(October 2024) Episode 606 is SUEDE (sometimes known in the U.S. as LONDON SUEDE) and ELASTICA. Suede is listed among the “Big Four” of Britpop, and are credited with being the first, but I never knew them. And I learned there’s a reason for that; they took their sound in a different direction and lacked the hooks, snarl, melodicism or cheekiness of Oasis, Blur and Pulp. I find Brett Anderson’s singing pretentious and their music boring. But the real reason I did this episode was to have an excuse to review Elastica (not enough albums to qualify on their own). The connection* is that Justine Frischmann was Suede’s first guitarist. I love “Connection” (hand claps!) and the rest of their stuff is hooky and catchy.
* You see what I did there.
Favourite Suede album: Suede
Favourite Elastica album: Elastica
Favourite Suede song: We Are the Pigs
Favourite Elastica song: Connection
Compared to expectations: Suede ↓, Elastica same
Recommendation: Skip Suede, listen to Elastica’s first album
Opus Project 