Womad

Squeeze

Witty, wondrous pop in the English tradition

Nostalgia may give those years something of a hair-sprayed shine, but the late '70s and early '80s pop charts weren't exactly filled with groups that stand the test of time. Squeeze are one of the few exceptions, their un-aged pop sounding every bit as good now as it did back in the days of hits like Take Me I'm Yours, Tempted, Black Coffee In Bed, Another Nail In My Heart and Pulling Mussels (From The Shell). With the influence of The Beatles and, perhaps more so, The Kinks writ large, the songwriting duo of Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford crafted timeless songs with infectious hooks, witty lyrics and a knowingly parochial eye for the idiosyncrasies of everyday British life. Their amiable charm belied their ability to create some of the finest pop of the era, even if the group's history would be subject to plentiful line-up changes. Recently reunited for the live album Five Live, it seems that Squeeze are re-energised once more.

Biog by Rob Williams