.Pretenders

Break Up the Concrete

A band in name only, the Pretenders are an alter-ego for a
dictatorial singer-songwriter whose drummer happens to be along for the
ride. I understand the need for self-preservation, with Chrissie Hynde
ostensibly selling more tickets/recordings under a band name versus
flying solo. Thankfully, she’s kept the quality at a high level, even
if we’ve had to suffer through cringe-inducing moments like “I’ll Stand
By You.”

The band’s ninth album goes down a rootsy path with more than a few
country music-like flourishes thanks to contributions by Pernice
Brother James Walbourne and ex-Son Volt pedal-steel player Eric
Heywood. Marketers nervous that the genre might scare away the
Pretenders’ graying alt-music fanbase insisted on affixing a rockabilly
tag to the proceedings. There is truth to that assertion given that the
title cut shares similar Bo Diddley-kissed DNA with Link Wray and
Robert Gordon, and leadoff single “Boots of Chinese Plastic” is powered
by chunky Sun Records guitar riffs. But Hynde does end up doing her
share of lap-steel soaked pleading in both “Don’t Lose Faith in Me” and
“Love’s a Mystery.”

For sure, Hynde does partake in a bit of self-indulgence. Lines like
I love you/Vira lotta, very donkey/Don’t ever change that pop up
amid the meandering etherealness of “Almost Perfect” induce quite a bit
of head-scratching. But in the end, Break Up the Concrete is a
fine showcase of Hynde’s ability to channel her love of roots rock
while breaking in a new crew of sidemen. (Shangri-La Music)

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