155 - The Pretenders - (eponymous)

[csberry]

Very energetic blend of rock, punk, pop, 60's Girl bands, early Beatles pop balladry, and reggae. I have the band's greatest hits collection from a couple dozen years ago that gets pulled out sporadically and mostly as background music. I dunno if it is a matter of focus when listening to the greatest hits, but The Pretenders surprised me with how diverse the songs were.

“The Phone Call” reminds me a lot of bands such as The Breeders with slightly fuzzy, jangly guitars. Chrissie coos, croons, groan, growls, squeals, and snarls – sometimes throwing in all of those in one song. “Tattooed Love Boys” combines punk start-stop-start guitar chugging with rock lead guitar flourishes. The rhythm section on “Space Invader” reminds me a lot of KISS, but is juxtaposed with New Wave guitar runs.

This album is on my Buy list now.

Songs I Knew I Liked: “Brass in Pocket”

Songs I Now Like: “The Phone Call,” “Kid,” and “Lovers of Today”

Songs I Don't Want to Ever Hear Again: None