CD Reviews

 

Elastica

'The Menaces' (Deceptive Records)

It was a fairytale coupling made in alternative heaven. Blur's main man Damon Albarn, and Justine Frischmann from Elastica; the hippest of Indie rock-ettes. That was five years ago, and after that it all turned emotionally pear shaped. Their split was messy and drawn out. Damon took slights at Justine within Beetlebum from the eponymous Blur album three years ago, and then exposed his broken heart for all to see in the 13 selection last year. Sympathy and self-indulgence abounded. Justine meanwhile had problems of her own. Drugs, breakdowns and arguments split the band, and cut to the core of their creativity. Elastica had produced a startlingly good self-titled debut in 1995 and the world eagerly awaited the follow up. Five years later here it is.

Was it worth the wait or were the band a flash in the pan? Maybe it doesn't have the instantly catchy appeal of tracks like Connection and Line Up, but The Menace still has appeal. But not quite enough of it. There are some gems like Nothing Stays the Same, My Sex and the single Love Like Ours, and to include a song called Your Arse My Place has got to be applauded.

The throbbing basslines and raunchy lyrics are still there, but too many times they degenerate into a dull thud, or an electronic jumble sale. It's a pity that one of the most original tracks in the selection is not original, but a cover version of Da Da Da, originally performed by German band Trio way back in 1982. But The Menace remains intriguing, and definitely improves with each listen. Regarding the question as to whether Elastica are still a great hope for alternative rock, the jury is still out. Probably for another five years.