One of the wittiest, sharpest, coolest records of the 90s just got a reissue, and now is a better time than ever to revisit—or discover—it. Elastica’s eponymous debut album hit shelves in early 1995, and swiftly triumphed as the best-selling debut album since Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. 31 years on, it’s still easy to tell why.
Disc one of two is, expectedly, the full album, standing as one of the most significant records of the 90s. A harsh mishmash of post-punk, indie rock, and, depending on who you ask, Britpop that found itself topping the charts remains today an important album to those of many ages. At 38 minutes and consisting of 15 tracks, most short and punchy, some more than that, the album’s pace is immediately forceful. With obvious punk influences, Elastica wasn’t as melodic of an album as most of the band’s peers, instead relying on their raw, unfiltered, authentic sound, and it works admirably.
Immensely cool hits Stutter and Connection keep as catchy and memorable in 2026 as in 1995, with distorted guitars, heavy drums, and monotone, unbothered vocals from Justine Frischmann. Hugely underrated tracks make up a good part of the record, Hold Me Now and Never Here being two of the most remarkable, maintaining the harsh sound the record boasts. S.O.F.T., with its intoxicating bendy guitar, is also irresistible, even today. Alongside these tracks, the moments when the record slows down and softens up are also instantly memorable. 2:1, with its eerie, unsettling sound especially accomplishes this. The original album continues on its path of unending style, undoubtedly worthy of this reissue.
However, the reason everyone is here, of course, is for disc two. This disc consists of B-sides, demos, and rarities, a treat for any 90s fan, casual or dedicated. B-sides See That Animal, Spastica, and Cleopatra (an Adam and the Ants cover) are laced with just as much wit and come across just as sharp as anything on the album. Quirky at times with blaring guitars and addictive vocal lines, each track captivates you from the start. Spastica, in particular, stands out as a unique track with near unintelligible lyrics and a chorus of slick “ooh-ooh”s and “ah-ah”s atop a croaky voice repeating, “you got it, I want it!” The almost icy tone of the album melts momentarily with the slow, relaxed Car Wash and a demo you wouldn’t expect to be so sweet. In this rendition, Blue comes across exactly that way; a single acoustic guitar and vocal duet between Frischmann and Donna Matthews gives the song an entirely new, more innocent feel, one understandably absent from the album but that works beautifully by itself. Through a few more B-sides and BBC sessions, Elastica return to their signature sound. Brighton Rock and Pussycat present as well as any Elastica track, two truly overlooked songs that could easily fit in with the album tracks. The BBC session produces In The City, Rockunroll, and Gloria, three more blazing, infectious rock tracks to end the album.
Of a different style than most of the bands they were pitted against but always true to themselves, Elastica proved to be a group of great musical prowess and shrewd writing, which is captured expertly on this reissue. Despite no unheard tracks, a reminder as to why Elastica still matter is always welcome.
Elastica: Elastica—2 October 2026 (Rough Trade Records)
