Reviews (page 6 of 9)
This is ok but really doesn't need to be on this list. A couple of catchy songs but not not unique.
I never need to hear this again. Im guessing they have good energy in concert.
Really cool album with a lot of great songs. "Connection" has a very nostalgic feel. I enjoyed this a lot.
Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Probably right on the fence b/w a 2 and 3. Gravity pulled in its favor.
Not for me. 1
I love the punk of this album
lots of filler but some genuine bangers in here. Favorite tracks: stutter, waking up,
I love the joyous, expansive noisosity. Elastica's "Connection" is an all time favorite of mine. The heavy "BEWM" on the hook counterbalanced by the siren guitar is brilliant. "2:1" is another great track. Car Song is really sexy. I'm really surprised by this album. Comes on fast, hits hard. It was over too quick. So much fun to hear.
would give 3.5 if could
Perfectly situated between 80s girl groups and 00s female-led indie groups, like a stepping stone. Think somewhere between The Bengals and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
At least they chose a good band to rip off, but man does this album nosedive hard in the second half.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for sassy girl bands.
No track had a good singing performance.
Instruments were okay, nothing exciting, just another okay album.
Alright
Another day another bleh Brit pop band. I don’t understand why there’s so many on the list, it wasn’t a good time for music then and unlike a fine wine it has not gotten better with age. I could not understand what the chick was saying most of the time and music was just meh at best. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about this album at all. Also the album starting off with the one guy in the band grunting/moaning or whatever that was was not a good start. Didn’t need to hear this totally bleh album.
enjoyed the guitar, tempo, & overall sound. but vocals just felt "meh" another album that's ok but I won't seek out to listen again
2.5 - 3 / 3
4.25
A little britpop a little punk — a lot of cool power chords, melodies and riffs
I’d never heard of Elastica until I started going through this list. I tend to enjoy Britpop though, so I think there’s a really good chance that I’ll enjoy this album. Overall, I thought this album was pretty good. The guitar playing and the high-energy sound stuck out to me as the best parts of the album. I found it refreshing that the album was pretty consistent throughout in terms of the quality of the sound and the songwriting; there really weren’t any songs that stood out to me as being filler at any part of the album. “Connection,” “Hold Me Now,” “Stutter,” and “Vaseline” were my favorite songs on the album, with “Stutter probably being my favorite. “Line Up” wasn’t my favorite, but I thought it was a really good choice for a leadoff track, especially with its gagging/barfing vocal sounds. From an objective or critical standpoint, I thought this album was really good. But based on my own tastes, it was pretty middle of the road, mostly because I don’t think it really stands out a lot from its peers at the time. I don’t think this album really did a lot for alternative music, and even though it’s well made, I probably won’t think about it much in the greater context of nineties rock music.
Grunge punk, great stuff.
Durchschnittlich. Eher etwas drunter.
Good band. Took a lot from their influences and sound very alike the original punk gods. Still a good fun album but originalitywise it had alreay been done and better.
More punk than Britpop, I think this still stands up really well 30 years on, plagiarism claims or not. Short and sharp with strong melodies, the songs sparkle, and Justine Frischmann is a great frontwoman for what is a pretty tight band. I had a good time with this.
Groupe inconnu. Influences plutôt punk, avec des morceaux courts, une basse bien en avant. Mais c'est trop mou à mon gout. Quelques morceaux sont bien énergiques, mais ils sont malheureusement plutôt rare. Globalement rien de bien original. =>2/5
I have as many nostalgic feelings about this album as anyone, but there are way more worthy albums that belong here. Fairly generic, and often ripped off in the places that were not generic. I still enjoyed the album but I probably wouldn't if this was the first time I heard it. 3.5 stars
2/12 stars Indie rock, levadas interessantes, cantora de atitude...ref boa
Sehr geradliniges rotziges album. Knackig, punkig mit allen Ecken und Kanten. Wow.
Post punk goodness
this is only on this list because of the Trigger Happy theme, otherwise its pretty unremarkable. I've never heard anyway mention this band, i've never heard any of the other songs. It is quite dull and i wont listen to it after today. Its a low to mid 2
I read it best in another review: "this sounds like the album of a band created for a movie." It's not necessarily bad, but it's not great either. Just sounds like small parts of every band in the genre, but eith all edge and character smoothed over.
Never heard this, but it is kind of cool. Girl rock is always fun.
Another britpop album on the list, and Robert Dimery owes me another dime. Despite my initial dread, I realized that there's something different about Elastica! I hadn't even realized before how cis men dominated the brit pop scene before hearing this album, but gosh this album is like a breath of fresh air after listening to the same damn britpop album the last 200 or so. Most times, Elastica's self-titled album feels more punk than britpop. And even when they aren't punk, they have a catchy pop sound or a goth/mysterious vibe. The vocals are right on for this kind of music, too--and it's on the cusp of alt, too. The guitar riffs, frankly, kick ass. The songs that had solo guitar intros were absolutely banger songs.
I. love. gritty. 90s. alt. rock. women. groups. I was not familiar with Elastica, and I wasn't surprised by that fact. So many 90s alt women acts fell off the radar and were not appreciated to the extent that they should have been, and have continued to be somewhat unknown by comparison to a lot of similar male acts of the time. They immediately read like somewhat of a British version of Hole or Garbage. And in my mind, that is not a bad thing at all. While I don't think they succeeded as sounding as sonically standout as the aforementioned bands, they still have good presence on this album. It's another album that I'm not sure needed to be included, but I'm not mad that it was.
Alternative post punk from 95. Iconic and powerful songs.
