Thanks to Neil Lloyd who typed it all in...

Leaders of the new British pop explosion, Elastica have at last hailed the return of the three minute punk classic. Every song as catchy as hell, all could be singles just waiting to be unleashed on an unsuspecting chart audience.

Not since the likes of the Buzzcocks and the Undertones have we seen the flowerings of the pure pop ideal. Many critics may moan that they have heard this all before and its no more than plagiarism of a bygone era, whilst in the same pages praise the Stones and Zeppelin as timeless originators, not that they'd made a long and lengthy cereer (sic) out of ripping off obscure blues artistes (sic) on a major scale. Give Elastica more credit, they wear their influences openly on their sleeves (and t-shirts) and deny or try to hide nothing.

Vocalist and Demi Moore look-a-like Frischmann started out in an early incarnation of Suede, big deal, that was then, this is now. Sussing out pretty quickly that this was not the band for her Justine set about recruiting musicians to form a group of her own.

First into the line up was drummer Justin Welch, ex of Brighton modsters Spitfire, and a pupil of the Keith Moon school of drumming followed by sultry bassist Annie Holland. Annie, an ex-dancer and rabid Clash fan fitted in perfectly with Elastica's punk stance, all that was left was to find a second guitarist to beef up the sound.

Speedy Gonzales blew in from Cowboy Killer country, Newport in Wales for the non-punks amongst you, and after spending more time talking that playing at the audition won the hearts of the other three members. Yes, utracutie and forthcoming punk pin-up Donna Matthews got the gig and Elastica were born.

A round of reviews in the music press, Best band of the year awards, etc., and sure enough the kids loved it. The debut single, "Strutter" (sic), was followed three months later by "Line Up", Sold out gigs, TV shows and an alarming haircut for Donna beconed (sic). The summer of 94 being spent drunk and disorderly at various festivals across Europe, winning hostile crows over every time. A perfect live set of pop-punk classics hammered out in under forty minutes, just as it should be, if you go over that guidetime then you ain't punk and you might as well give up!

The third single, "Connection", threw the band into the Top Twenty and made them regain the overboard attention they had been trying to play down during the time they took out whilst recording their debut album. But you can't stop an idea whose time has come, and after another Top 20 hit in the spring of 1995 with "Waking Up", the much delayed self-titled debut album hit the streets and shot straight to number one. Every song a punk packed pop classic, it could have easily been issued as a box set of singles.

Elastica create a timeless jukebox of blitzkreig pop, come on, turn it up and join the party.