Labelled With Like: "Trixies," A Good, Not Great Squeeze Album

 

I have listened to "Trixies," the new old record from Squeeze, four times, giving it an old school spin on the last go around, holding the inner sleeve with the lyrics, and reading along like the grand old days. My feeling on all four spins has not changed. It's a good record. It's not great.

"Trixies," without an apostrophe, is a concept album written by Difford & Tilbrook when they were teenagers, I believe three or four years before Squeeze's debut. To my ears, it's the least Squeeze sounding album in the catalogue and I can't decide if that's due to the material pre-dating when they became a band or due to the legendary duo getting older.

One problem for me and what makes "Trixies" good and not great, is Side Two. After a strong start, the record seems to fizzle out, especially with the three songs that close the record. "The Jaguars" is a simple nothing of a rock and roll song. The title track, in two parts, has little going for it. The song right before that trifecta, is a song written solely by Chris Difford called "It's Over," which is a lovely bit of music that sounds more like Richard Hawley than Squeeze. Reading along and following the "story," the record should have ended bigger. Though, maybe Chris and Glenn thought it did.

Most of my pleasure came from Side One which has the type of melodies and wordplay that made me love this band in the first place, though there is one bright spot on Side Two, a song called "Why Don't You." the one track that is most reminiscent of the band in their prime. 

A friend was telling me that he heard Glenn Tilbrook mention on a podcast that this might be the last Squeeze record. There had been a new record already in the works while finishing up the "Trixies" project, but as Tilbrook explained, people don't care or buy new music anymore, so why bother completing the project. I hope he changes his mind. The last two Squeeze records "Cradle To The Grave" and "The Knowledge" were both excellent, and going out with "Trixies," without an apostrophe, just ain't fittin'.