A nostalgic journey that reminded me of a time where everyone either did or wanted to sound like Blur. I liked the singles, but the rest was meh
I'm unimpressed. This is clearly a punk (or worse, post-punk) band, despite Wikipedia claiming otherwise. Punk has little place in the "influential-music"-sphere of the 90s, and my experience so far is that the 90s has much better to offer than whatever this nonsense is. It's derivative to the point of anonymity. The music is technically high-energy, but lacks any kind of soul or emotion. This is most noticeable in the vocals, which are a standard punk-monotone set to a backing instrumental that isn't very impressive either. The guitar playing is fine but not memorable. Same with the percussion. Whew. I'm just so tired of listening to low-effort punk album after punk album. This honestly could've been worse, with songs like Smile, Car Song, and especially Connection cutting through the darkness and giving us a little excitement. Connection has a fun, subtle synth thing going on that I really liked. (Though even that sounded like hundreds of other bands, most of whom did it earlier.) 2/5 Key tracks: Connection, Car Song, Smile, Vaseline
Love the guitarist’s edgy sound on his guitar and unique riffs. I’ve always liked the singers’s voice and vocal style. A lot of mid90s Alternative. Good sound. Gotta like it.
This is alright. Though as others have pointed out, kind of a ripoff. Odd that they really never went anywhere though. It's 90s fm radio bait for sure.
Muss man nicht mehrfach hören. Austauschbar.
This is another 3.5 for me. It’s such a perfect slice of mid 90s
Nothing short of great. This is post punk at its core, with some pop mixed in, all done well. Only knock is that it came late to the party
" I'll take 'Generic alt-rock I didn't need to hear', Alex." 2/5
Sounds like a brit-punk album. While I would expect a lot of variety in the list of 1001 albums, I would also expect it to be more intuitive why an album has been included. This one is not intuitive at all.
Suspected that the album may have been carried by the catchy, bad-ass track "Connection"... feels like a female-led blur with more punk. Great bass I guess... "S.O.F.T", instrumental was head-banging alright. Think I'd like to see them live, would be interesting to see if their energy would transfer over as well as it seems. 2.9, does a job and would've been fun at the age and time but not my cup of tea now.
Stuff I liked. Some stuff not as much. Overall enjoyed it though. Will I listen to again: 75%
Strong 3 Some great songs, but ultimately a little too derivative for me to rate it higher
Slightly better than I expected since it's more electro-pop or new wave-y than straight britpop which seems to be the bane of my existence. 5/10
Enjoyed this quite a bit - nothing like some high energy girlpunk to get you through the day! Best Track: Vaseline Worst Track: S.O.F.T.
Best Song: Connection Worst Song: Indian Song
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.
Enjoyed that actually, never heard anything but the Trigger Happy theme tune. Amazed at how well it did, beating Oasis to the fastest selling album... It's good but not that good. Decent blend of punk, britpop, rock etc. torn between 3 and 4*
I mean… it’s great but it’s not one of the 1001 albums you must hear before you die is it? There’s Blondie or The Wire or even The Fall that did it first. 4/5 fun fact, during one summer at uni I did early shifts at magna park with an ex estate agent who got sacked for doing coke in the office. His claim to fame was selling a big house in Warwickshire to the drummer from Elastica.
I listen to this record a lot. However I will admit not sure it’s 1001 material for me.
Pop-rock ochentero.
4 por Cannonball
The first song is awful (Tim: “Maybe they’re trying to establish their indie cred by putting the worst song first”), but after that the album improved greatly.
Fun and catchy with some cool riffs. Overall this was a pretty decent listen but nothing blew me away.
Contributors of this book: "What's that you say? British punk adjacent indie from the late 80s early 90s? Oh yeah, put it in. Don't even ask, just put it in." Everyone else: "So.. umm.. have you even to listened to this? It kind of just sounds the embodiment of the genre. I mean it's fine, but I don't really know if its like good." Contributors of this book: "Nah, its fine. Everything from that period is good. It's all 'FORMATIVE'. You don't even know." Everyone else: "So you would put this on the same pedestal as say The Cure, The Proclaimers, The Stone Roses, The Cranberries, Radiohead, Oasis. You know all that music coming out of the Hacienda in the 80s and 90s." Contributors of this book: "Yeah, its all the same. Just put it in." Blake's thoughts: Maybe 1001 is too many? IDK. This album has some fun songs, but I dunno. It kind of just sounded like the genre.
This is a very fun album, sounding very new wave/punky but somehow being from the mid-nineties. I was always a fan of the song "Connection."
This was a nice blast from the past. Did I have this album or was it just someone I knew who had the album??? By the end the thrill of nostalgia had died though.
Yes! It rocked. It grooved. It boosted my mood. I couldn't ask for more than that. Thanks!
I don’t think I ever heard this band before, but it is a nice contrast to a lot of the other mid-90s rock offerings with a great female lead. Great!
Punk rock/pop album. Decent but not my thing.
Not for me, bit of a challenge to get through the whole thing. One or two more listenable songs
🎧I’m pretty neutral on all of this. Some of the vocals don’t connect and feel like kind of forced new wave posturing.
4 por Cannonball.
Not my genre. It's like britpop-punk, which is a combo that might work for me, but this doesn't.
So many hits from the same band that I never realized.
Shirley Manson? No? This is Garbage's long lost techno twin.
Quintessential 90's rock album. I'm surprised I've never checked it out before. I read some reviews about how they ripped off Wire, and then I went to check it out... Wow, you all are wild. They used a similar riff, and if anything improved upon it. This is not uncommon in music, and many good things have come from it, including this album. This is a good album. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
gooooood stuff no notes
The other rubberband band
90s poppy punky, vibes.
Alright
Could have been the soundtrack to Scott Pilgrim. Great in parts but very generic. High 3. 70/100
Really good album but a short lived band.
Enjoyed it!
I always enjoy a grungy female-led rock and punk sound. There are a couple of standout tracks on this for me, but overall I prefer the heavier sound of their 2000 album.
