Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Heavyweight vinyl is always that much more satisfying to hold, so hats off to Au Pairs and their team for issuing their classic first album in this sought-after format. Musically, Au Pairs were at their most overtly post-punk here, with funky rhythms and scratchy Gang Of Four-esque guitar stylings. 'We're So Cool' sounds like the best that moments of Hanover underground group 39 Clocks; 'Repetition' sounds like it could have influenced Goat Girl's first moves as a band signed to Rough Trade; while 'Come Again' is up there with anything by The Slits, and 'Love Song' is reminiscent of Entertainment!-era Gang Of Four. The most striking cut here, however, is 'Headache For Michelle', which sits beautifully in the middle of the album and offers a bit of respite from the generally high-octane rhythms. It's a dreamy cut, seemingly about drugs and government overreach. The following stinging, bitter lines, delivered with so much heart, bring this epic number from a cracking album to a beautiful close: "They are closing down - communications / They're taking control - of our situations."