Squeeze finally had a big hit with 1987's
Babylon and On but its 1989 follow-up,
Frank, was its better, a superior showcase of their strengths as a band and
Chris Difford and
Glenn Tilbrook as songwriters. Despite the success of
Babylon and in particular its punchy hit single, "Hourglass,"
Squeeze decided to scale back the sound of
Frank, moving away from the glassy, cavernous
Babylon -- a production immediately evocative of its times -- in favor of a relatively unadorned, clean sound, one that highlights the crispness of
Difford and
Tilbrook's songs and
Squeeze's interplay. Both are crucial to the success of
Frank, feeding off of each other in a way that none of their previous records quite showcased. Early peaks like
Argybargy and
East Side Story had depth and energy, but
Frank has a quiet, lived-in confidence, never drawing attention to
Tilbrook's melodicism,
Difford's sharp lyrics, or the group's warm, sympathetic interaction, particularly the easy-rolling keyboards of
Jools Holland.
Jools departed after
Frank, so it's appropriate that he's given a sendoff in the form of his original New Orleans jump blues "Dr. Jazz," a friendly, rollicking rocker that fits in nicely with
Difford and
Tilbrook's pop, which never strays far afield from their signatures, whether it's the bright, effervescent "If It's Love," the sly bid for feminine sympathy "She Doesn't Have to Shave," the tongue-in-cheek shuffle "Slaughtered, Gutted and Heartbroken," or the cheerful country two-step "Melody Motel." The songs may be recognizably within the duo's comfort zone but they're pushing just beyond it, notably on the intricately structured "Peyton Place" -- whose instrumental bridge is another fine spotlight for
Jools -- and the cascading "Love Circles." Even these songs feel relaxed in a way
Babylon and On never did -- indeed, it's remarkable that
Squeeze aren't shooting for another big hit just after "Hourglass" -- and that's what makes
Frank so quietly enjoyable: it's a modest record with
Squeeze doing what they do best, which is plenty good indeed. [Universal U.K.'s 2008 reissue of
Frank is expanded by eight tracks: the sprightly rockabilly "Red Light" and the
Jools Holland boogie-woogie instrumental showcase "Frank's Bag," both B-sides; two previously unreleased songs, the slow blues "Good Times Bring Me Down" and gentle rocker "Any Other Day"; "Who's That," a piano demo released as a B-side of "Love Circles";
Glenn Tilbrook's demo of "If I'm Dead"; and acoustic versions of "She Doesn't Have to Shave" and "Melody Motel."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine