Review - Elastica The Menace - 2 out of 5

The first elastica album was great, punky guitars that had a unique sound no-one has managed to copy since. Most importantly the songs were great, they stuck in your head and really had attitude.
Then because of what i'm only going to describe as "personal issues" involving drug addiction and massive fallings out between Justine Frischmann and then guitarist Donna Matthews they took 5 years to produce thier second album thats five years, half a decade.
This considering the amount of time it took The Menace should be phenomonal.

However it is completely different to the old album, af course it would be dumb of meto expect it to be the same, what whith the new line up and everything.
The menace is an eclectic (good word that) mix of the old punky elastica and the new "lets experiment with electric noises like a dog barkin" elastica.
There are only 4 songs that are great on this album. And the rest are merely listenable to.
The first song 'mad dog' sounds like the old elastica with big electrical sounds which actually work surprisingly well with punk attitude. The intro of it sounds like someone sawing wood though... which is interesting. It does get you moving though and you can imagine it being Fantastic live. The lyrics do let the song down in places, you will however find yourself singing along after a few listens. If you can make out the words that is....
The next good song is the song track 'Genereator' which will also have you sing along. This track is the most true to the old elastica whith the recognisable guitar style of past (aaah memories) and the bass line is one of the best I have heard in a while. Justines vocals are at her best here, shouting but still managing to sound moody and ever so slightly sultry.
The third track is another of the great song, How He Wrote Elastica Man, featuring Mark E Smith from The Fall. Unusually for elastica it is the keybourd that sounds most prominent and not the guitars. Very short songs being a bit of a tradition for elastica this track is no different, it moves very fast and lasts for little over two minutes wich means it doesn't sem to last very long at all. "How He Wrote" was a single for elastica when they released thier E.P last year but failed to make any impact on the charts.
Maybe it was Mark E. Smith but this song does sound remarkably like an old Fall song...
The fourth good track is track 12, "The way I like It" which has a nice carribean reggae feel. Justine's voice doing what is does best here agin, but with no shouting this time. The grating guitars and synthasised in the background are a nice contrast to the sweetness af the rest of the song.
Of the other tracks on the album "Da Da Da" is starting to grow on me, someone who really didn't like the original. Apply some logic to this and you come up with: If you like the original you'll love this...
"My Sex" is a great bit of Art as music but is really hardgoing to listen to. The same goes for Human, one of the songs on the album written by Donna Matthews, which is apractically peotry. The music in the bacground is a it boring though and the clashing simbols will get right on your tits after a while.
Perhaps the fact that three of the tracks on the album were written by an exband-member and that at least one was also on the E.P that was released beforehand hints that elastica are running out of ideas. Or perhaps I'm just making allegations to excuse the fact I didn't get how melody maker gave it such a fantastic revue...

As for me though i'm gonna listen to it over again and again incase it grows on me. I spent £12 on it dammit!
As for you, don't let my views stop you buying it, if your a die-hard fan your going to love it anyway. You have been warned though...

I take no responsibility for you not agreeing with me and getting all angry and sweaty. Instead vent your anger by sending me an emailhurling abuse, or your review of the album.

Elastica's Website