Ridiculous

by Chris WoodstraAfter nearly 20 years of recording, it would be easy to write Squeeze off as spent creative force -- certainly their mosty recent albums have seemed like somewhat forced attempts to recapture the glory days of Cool for Cats, Argybargy, and East Side Story. With Ridiculous, Difford and Tilbrook (the only original members left and still the band's primary songwriters) seem content to have passed the Brit-pop torch on, and, as a result, this effortless album is also one of their most enjoyable in recent years. Ridiculous isn't an embarrassing attempt to rewrite previous hits, but rather, a natural progression executed with a dignified maturity rather than resignation. "This Summer" and "Electric Trains," though not candidates for the top of the charts at this point, certainly rank among their finest singles.