I'd listen to this with the windows down any day.
This was pretty bad.
a nice throwback to late 70s post punk. There’s even a nod to the band Wire on here. A fun little album that always puts a smile on my face!
Reminds me of the Pixies and Dischwala !!
Muy basicón de los 90s. No me gustó realmente aunque no es una mierda.
The Lovechild of the Pixies and the Ramones. Everything about this wonderful.
Very enjoyable. Pleasantly surprised
This sounded *very* nineties. In a good way.
A top five britpop album, in my opinion — a wonderful mix of that punchy britpop rock sound with the snarl of the toughest voice in the genre.
Generic still not Bad Britpop. Relistend twice before being able to decide in this review.
Very recognisable and classic punk rock basslines, album has a more britpop feel to it at the start, especially with Connection (banger) but slightly fades out as album goes on.
There are some great hits on here, and it is very stylish. Some great personality to the lead singer too. But some of the songs are a bit forgettable, and they lose some points for ripping off old punk songs. However, they did some pretty cool things with the ripped off ones.
Fun, catchy Britpop music from a mostly female band. I somehow knew "Connection", probably because it's on some Spotify playlists. The rest of the album is good, too. A quick, fun record to spin.
Not all the 90s britpop bands wanted to sound like Status Quo in the 70s or The Kinks in the 60s. Some went back to 1978's New Wave instead. As someone who only really knew The Stranglers from that era at the time I found this really exciting and fresh. Throw in the 'three girls in a band' which was all too rare, and the attitude, and I was sold. Obviously they nicked loads of this wholesale from Wire, but it's still great. And Stutter is the best song here by a million miles, stands up today. First thing I heard of them, that video in the white room. I fell in love instantly.
## In-Depth Review of "Elastica" by Elastica ### Introduction Released in 1995, "Elastica" by the British alternative rock band Elastica is a seminal album in the Britpop and post-punk revival genres. The album, produced by Marc Waterman and the band, is celebrated for its raw energy, concise songwriting, and edgy sound. The band, fronted by Justine Frischmann, made a significant impact with this debut, which features a blend of punk rock ethos, catchy melodies, and minimalist production. This review will delve into the album's lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, providing a balanced view by discussing its pros and cons. ### Lyrics The lyrics on "Elastica" are characterized by their directness and wit. Justine Frischmann's songwriting often explores themes of relationships, urban life, and personal identity with a frank and sometimes cynical tone. #### Pros: 1. **Conciseness and Wit**: The lyrics are succinct and sharp, often delivering powerful messages in just a few lines. Songs like "Connection" and "Stutter" showcase Frischmann's ability to convey complex emotions and scenarios with brevity. 2. **Relatable Themes**: The exploration of themes such as desire, disillusionment, and social commentary makes the lyrics relatable to a wide audience. For instance, "Waking Up" discusses the monotony of daily life and the yearning for change. 3. **Female Perspective**: The album stands out for its strong female perspective, particularly in the male-dominated rock scene of the 90s. Tracks like "Stutter" address female sexuality and empowerment in a straightforward manner. #### Cons: 1. **Occasional Vagueness**: Some lyrics can feel vague or underdeveloped, leaving listeners wanting more depth or clarity. For example, "Line Up" has an intriguing premise but lacks deeper exploration. 2. **Repetitiveness**: The lyrical themes, while relatable, can sometimes feel repetitive across the album, lacking the diversity that could have elevated the narrative complexity. ### Music Musically, "Elastica" is a blend of punk rock, new wave, and post-punk influences. The band's sound is marked by jagged guitar riffs, punchy bass lines, and tight drumming, all delivered with a raw, energetic performance. #### Pros: 1. **Energetic and Catchy**: The album is packed with high-energy tracks that are both catchy and memorable. "Connection" and "Car Song" are prime examples of this, featuring infectious hooks and driving rhythms. 2. **Minimalist Approach**: The minimalist approach to instrumentation and arrangement works well, giving the songs a raw, unpolished feel that enhances their punk rock edge. The stripped-down sound of "Blue" and "Annie" exemplifies this. 3. **Versatility**: Despite its punk rock core, the album displays versatility in its musical influences. "2:1" incorporates a more new wave sound, while "Never Here" shows a slower, more introspective side of the band. #### Cons: 1. **Homogeneity**: The album's sound can sometimes feel homogeneous, with many tracks adhering to a similar formula of fast tempos and angular guitar riffs. This can make the album feel monotonous over its 15 tracks. 2. **Lack of Innovation**: While the music is energetic and well-executed, it doesn't necessarily push the boundaries of the genres it draws from. Comparisons to other bands like Wire and The Stranglers are frequent, suggesting a lack of originality. ### Production The production of "Elastica" is characterized by its lo-fi, DIY aesthetic. Marc Waterman and the band aimed for a sound that was raw and immediate, avoiding the polished production common in mainstream rock at the time. #### Pros: 1. **Authenticity**: The lo-fi production adds to the album's authenticity and punk rock ethos. The raw sound quality makes the music feel more immediate and visceral, capturing the energy of the band's live performances. 2. **Cohesion**: The consistent production style across the album helps to create a cohesive listening experience. The rough edges and occasional imperfections contribute to the album's charm and character. #### Cons: 1. **Technical Limitations**: The lo-fi approach, while adding to the album's authenticity, also means that some tracks suffer from technical limitations. The sound can be muddy or uneven at times, detracting from the overall listening experience. 