shoegaze of Lush.
My favourite was Car Song
so fun when it was released, I still have this record - awesome grrrl power catchy rock and roll love it 4.5