With her blunt fringe, heavy eyeliner and no-nonsense vocals, Hynde was a quintessential rocker fronting the Pretenders. The mother of two daughters—with the Kinks’ Ray Davies and Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr—went on to renown as a staunch vegetarian and animal-rights activist. Now 62, Hynde is back with rock attitude, especially on the feisty “Down the Wrong Way,” featuring Neil Young on guitar. Surprisingly, tennis great John McEnroe also provides guitar on another track. “I wanted to make a power pop album you could dance to—ABBA meets John Lennon,” says Hynde. With infectious songs like “You or No One,” the former great Pretender succeeds beautifully.
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