2. **Lack of Depth**: The minimalist production can sometimes result in a lack of depth and complexity in the sound. There are moments where additional layers or a more polished mix could have enhanced the songs. ### Themes The themes of "Elastica" revolve around personal relationships, societal observations, and individual identity. The album's lyrics often reflect the angst and disillusionment of young adulthood, set against the backdrop of 90s urban life. #### Pros: 1. **Relevance**: The themes explored on the album remain relevant and relatable, resonating with listeners' experiences of love, frustration, and societal pressures. 2. **Diverse Perspectives**: The album offers diverse perspectives on its themes, ranging from the personal and introspective ("Never Here") to the outwardly critical ("Waking Up"). #### Cons: 1. **Surface-Level Exploration**: While the themes are relevant, their exploration can sometimes feel surface-level. There is a lack of deeper introspection or nuanced commentary, which could have added more layers to the album's narrative. 2. **Predictability**: Some thematic elements are predictable and do not venture far from the well-trodden paths of rock lyricism, potentially limiting the album's impact. ### Influence "Elastica" has had a notable influence on the Britpop movement and the wider alternative rock scene. Its success helped to pave the way for other female-fronted bands and brought a fresh, punk-inspired sound to the mid-90s music landscape. #### Pros: 1. **Pioneering Role**: The album played a pioneering role in the Britpop movement, influencing numerous bands that followed. Its success demonstrated the viability of raw, punk-influenced rock in a predominantly polished pop era. 2. **Inspiring Female Musicians**: "Elastica" has inspired many female musicians and bands, contributing to greater gender diversity in the rock genre. Justine Frischmann's unapologetic presence and songwriting have been particularly influential. #### Cons: 1. **Overshadowed by Contemporaries**: Despite its influence, "Elastica" is sometimes overshadowed by contemporaries like Blur and Oasis, whose commercial success and media presence were more prominent. 2. **Short-Lived Impact**: The band's relatively short career and the lack of a follow-up that matched the debut's impact have somewhat limited the album's long-term influence. ### Pros and Cons Summary #### Pros: 1. **Energetic and Catchy Music**: High-energy tracks with memorable hooks. 2. **Authentic Production**: Lo-fi production adds authenticity and captures live energy. 3. **Relatable Themes**: Lyrics explore relevant and relatable themes with wit and brevity. 4. **Influential Role**: Significant influence on Britpop and female-fronted rock bands. #### Cons: 1. **Homogeneous Sound**: Similarity across tracks can lead to monotony. 2. **Technical Limitations**: Lo-fi production sometimes results in muddy sound quality. 3. **Surface-Level Themes**: Themes could benefit from deeper exploration and nuance. 4. **Short-Lived Impact**: Limited long-term influence due to the band's brief career. ### Conclusion "Elastica" by Elastica is a powerful debut album that captures the spirit of the mid-90s Britpop and post-punk revival scenes. Its energetic music, sharp lyrics, and authentic production make it a standout record, despite some limitations in thematic depth and production quality. The album's influence on subsequent bands and its role in promoting gender diversity in rock music are significant. Overall, "Elastica" remains a vital and influential album that continues to resonate with listeners, showcasing the enduring appeal of its raw, unpolished charm.
Classic 90s alt rock, definitely sets the vibe for the era
ok
Must have been a bad year for music if this broke records
This album is just very cool
Enjoyed this one today. I think eventually it could slide down to a 3.5 in my view but today I felt a 4. I like this style
This was a cool album that I still hit every couple of years. Hearing it here reminded me that it is alternative and almost punk, rather than Electronica, which is unfairly in my brain as it's genre. Reminiscent of the Breeders.
Not bad. Typical of the 90s.
More pub rock. This is the exact kind of music my favorite bar would play.
Really good - 4 stars
Fun, brash and trashy. "The Connection" is great. "Indian Song" offers something likably different. Holds up better than Blur, surely, and Oasis ain't got much if anything over this lot.
remind me of the beaches
Pretty standard punk.
S.O.F.T. was my favorite, but it's Nirvana light. Never Here isn't bad either. I just don't care enough about this to give it more than **
I've listened to this twice in two days. I really enjoy the sound and the album is very consistent. I'm adding this to my collection of regular albums to cycle through. However, I don't see this as a 5.
Heaps fun. Loved it 20 years ago. It has certainly aged better than what Id have imagined
Девочки альтушки играют альт-рок. Вики, разве что, пишет, что это пост-панк/брит-рок. Ну ок! Жанры это кал, малые. В целом мне заходит, они мелодичные, гитары саркастичные.
This album was OK I guess. They had one hit song in that one was pretty good. The rest were forgettable and not very good songs. 2/5.
I thought I had never heard of this band before, until I heard the track "connection". That song definitely got radio play, but I always assumed another band played it, I thought it was Veruca Salt, or the Breeders. The songs on this album all sounded pretty similar and there wasn't anything on here that seemed influential or ground breaking to me. As I previously stated, I thought an entirely different band played the one hit I recognized, so I'm not sure why this is something I need to listen to
I liked it!
Album 407of 1001 Elastica - Elastica Rating : 3.5 / 5 I liked this. Nothing earth shattering that changed the world of music but was a fine listen. Some poppy toned down British punk.
It was ok, nothing special, not much to say.
While this is about 15 years too late to be post-punk and 5 years too early for the post-punk revival, it’s a better fit with either of those than it is with the Britpop genre it is so frequently pigeonholed as. Pretty solid, and I’ll take it over Oasis anytime.
Very 90s.
I'm familiar with this one and the controversy surrounding it. Plagiarism be damned, this album is boring as hell one way or the other. Throwaway rock radio fodder. Ironic that a band called Elastica, would be so plastic - see, now that's clever.
A mediados de los 90 Elastica renovó el sonido new wave y el punk rock añadiéndoles una sensibilidad más pop. Los ganchos melódicos de su gran éxito, "Connection, evidencian esa intención. También el sonido universal de la muy punki "Waking Up". La sexualidad de su cantante, Justine Frischmann, es sólo un añadido extra en canciones como "Car Song" (en la que consigue que el sexo en un coche suene sexy de verdad), "Stutter" (en la que despotrica sobre la impotencia de su novio), "Line Up" (en la que clama contra las groupies) o "Vaseline" (en la que el título ya lo dice todo). Todo el disco suena compacto, con riffs de guitarra cortantes, melodías que recuerdan al mejor Blondie, y la dureza punk en su justa medida.
here we have another inconsequential British band riding the coat tails of bigger and better bands. sure, this is a fun and catchy album to listen to, but it’s absolutely inessential.
Rock, (Punk), 1995 -> 2
Aw yeah, more female-vocal punk stuff. I dug the hell out of this—maybe even a little bit more than DIG ME OUT, honestly. And for that, I think I hafta credit the Britpop sheen that's over this album. The riffs, the vocals... I jus' think it's fun stuff, y'know? I've loved every Britpop album my group has gotten so far, and this is no exception. And thus, I've paid the whole "WIRE copying" thing exactly as much attention as I think it deserves.
Love me some 90s alternative.
It’s a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4. It’s pretty good; I think the first half of the album is a bit generic at times, but I really enjoyed the back half of the album. I thought it had way more energy to it. However, when this album kinda hits those generic lulls, it’s just not that sonically pleasing; the guitar can overwhelm the vocals, or the percussion can overwhelm the guitar, or some other rock/paper/scissors type of connection with those 3 elements. When this album clicks and those 3 are in harmony, it’s really nice. Even when it’s not clicking in full, it’s usually hitting on 2 of those 3, and it makes for a fine enough listen. It didn’t really do enough to ever feel like it was close to a 5, but it’s pretty good regardless, and I think a 4 feels about right.
It was fine, wouldn’t run to turn it off but forgettable
It’s so weird that someone put the entire hot topic playlist onto a single album. I can’t shake the image of knee high converse boots, skirts over jeans, and RAWR XD when I listen to this. As a mid 2000s angst lord I do like the music, but it also sounds a lot like everything else that came out in this time span. I just don’t think it’s anything too memorable.
Elastica pencil in my ears
enjoyed it, felt like something i should have found in highschool and built memories with. Since i didnt it doesnt have that same level of nostalgia similar music does so doesnt hit quite the same way.
90s alternative rock. Edges and fun but still feels like an Apple ad spot to me.
Sort of sounds like an edgier Go-Go’s without the crisp harmonies, not bad but not super memorable.
Very 90s. But not in the fun way. Weird how you always think 80s songs are so dated but the 90s really have the same quality.
Don't know anything about this artist. Interested to hear what they sound like. At first glance thought it was going to be 80s. But saw it was mid-90s. Right off the bat, definitely from the mid-90s. Typical rock from the 90s. Sounds like a poor-man's-Hole. I know the track Connection. Definitely remember this track. Pretty mid to me. Nothing spectacular, not my kind of rock either.
Allerwelt Gitarrenrock und Punk, ohne Drang nach nochmalanhören, eher qualvoll...
I remember this band from back in the mid 90's. They were alright then and I feel about the same now. I'm not sure I have listened to this since the 90's and that is probably fine.
This was derivative and kind of bad, to be honest. I’ve never been happy with the BritPop bias this list has, but having known plagiarists on this list is egregious. This was grungy after the grunge wave had come and was on its way out. I have a hard time believing this this is somehow one of 1001 records I should hear before I die.
90's alternative rock band.
It was fine, but nothing really stands out to me.
How have I never heard of this band before, why do they only have two albums, and why wasn't their second album as good as this one? Gosh dang.
A strong choice when you need an energy boost. But far from a daily driver.
Super skeptical of this when it came up. A band I have never heard of. But saw they were nominated for The Mercury Prize which seems to be an automatic inclusion on this list. And then saw it has ex-Suede members, and my expectations dropped considerably. I was pleasantly surprised though, this album just kind of straight up rocks and was a lot of fun. Really enjoyed it.
First listen Saved 10/16 Top track: Stutter
Absolutely nothing special here. Girls doing punk. The voice gets lost in the mix on some songs making the lyrics hard to discern. No explanation as to why this is a must hear - and it sure isn’t obvious.
Good! Love it, it was enjoyable
Punk rock band, with no great songs in their repertoire.
Much more entertaining and listenable than I was led to believe. A lot of fun, and an easy album to groove to.
3.5
I feel like I have listened to these songs being played by generic background bands in low budget movies. Middling 2.
Day90 - I remember connection being a big hit in ‘95 but never listened to the album. better than i expected
Why is this on here? Basic rock band.
Really enjoyed this one! '90s punk-y rock band, so definitely later in that space, but they've got a unique sound to me, something sharp that cuts through the noise. Part of it may be the female vocalist, which seems less common (though we've had albums from Le Tigre, X-Ray Spex, and Sleater Kinney as well). Love that there are a few women in this band. I think I liked this more than most of those other ones though, some great melodies and great energy. Favorite tracks: Annie, SOFT, All-Nighter, Stutter, Never Here. Album art: Actually really cool band photo, great contrast, the bandmates look cool as hell, I'd wanna hang with them. Font is nice too. 4/5
Realley good!
It’s a decent album.
This was enjoyable.
Nothing notable.
Kurzweiliges Britpop Album mit einer rockigen Note und einer charaktervollen Frauenstimme. Die Songs sind aufeinander gut abgestimmt und lassen sich wie im Fluge durchhören. „Connection“ ist ein Highlight und markant für die kreativen Indi-Songs der 90er sehr gut auch „Never Here“.
Having never heard of this band before, I had zero expectations going into this album. What a treat that turned out to be. This is a great 90’s punk album. Well, I thought it was punk but Wikipedia says otherwise. Anyway. I had a good time with this. It’s 15 songs but somehow they fit into just 38 minutes. Even the shorter ones were great. Catchy hooks and a really tight band. Digging a little deeper into the band themselves, I found that two of the founding members and mainstays in the band were also in the band Suede. Now, I very much disliked the one Suede album I was dealt already. Good thing I didn’t know who the band members of Elastics were going in because I would’ve been biased against this album. The one negative thing I’ll say about this album is that the mix just wasn’t very good. I could barely hear the vocals on most tracks, that was both on my car stereo and in my headphones. I don’t know if that mix choice was intentional or not but it was distracting at times having to strain to hear the lyrics. Oftentimes I didn’t hear them. But take that away and you have a good album, especially as a debut. Three solid stars. Standout tracks: Line Up, Smile, Hold Me Now, Blue, Waking Up, Never Have, Stutter
I enjoyed this and wpuldve been a fan in the 90s. I actually didn't mind the ropey production as it seemed to play to the slightly post punk sound. Short songs, overall good listen
This could really do with a tidy up rerelease, but given how bad the production was the master tapes were probably misfiled somewhere daft like the centre of the sun. Connection was the stand out track which was a theme song for Trigger Happy TV (a much better clearer version too)
I would have been a big fan of this at the time if I'd been aware. Big fan now actually having caught up
I liked this for the most part, but was also left with that old "I wish I liked this more" feeling... Favourite track: S.O.F.T.
High energy girl (pop) punk, really polished and produced well but manages to capture some rawness and energy. Manages to also borrow from other contemporary 90's genres. Really cool album.
Oh boy. This is dreary. I hope Wire got some decent royalties.
Loved it!
It's harsh but has some decent riffs.
Pretty nice, standard rock.
more like Fantastica
Decent ‘90s rock. For whatever reason, “Indian Song” stood out to me as the turning point on the album, after which the songs got a lot more interesting. The vocalist was fine, but the songs didn’t demand much of her, which I’d like to see improved.
#165. Super forgettable 90s alternative. Nothing interesting going on here. It's like off brand Garbage or something. 2/5: yawn Song added to playlist: Connection I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
It’s ok. I’ll either give it a high 3 or a low 4
just boring NNN
this was a lot of fun and short and sweet! i dig it!
neat little album. feels like a big stew of bands and genres i enjoy, like a new-wave-y, punky, grungy, alt-rock-y mess (affectionate). certain songs sound like garbage (the band), eve 6, and even they might be giants. nothing overstays its welcome and the songs all sound pretty different from each other. favorites: connection, car song, waking up, 2:1, stutter
I can always listen to this.
YASSS HOTGRIL SUMMER
This could be a really, really good album, but there's some songs on here that are just misses, that don't do much of anything interesting. The good songs are excellent, including some of the 3-part harmonies, but it's just not a great album from beginning to end.
could i write poetry to this? y
Just okay. There was a bunch of female-driven-Alt-Rock in the early to mid-90's that was better. I hope we get to review Hole's "Live Through This" at some point. ...Or "Simpatico" by Velocity Girl. ...Or "The Burdens of Being Upright" by Tracy Bonham ...Or "Jagged Little Pill" ... so many better choices.
3.5. Had this album on cassette
Not good. Not essential.
Meh. Pretty generic '90s alt-crunch for the most part. I still kind of like "Connection", but then I liked it when Wire did it first. One of those albums I bought based on one song and found out that's pretty much the only decent thing on it.
Jävligt bra faktiskt. Trodde inte jag fuckade med punk på detta sättet
This was pretty fun, I'd never even heard of this band before. Seems very odd for it to be tagged as "britpop" though. Not what I'd have called it.
Nothing really of note
Very fine
Besides the vocals I did enjoy this album. But I just wasn't a fan of how the vocals were done, if they were more balanced with the instruments I might like it better.
"Elastica" by Elastica is a quintessential album of the '90s Britpop scene, showcasing the band's edgy sound and infectious energy. Released in 1995, the album is a masterclass in minimalist, hook-laden rock that draws heavily from punk and new wave influences. Tracks like "Connection," "Line Up," and "Stutter" are standout examples of the band's knack for crafting catchy, angular songs that are both instantly accessible and fiercely original. The album's short, punchy songs and Justine Frischmann's deadpan vocals give it a distinctive sound that sets it apart from its contemporaries. While some critics have accused Elastica of borrowing too heavily from other artists, the band's ability to distill their influences into a cohesive, compelling sound is undeniable. "Elastica" is a testament to the power of great songwriting and confident musicianship, earning it a solid 4/5 rating.
Idk how to rate. I really enjoyed this album but it did sound like songs I’ve heard before like some blur songs. 2.5
Meh.
Ehh
favourite song: 2:1 really dont get so many reviewers on here’s apparent aversion to britpop. this is fun! its cool! sure maybe they ripped off wire. but wire are great! surely sounding like wire is a good thing. unrelated to this album since it is undoubtedly britpop but i see so many reviews lambasting albums for being britpop that just are not britpop. people hate britpop without knowing what it is. anyway, 4 stars!
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.
Better than anything recently played.... not bad overall
Ooof heard worse. Didn't really pay much attention while this was playing
Dear god these albums are just getting worse. Writing anything more regarding this would just waste even more of my life.
Very lackluster. Generic, another album that I really haven't got much from.
Just felt like generic 90s alt rock. Wasn't offensive. Still nothing Im really appreciating as I have to listen to.
Interesting but not particularly enthused about this album.
This was a fun album, some good strong songs in there. Good songwriting but quite niche in its sound. Stand out songs: Connection 2:1
Amazing album I love it. Sadly I could never give it 5 stars but it’s just such a nice simple album about simple problems done really well. Stand out songs: Connection Car Song Blue
When I saw this immediately thought this was some pop synth euro stuff. Soon realized it was 90s punk/alternative generic stuff. I recognized the third song - it was in a commercial. See That Animal is actually a good song. Some catchy stuff - basically a steaming pile of meh.
This is right up my alley, but not really a 1001 album I need to hear before I die 3
Joyful. Not as good as Echobelly, but still great to listen to. Also made me go and watch some trigger happy TV episodes as an added bonus.
this album is really fun. some songs felt slightly repetitive, but others make up for it. i’ll definitely listen to some of the songs again.
Rockin post punk indie album
A few good hits but the rest is basic girlfriend arthouse punk. I can smell the angsty cig smoke from here.
Seems like a decent enough album. But besides a few hits don't know what album it booted off the list. Don't see how it might be any more influential than another similar record.
I've never heard of this group but I love this album
Thanks for introducing me Wire in a roundabout way!
Pretty cool! Not quite enough for me sonically, was just waiting for a song to really hit and none quite did.
Fine 90s alt rock album
Favourites- Connection, Waking Up Enjoyed listening to it but not great 3
Tykkäsin! Ei mitään muistikuvaa että tätä olis koskaan ennen kuullut ja kolmisen kertaa rullailin läpi.
Jees rokkisetti
Hyvää vihaista teini musiikkia mutta kypsää kuitenkin ja varmaan tässä on ihan ok lyriikat ainakin vaikuttaa kun ei osunut korvaan mitään huonoakaan, ja vaikken lyriikoista tiedäkkään niin uskon kyllä että oli vilpittömästi varmaan hyvät. Ei harmillisesti jäänyt mitään hyvää biisiä mieleen kun samalla tässä kirjoittelin kuunnellessa aivan hullua argumentoivaa esseetä. Mutta uskon että jos kuuntelisin tarkemmmin toisen kerran joku biiseistä voisi hyvällä tod. näköisyydellä yltää tasolle josta voin antaa albumille 4 tähteä eli olisi ainakin yksi pamaus biisi..
Rad sound, but nothing I need to come back to.
If you need to show someone how the 90ies sounded and also hammer home that they happened 30 years ago, play them this. See also: Zeitgeist, this, that. Music like one ring in a tree trunk. Started listening with a 'Bleh', but I tuned into the vibe. Maybe just because of how much of a document this is. In a good way, turns out.
It’s all trendy, innit? Like if I had to describe a rock album that did well in the mid-90s, this wouldn’t be too far off the mark (besides having a predominantly female lineup) HL: “Blue”, “Connection”, “2:1” February 4th, 2024
not my cup of tea
NFm
like a 3, not bad rock but not my type of rock
This is the sort of music I like, but it left me rather cold. It's fine, but it's all a bit vanilla and generic. There's nothing exciting here - the riff at the start of SOFT, the drums on Never Here and Stutter are quite nice, but there's not enough wow factor to have me come back for more. The 90s were a bit of a blank for me in lots of ways - I was too old to get into most new music throughout them - so I'd never really heard anything by the band. But why would I listen to this when I could listen to some Catatonia? I assumed International Velvet must be on this list, but it appears not to be. So, put something totally generic on it but miss out that voice and the way it makes the sound unmistakable? Fuck, that's just a flat out mistake.
3,5. Þetta er nostalgíupopp fyrir mig. Ágætt alveg.
3.5/5
Good but uneven. One five star song (Connection), a couple four star songs, a few more three star songs, and maybe one or two blah two star songs.
Giving this a four star, not so much because I think it’s extra great 90s britpop, but because it was one of a handful of cassettes I I bought at Housework’s in Iowa City (wondering if any of the others will make the list.) I listened to this a lot in my Walkman around campus and in shitty Topaze I drove to Des Moines and back when my future wife moved back home. Anyway these songs totally rock.
Pretty good! This type of music is my jam. This album started and ended strong, but the middle drug my rating down a star.
Wasn’t expecting a lot, but this album stayed a consistently good quality throughout. It’s a pretty good rock album that has some energy behind it.
I enjoyed this quite a bit, lots of songs but none overstay their welcome. Some tracks do start to sound similar though.
Good but as background music
Generic 5/10
pretty cool. listened in my car and it seemed like the vocals were too quiet.
This is one of the 90’s best
Cool album w/songs I've head but didn't know who sang them. 3
You know the generator is up to something when you get Elastica so soon after the two Blur albums. I love this A LOT. New wave? Really great post-punk, power-pop. A real headbanger, one of my favorites so far. No complaints, but with 16 songs you do get some monotony into the middle. A bit saucy and a blast of energy. I'd say a lot more about this but I'm falling behind in my listening so I gotta move on. Listen to Stutter.
Meh. Too crunchy and lo-fi for me.
I dig it. Only knew that one song, but it’s not my favorite on the album. I like the more raw girl punk sound. Rock on!
Waking Up Never Here Stutter
Surprisingly good album start to finish. Standout tracks - Line Up, Car Song, Smile, Stutter
Great to hear the old Brit pop sound.
3.8 - A composed and stylish slab of Britpop that's more chic than quirky compared to other acts within their nucleus (e.g., Blur, Super Furry Animals). I like the angular guitar riffs and Justine Frischmann's cool vocal delivery. Besides "Connection", other standouts include "Line Up" and "Waking Up."
They got criticized for lifting a riff from Wire, but this album rocks. Gem from the 90s.
Very decent album - a 3 generally but Connection and Waking Up are both brilliant songs.
