There was a time when the Pretenders appeared blurred beside the string of remarkable records they released between the late seventies and early eighties. They seemed almost destined for the mainstream ballad spotlight with a track like I’ll Stand by You released in 1994. Yet the ballad becomes a vehicle for Chrissie Hynde to present a more authentic voice on Relentless, the twelfth studio effort by a band that once defined British new wave. By this point, the core group had shifted. Original drummer Martin Chambers, a fixture through much of the band’s evolution, is barely present on the album, and his exact role remains uncertain. What stands out is Hynde’s continued growth in collaboration with guitarist James Walbourne, with whom she co-wrote twelve songs, continuing a pattern she began on Hate for Sale. The material demonstrates how a rock artist can mature into the seventies without losing the edge that made them influential in the first place.
The opening track, Losing My Taste Sensation, carries a wry warning to listeners while signaling a return to bold rock textures and fiery guitar work. It sets the stage for a record that refuses to be reduced to a single formula. As the album unfolds, a cluster of standout songs emerges, including Let the Sun Come and Vainglorious. Vainglorious, in particular, feels like a thoughtful echo of earlier, more expansive ambitions, yet Hynde keeps the focus from drifting exclusively toward grandiose tones. Instead, the album settles into a balanced pattern of mid-tempo beats and intimate, introspective moments.
Ballads on Relentless avoid showiness or self-indulgence. Hynde’s voice carries warmth without slipping into cliché, and the arrangements favor subtlety over ostentation. Domestic Silence sits under lush keyboard textures, The Copa carries a soft Latin cadence, and Look Away weaves a delicate tapestry of acoustic guitars that invites close listening. The overall mood remains reflective, even when the tempo picks up occasionally, never losing sight of the album’s core human themes.
A very happy widow
The title and tone of The Merry Widow present a striking mood shift, presenting a candid reflection on separation and resilience. The line about feeling divorced yet surprisingly content lands as a bold statement of independence. The closing track, I Think of You Every Day, features orchestration that adds a melancholic lift without overwhelming the instrumental texture. The strings provide a lush counterpoint to the album’s restrained rock arrangements, enriched by the production choices of David Wrench. His work threads together the raw edge of Hynde’s voice with a modern polish that keeps the music accessible while still feeling new.
Across Relentless, Hynde remains a sharp artist who draws on the past while embracing a present that bears the marks of past battles and the need for honest expression. The artwork, depicting a boy with an eyepatch and boxing gloves, reinforces the sense of struggle turned into strength. The collection as a whole presents Hynde not as a relic clinging to nostalgic sounds but as a creator who blends intimate storytelling with a willingness to experiment. The result is a record that acknowledges history while charting a clear path forward, proving that a veteran artist can stay vital without clinging to old formulas.