Taken from their 15th studio album, The Knowledge, Rough Ride is the new single from Squeeze, and it’s Tilbrook and Difford comment on the current state of the British welfare crisis, and features guest performers from the bands home patch of South London, namely Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir and the Thorntree School Choir. A bubbling mix of styles sees the blockheads-ish opening overriden by this operatic vocal. Soon it settles into something more expected – albeit with plenty of choral work and brass, with a hell of a chorus pushing things forward.
It also shows an evolution in Squeeze’s songwriting, with Glenn taking up the lyrical mantle for this particular tune. Chris Difford comments, “As I listen to this now I can’t get over how well the band are sparking, it’s a well-tuned engine at its best. Glenn wrote this one and I’m pleased that he did, it’s something I would have found difficult to convey with such accuracy. Simon plays some wonderful drums on this while Stephen leans to the soul of the song.”
Check out the accompanying video, featuring fellow South Londoner Simon Day, here
