Elastica - Elastica (CD 1999)

The pop viciousness exuding from Elastica's pores far surpasses any qualities thus far exhibited in Britain's "new glam" movement. One time Suede member (pre-"London" era) Justine Frischmann and Donna Matthews weave together assorted guitar and vocal textures, recalling various levels of pop genius in a disdainful, Kinks-esque tone. Frischmann's dry lyrics are deliciously biting. Her sarcastic take on stardom ("if I can't be a star I won't get out of bed"), groupies ("Drivel head knows all the stars/Loves to suck their shining guitars"), and impotence ("no need to whine boy") are all icily casual. Musically, Elastica is a pop lover's dream. Combining a Buzzcocks-tight rhythm section with enviable guitar delirium, Elastica's grip on pop sensibility is dead-center.What sets the band apart from their peers is their unstoppable wit. Already stars in their native England, Elastica have gotten it all but have also maintained a fabulously jaded perspective in regards to their desires--as Frischmann herself points out in "Waking Up," all she needs is "a guitar and a lover who pays me." What could possibly be more gratifying?