by
Rob Jones
The new Squeeze album entitled ‘The Knowledge’ is out now
On Love Records via ADA Warner
After ‘Innocence is Paradise’, the second single from the new LP is ‘Patchouli’ and it is also on release…………
Very much part of the fabric of South London, their hometown heritage flows through the album – Greenwich’s own Maryon Wilson Park is name-checked in the chorus of the softly shuffling ‘Patchouli’ in which “folk hues abound” (Uncut).
“The Knowledge is again enriched with songs relating to Difford and Tilbrook’s old stamping grounds”
★★★★ – Record Collector
Chris Difford was “inspired by watching Glenn’s Instagram pictures of him walking his dogs in Maryon Wilson Park,” stating he “imagined two people reuniting there somewhere in the background. It’s The Yardbirds, it’s the Troggs but most of all it’s Squeeze.”
Patchouli combines the rolling electric guitar of Glenn with other unique instrumentation and arrangements. Mojo picks out “musical touches such as Stephen Large’s baroque harpsichord solo” as something that “[cements] the sense of an act that know exactly how to proceed”. On their 14th album, Squeeze have perfected the art of moving forward musically whilst keeping a firm eye on the rear mirror.
Speaking about the record Glenn says “It is such a pleasure to say that in 2017 we have delivered our best ever record.” Chris recently observed “playing back the album I can feel the love we still have as songwriters, and for each other. It’s been some journey, and I hope it goes on for many years to come.”
Produced by Glenn, Andrew Jones and Laurie Latham, ‘The Knowledge’ was recorded at 45 RPM Studios in Charlton, and finds Glenn and Chris once again in the company of drummer Simon Hanson and keyboard wizard Stephen Large, plus a couple of new faces; Yolanda Charles on bass and Steve Smith on percussion.
Mojo ★★★★ “Squeeze brim with a relaxed confidence here”
Uncut 7/10 “an endlessly pleasing melting pot”
‘The Knowledge’ tracklisting:
|
1. Innocence In Paradise 2. Patchouli 3. A&E 4. Every Story 5. A Rough Ride 6. Departure Lounge |
7. Final Score 8. Please Be Upstanding 9. The Ones 10. Albatross 11. Elmers End 12. Two Forks |
After their resurgence in 2015 with UK Top 20 and critically acclaimed album Cradle To The Grave, the first Squeeze album of new songs since 1998, Squeeze went on to play the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2016, solidifying themselves as one of the UK’s best live acts. The Guardian said their performance “[went] down a storm… Squeeze’s success is a pretty infectious thing” and Acoustic magazine concluded that “they don’t have the bombastic hype of headliners Coldplay, but they have the songcraft and lyrical majesty to leave the headliners in the dust which they duly did.”
Squeeze first formed in 1973, shortly after Chris and Glenn had begun their songwriting partnership, brought together by an ad in a sweetshop window. By 1977 they had made their recording debut and enjoyed a string of hits which lasted until 1982, the maturity of their songs outliving their initial burst of chart activity on the back of New Wave. Over the years there have been solo careers and occasional separations, but the Ivor Novello Award-winning duo reunited ten years ago to relaunch Squeeze and have been touring, writing and recording together since.
