A Pleasant Surprise From Chrissie Hynde
THE PRETENDERS: BREAK UP THE CONCRETE (SHANGRI-LA) ***
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Published: November 20, 2008
New Pretenders' albums are few and mostly far between; this is the ninth one in almost 30 years. Sadly, that scarcity of product hasn't translated to quality.
Chrissie Hynde and whoever she's calling the Pretenders in any given year haven't put out a consistent album since 1984's "Learning to Crawl." Mostly forgettable collections such as 1990's "Packed!" and 1999's "Viva el Amor!" (the exclamation points - they lie!) have been mercifully lost in the shuffle.
"Break Up the Concrete," then, is that most pleasant of surprises - a solid album from a performer who seemed destined to ride out the rest of her performing years underperforming.
It's a mostly modest affair, productionwise, with a live-in-the-studio ambience, evidenced by Hynde's off-the-cuff sounding vocals and asides. She even audibly clears her throat during an instrumental in "Almost Perfect."
Hynde's punk past is apparent in her attitude and aggressive wordplay, although the music draws more heavily from rockabilly and country. It's a good fit for Hynde: Listen to the way her voice and Eric Heywood's pedal steel guitar twine together on "Love's a Mystery."
Hynde and Co. also essay '50s R&B ("Don't Lose Faith in Me"), blues ("Rosalee") and '60s English pop ("Almost Perfect," "The Nothing Maker" "You Didn't Have To"). There's a consistency to the approaches that make the shifts subtle, not jarring.
Lyrically, Hynde has shed her tendency toward cheap shots and cliches that so marred her '90s work. Instead, she makes her points with sharp humor ("Boots of Chinese Plastic"), jaded wisdom ("Almost Perfect") and compassion ("The Nothing Maker").
Download this: "Love's a Mystery"
