Hmm… Four years have passed and all we get is a shoddily put together EP with barely a recognizable utterance from Justine Frischmann? The two duets with Mark E. Smith are pretty cool if not mostly b-side material, but this is hardly a triumphant return to form. Justine obviously still listens to Wire. I guess that’s a good sign. The new ‘proper’ album is slated for release in the spring after countless pushbacks. Elastica is on the verge of becoming the Stone Roses. Granted, the band has undergone some weird troubles along the way. Founding member Donna Matthews left the band, citing a personality conflict with her co-songwriter Justine Frischmann, and original bassist Annie Holland has returned to the fold after abruptly quitting in the middle of a tour in support of the debut LP. Other members have been added, and then there’s Justine’s alleged heroin problem…

This EP came out to coincide with a few recent festival appearances by Elastica in England to tide fans over until the new record. It gets by- just barely. “How He Wrote Elastica Man” is an angular “duet” with Mark E. Smith from The Fall. Smith warbles in his patented slur while the band hammers out a pretty up beat, proto-punk riff. Donna Matthews appears on the EP with a solo home recording despite her having left the band. “Nothing Stays The Same” is a bittersweet ballad of sorts played to a simple drum machine. Matthews sounds sincere, lovely even. It’s the closest Elastica has ever come to revealing any emotion underneath the cool. “Miami Nice” is a pretty dark instrumental that shows a bit of a New Order influence with its icy keyboards and distant tone. “Operate” is the first taste of Justine actually singing. It sounds like Elastica, so that’s good. Man, I hope they try a little harder on the new record…