It’s now 40 years since Chrissie Hynde arrived, brandishing her unique blend of no-shit attitude, rare sensitivity and classic-pop suss, bolstered by lyrical eloquence and that unmistakable voice.
Following 2016’s Alone and produced by Stephen Street, the eleventh Pretenders album (10 tracks running to 30 minutes) is Hynde’s first with her long-time touring band, including original drummer Martin Chambers and guitarist/songwriting partner James Walbourne.
Hynde’s fire is undimmed as she tackles love’s drug-like addiction (single The Buzz), tears up a roughshod storm on the rockers (Turf Accountant Daddy, I Didn’t Know When To Stop) and delves into surf-guitar reggae on Lightning Man.
The drug-related deaths of original Pretenders James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon still hang heavy, rearing in the stark blast of Junkie Walk, but are countered effectively by the heart-melting ballads she’s turned into her art-form, You Can’t Hurt A Fool and Crying In Public up there with her best.
