Critic's Review
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Innuendos and rumours were the only indication that Elastica was still a band during much of the late '90s, until 6 Track EP suddenly materialized in late August 1999. It was released to commemorate the band's comeback festival concerts, but designed not to draw too much attention to itself -- as a six-track EP, it was ineligible for the singles and album charts, thereby removing any commercial expectations placed upon the band. The EP was also a clever way of cleaning house, offering a bunch of odds and ends from rejected album sessions and departed band members. There's two spiky punk songs performed with the Fall's Mark E. Smith, a synth-pop instrumental, a demo of a Donna Matthews ballad, a mid-tempo pop tune and a song that sounds like a cacophonic cousin of "Connection." The most surprising thing about the EP is the utter lack of musical progression between Elastica and 6 Track EP. Every song sounds like an outtake from the debut. Enjoyable, yes, particularly on the fast, noisy songs, but it's hard not to wonder what the hell they were doing for four years. After the initial shock of its very familiarity fades away, the EP is fairly satisfying, since Elastica does this music as well as their idols. That may not excuse the long wait, yet after nearly half a decade, some new music is better than no new music, and it's reassuring to hear that Elastica still delivers, even if they deliver nothing new.