Perfectly fine to listen to but found it really boring in the most part... completely lacks any sort of energy. A generous 3. Oh and Sleeper > Elastica
Elastica's self titled debut sounds like the perfect backdrop to a teen movie or TV drama from the 90s. Full of pop punk vibes electric guitars and moody vocals this album is one to have on your radar, and from their sound I wouldn't have guessed that they're British! Best: Connection Worst: Never Here
4/5
Another disappointment. 2/5
For 90s it is may consider brave and groundbreaking, but after few dozens of years it's sounds iffy, but okay.
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.
Nice to hear some female lead punk
Načelno nije loše ali isto malo previše pozeraja
Loved it
I came around to it more in the second half, but I left this record feeling lukewarm towards it. I'm becoming concerned that I generally find 90s rock music kind of boring. Highlights: Blue, All-Nighter, Connection, Waking Up, Vaseline
A couple killer tracks imo (2:1 is legit af imho, also Connection and S.O.F.T.), overall though... Maybe a 3.5 with room to grow OR shrink? Part of me thinks this should be more up my alley, part of me just thinks I should be listening to Blur and/or Sleater Kinney and this is kinda blah besides the good stuff. Time will tell I guess. In any case, all that comes out to a 3* rating. Definitely listenable, ymmv.
Every song was great, but after reading the other reviews, I guess I need to go listen to Wire.
Enjoyable alt rock, although unspectacular. Consistently good from front to back and potentially worth revisiting.
great, underrated even
interesting sound, enjoyed Connection song.
3/5. Short and sweet brit pop songs that were definitely fun to listen to but didn't get a lot of substance from it. I'm sure I could enjoy this more if I wasn't subjected to 40 brit rock/pop albums already. It really needs to stand out and this one was punk and heavy, but not my vibe fully. I still do think this is at least a good album.
S'alright, yeah. Didn't do much for me but I have no criticisms.
Quite an easy band to listen to, even if Waking Up is a complete rip off from the Stanglers track No More Heroes, although that doesn't bother me as they created a good track. Found the album a very easy listen, lively and well good vocals. The main negative about the tracks.om this album would be the same riffs used across multiple tracks, which suggests they had limited creativity in their song writing.
Super enjoyable britpop :)
Kinda fun 90s album
I enjoyed this more than expected. I guess I gotta check out Wire (no clue who they are, as I am not well-versed in the punk genre), then.
I graduated high school in 95 and remember Connection. 2/5
I listened to this album twice and I liked it. It’s a whole different style than I’m used to but I liked it. 4 of 5
Elastica is, for all intents and purposes, a one hit wonder. The only well known song they ever produced was Connection, off of this album. They didn't produce anything for another five years and then only three albums altogether. That doesn't mean they weren't good. In fact, one listen to this album and you will realize they were great. Falling somewhere between 90s alternative and riot grrls aesthetics, their eponymous debut, is full of fire and energy. Connection is, of course, the highlight, but there is lots of great material here. Elastica the album, only highlights how sad it is that Elastica the band never really thrived beyond it.
I recall listening to Three Girl Rhumba by Wire and the main guitar riff reminding me a lot of Connection by Elastica. Im not sure if I know any other Elastica tracks, but Connection is definitely a banger. Let’s hope here is more of the same here! Songs I already knew: Connection Favourites: Connection, 2:1 This was fantastic, and most certainly to my tastes. It felt raw, but not too raw. It also felt polished, but not too polished. They seem to have landed at the perfect spot for my tastes. The guitars are loud and obnoxious, just how I like them, and the vocals are so very nice. This will most definitely be an album that I’ll be returning to a fair bit.
She has a pleasant voice. Some catchy guitarwork
Surprised I’ve never heard of them prior, very solid punk/alt rock Brit pop. Lots of great songs, added to playlists etc… 4/5 as the middle of the album was less memorable compared to the key start and final songs.
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.
Not my thing
This is so 1995
3.5/5 this was kind of interesting. I'll have to relisten!
6/10
Rips.
I like it, if I am in the right mood, cleaning the house! 4 stars
Catchy - Connections is good. Similar to Garbage
This just didn't hit for me. There is some good guitars tones and double vocals, but it is too tied up with the 80s hair band sound that I despise.
Pretty solid female fronted 90s power pop, pop punk rock. Reminds me of Slater Kinney a bit.
Super fun discovery of a band I didn’t know. Strong beats and grooves with lyrics that aren’t too angsty. Very accessible post punk.
Pretty good 👍
This was surprisingly good. Classically 90s.
pretty monotonous.
38 Based on this scale: 1 - 0 to 19 2 - 20 to 39 3 - 40 to 59 4 - 60 to 79 5 - 80 to 100 I appreciate the punk flavour sprinkled on top of this, but it's far too generic to earn a better score.
Grunge? Connections
Boppy punk. Good not great.
Raw! Great album! 3.8
Was not interested, but it turned out to be better than my expectation.
Grunge or punk - not sure. But makes the mood brighter more fighting spirit.
amazing performances and catchy songs
Listened Before? N This one was pretty good. I have heard Connection before and liked it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Connection
I liked this, but having just listened to “Dig Me Out” by Sleater-Kinney the day before, I couldn’t help but compare them - this album felt a bit generic in comparison. Not bad, but a little overlong. I did really enjoy listening to it while driving, so I dunno, I’m on the fence…I need to rethink my rating system, because although I’ve given them the same rating, I’d definitely rather listen to this than Norah Jones.
WOW. Awesome album. Love their sound. Great energy and each song is a gem. reminded me of buzzcocks.
This was part of the cool art-alternative rock movement of Brit-Pop. I have no issues with it sounding like Wire or other late 70s/early 80s new wave bands. Fun, but not all of it works as well I believed in the mid 90s!
This sounds like the cover looks but slightly more awesome
Girls who rock are always cool in my book, and this album is no exception. Could listen on loop forever.
If a band made generic 90s rock music. Was just ok, maybe too battle-of-the-bands-y. 6/10.
Tämä oli ihan ok!