So why is Elastica on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
Elastica the band and Elastica the album feel very mid-1990s in the best kind of way, both timeless yet of its time, somehow.
Elastica the band would never come close to reaching these heights again, and in fact they only released one other studio album to date – the more experimental and at times flat-out strange album, The Menace, in 2000.
But I’ll take what we got with Elastica, an absolute smasher through and through that gloriously pieces together highly accessible alt rock fused with new wave influences, Britpop-y sensibilities that emphasize fully realized pop song construction, punk rock oomph with a real edge, and fabulous (and very British) vocals from Justine Frischmann.
I’ve very rarely seen our old friend Stephen Thomas Erlewine at All Music gush over an album as he does with Elastica, with nary a snarky backhanded compliment to be found:
But what makes Elastica such an intoxicating record is not only the way the 16 songs speed by in 40 minutes, but that they’re nearly all classics. The riffs are angular like early Adam & the Ants, the melodies tease like Blondie, and the entire band is as tough as the Clash, yet they never seem anything less than contemporary. Justine Frischmann‘s detached sexuality adds an extra edge to her brief, spiky songs — “Stutter” roars about a boyfriend’s impotence, “Car Song” makes sex in a car actually sound sexy, “Line Up” slags off groupies, and “Vaseline” speaks for itself.
While “Connection” is by far the best known Elastica song for casual music fans – and I want to emphasize that it’s a great song – there are so many other tracks on Elastica the album that compete for Best Song status.
I’m listening to “Annie” while writing these words, and it’s melting my brain with how good it is: aggressive without feeling too aggressive, it’s some of the most melodic punk/alt rock I’ve ever heard. It rocks hard while going down super easy – kind of like an expertly prepared cocktail that actually has a kick to it, if you will.
I enjoy the studio version of “Blue” well enough, but I’m a massive fan of the slower-paced, acoustic version that I can only typically dig up on YouTube. In any event, the acoustic version is simply divine, with some of the most gorgeous harmonies I’ve ever heard in rock music.
“Car Song” shows off a sly, fun, and mysterious side to the band. Also, importantly: it’s catchy as catchy can be.
I hardly know you
But I think I’m going to
You need to go siesta
In your Ford Fiesta
And songs like “All-Nighter” prove that Elastica can simply rock out with the best of them when they’re of a mind. But again, note the expert song construction.
Pop culture stuff that has something to do with Elastica
I dug into what happened to Elastica the band post Elastica the album, and unfortunately, it’s an all too common story:
Development on a follow-up album languished due to interpersonal disputes, line-up changes and Frischmann’s heroin addiction during the late 1990s. In 2000, Elastica released their second album, The Menace, which was less well received critically or commercially. After struggling to come up with new material for a third album, the band amicably broke up in October 2001.[3]
Personal stuff that has something to do with Elastica
Elastica came out several years before I lived and worked in England for a spell, but I associate it with my time spent in the UK. When Britpop bands are discussed these days, it’s typically the likes of Oasis, Blur, Pulp, and Suede that dominate the conversation, but as much as I enjoy the output from those bands, give me a good dose of “Waking Up” or “Smile” or “Annie” anytime.
Some stats & info about Elastica
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Britpop, British Bands, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Punk Revival, Punk Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars
- When was Elastica released? 1995
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #151 out of 1,000
Elastica on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Elastica that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
I don’t understand how a heart is a spade, but somehow the vital connection is made.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.