Chrissie Hynde
Stockholm
(Caroline)
Hard to believe that this is the first solo effort from the Pretenders' singer Chrissie Hynde. Somehow, despite the untimely deaths of several of her bandmates, the Akron native has managed to keep the Pretenders going for nearly 40 years, but she maintains that it's a mistake to think of this as her first solo album since she regularly wrote all the songs on the Pretenders albums. At 62, Hynde doesn't come off as prickly as she once did, though "Down the Wrong Way" has a good edge to it. "You're the One" features orchestral flourishes and could pass for a Roy Orbison song. "Dark Sunglasses," the album's first single, is the catchiest tune on the disc. But it settles for pop conventions and ultimately rings rather hollow. While it's ultimately uneven, the album shows Hynde's distinctive voice is still holding up well — something that can't be said for many of her contemporaries.
