Squeeze Revels in Complexities, Even Without Lyricist Difford

Uncertainty continues to dog Squeeze.

The veteran Brit-popsters have gone through numerous label and personnel shake-ups since forming in 1975. The band has three new members and it boasts multiple album releases in England (its most recent titled “Domino”), but the quintet currently has no U.S. distributor.

Then more bad news: Only four band members began their new U.S. tour. Among the missing: Chris Difford, Squeeze’s froggy-voiced lyricist and rhythm guitarist.

At Wednesday’s show at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, singer-guitarist Glenn Tilbrook told the audience that Difford “has checked himself into a clinic, and when he checks out, we’re hoping he’ll join us.”

Despite it all, Squeeze put on an impressive performance for an enthusiastic packed house.

What puts Squeeze in the select company of the Kinks, Crowded House and Elvis Costello is Difford and Tilbrook’s remarkable song-craft. Catchy melodies, spot-on harmonies and mature perspectives on romantic entanglements are trademarks of the Squeeze canon, and the band eased back from its turbocharged attack numerous times to showcase its more complex virtues.

Still, the concert suffered without Difford. Musically, Tilbrook’s sweet tenor and Difford’s hoarse voice blend exceptionally. What this show needed even more was their playful banter.

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* Squeeze plays tonight at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 8 p.m. $29.50-$31.50. (949) 496-8930.