The '81 Demos

From the subtly seductive opening song, “Drumbeat,” it’s obvious that Weekend's cosmopolitan sounds suited Alison Stratton’s voice a bit better than the quirky songs from her previous group, Young Marble Giants. Where the latter was a short-lived influential trio specializing in austere post-punk, Weekend flirted with jazzier arrangements that sound better tailored to Stratton’s floating inflections. The nine-minute “Red Planes” is an elegant composition with minimal drum machine, chiming guitars, and tastefully arranged strings. Stratton’s plaintive vocals come in a third of the way, and it’s easy to see how Weekend went on to inspire Everything but the Girl’s '80s recordings. The following “Nostalgia” is just as hypnotic, especially with gossamer guitar ambiance droning in the background. Without treading anywhere near goth topographies, this particular song plays like a close cousin of Cocteau Twins had Robin Guthrie’s guitar playing exercised more restraint. Stratton bows out on the closing “Summerdays Inst.,” where her band jams with a “less is more” ethos.