Squeeze

August 1 - 8, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

***1/2 Squeeze

RIDICULOUS

(IRS)
What the hell do Squeeze have to do to get people's attention nowadays? Writing good songs doesn't work, since they've been doing that for years. Recapturing the feel of their early stuff didn't work either -- they did that on 1993's overlooked Some Fantastic Place. And linking up with hot young acts hasn't helped; Squeeze got endorsed by Blur last year and covered one of their songs on an import single, yet hardly anyone noticed.
So here's another real good Squeeze album that nobody seems to care about (the demise of IRS doesn't help). The songs are great, the harmonies are stellar, and the band generally sound fine, even if the line-up now boils down to singers/writers Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook with hired help. The songs are some of the least humorous and most blatantly grown-up Difford/Tilbrook have written. "Electric Trains" is autobiographical; "I Want You" is a first-rate soul ballad; "Walk Away" is an ambitious failed-romance song with the best lead vocal Tilbrook's ever cut. Throw in a cheerful seasonal single in the "Pulling Mussels" vein ("This Summer") and a couple of Difford's endearingly croaky vocal turns and Squeeze's status as pop's most underrated vets remains secure.
-- Brett Milano