August 16, 2009

Mod-A-Day: Squire

During the mod revival of the late 70s there were dozens and dozens of so-called mod bands that were little more than punks in suits. The music was fast, infused with some sixties pop overtones, but truly more power than pop. Then there was Squire. A power pop trio that eschewed the power more for the pop. And did they ever pop. Squire's sound, led by front man Anthony Meynell, was one of the most true to the sixties pop of the Zombies, Turtles, and Hollies, lyrical yet with a driving force that made each song a veritable dance floor shaker. Starting in 1978 the band released a handful of singles that moved them more and more towards a pure sixties pop sound and away from the punkified power pop that was so dominant in the mod revival. By the time their first true album arrived Meynell had directed the sound more towards the Beatles with tinges of psychadelia, and creating a raft of wonderful pop songs that stand the test of time nearly as good as those that influenced them. Here's a couple of Squire's classics, "Debbie Jones" and "Every Trick in the Book of Love".


Squire -- Debbie Jones



Squire -- Every Trick in the Book of Love