The shock of seeing Chrissie Hynde fronting a whole new set of Pretenders on the Today Show was quickly overshadowed by the fact that the song they performed, "Love's A Mystery", made me want to drive to the store to buy the new album, "Break Up The Concrete". This excitement for a new Pretenders' release hasn't happened for me since 1994's "The Last Of The Independents" was previewed by "Night In My Veins"*.
This time out, the album is touted as a flirtation with rock-a-billy which is true but the real point is that Chrissie's cut to the chase and returned to the basics that made the first Pretenders album so entertaining. Oh, and they've thrown in some weeping country guitar.
"Love Is A Mystery" tries to tell us that it's harder now for couples to stick together than in the past which is an odd thing to hear from a woman who has more than thirty years of failed relationships behind her. Yet it's probably that history that allows her to toss off a long over-due classic Chrissie lyric like "Lovers of today are becoming too well versed - 'get the feeling you're on the stage, badly unrehearsed" in her typical matter-of-fact fashion, and still sounding as though she already has her eyes on her next potential co-star.
Good show.
*the single for "Night In My Veins" contains one of the best versions of "Angel Of The Morning" that I've ever heard.
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