Despite the awful album art (the back cover showcases the band all wearing nothing but black briefs in some sort of dated effort to raise shock value, but much like similar Prince covers, it just seems ridiculous today), I call this a successful debut for new wave/power-pop band Squeeze. I own a handful of Squeeze records, and rather enjoy their third album Argybargy. Although they fail to reach the pop bliss of singles like "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" here, they show their potential and signs of what was to come later. Squeeze has a nervous energy unique to early new wave and combine a gift for pop hooks with almost-punk sensibilities. One odd thing about this album was that it was produced by John Cale of the Velvet Underground, who at least according to allmusic.com, pushed the band in an uncomfortable direction, resulting in an inauspicious debut. But while I wouldn't argue that they got better (and more diverse), I find that their debut is still a worthy chapter in the Squeeze story.
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