Chrissie Hynde – Stockholm

Best known as the lead singer of The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde has spent almost four decades in the music industry and is somewhat of a new wave icon, having topped the charts with covers of I Got You Babe with UB40 and Love Can Build a Bridge with Eric Clapton. As big fans of The Pretenders, we couldn’t wait to hear Hynde’s solo efforts for her latest album Stockholm – the singer’s first record without her former band’s name on the front cover.

Chrissie’s silky smooth vocals are immediately recognisable and it’s apparent that her style which we so adore has remained unaltered since her days with The Pretenders. The energetic lead single Dark Sunglasses is packed with sarcasm as Hynde sings of a man who trades in everything of real importance for wealth and status – a “kind of glamour” she rejects as a true rock-n-roll kid. Guest musician Neil Young plays a gritty lead guitar riff on Down the Wrong Way that really brings the album to life and Peter Bjorn’s production on the album is consistently brilliant. 

While it’s no comparison to The Pretenders’ early hits Brass in Pocket, Don’t Get Me Wrong and Back on the Chain Gang, Stockholm serves as a great reminder of Hynde’s talents. Dark Sunglasses is the clear winner on this album.

Gemma Whitfield

Stockholm was released on 9^th June 2014. For further information or to order the album visit Chrissie Hynde’s website here.

Watch the video for Dark Sunglasses here: