I’ll admit it. I figured that this would be your typical Dad Rock Tuesday post. I was expecting to once again fumble through 250 or so words about why old music just doesn’t speak to me or something. Squeeze’s East Side Story is a little too good for that nonsense, though.
The weirdest thing about this album is that, off the top of my head, I can name quite a few modern bands that appear to be influenced by these guys. This record’s usual carefree and upbeat sound reminds me a bit of the jittery treble guitars of Vampire Weekend. Front man Glenn Tilbrook, strangely enough, sounds a bit like Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, especially in Someone Else’s Heart. Both MGMT and Muse are called to mind as well on the synth-filled extra-new-wavy tracks.
I’m especially surprised by all of this because Squeeze isn’t usually thought of as an extremely influential band. They’re mainly known for their radio-friendly hits from the ’80s. Speaking of which, about Tempted…I guess I never really sat down and listened to it before. It’s not a bad song.
Now, I’m not one of those guys who hates everything that’s on the radio (I’d say it’s probably around 85% hate), but when I made the Squeeze/Tempted connection, that’s when I first figured that this would be another crappy DRT record. I’m always glad to be proven wrong.
One final point: this band is versatile! From synth-pop to standard rock, Squeeze covers all of the radio-ready bases. This all makes for a record that never gets boring, but somehow remains cohesive. Now, I just need to get over that awful album art.
Swole Ear 