Chrissie Hynde
Stockholm
(self-released)

A chunkin’ beat, floaty electric guitar, and strings allow that distinctive voice of Chrissie Hynde to deliver on the big single, “You Or No One,” the opener of her new (and first ever) solo album, Stockholm. “Like In the Movies” is another mid-tempo mover (I like how Hynde weaves acoustic guitar throughout most of the tunes here) with a solid, singable chorus and “Down the Wrong Way” is informed by Neil Young’s rangy electric guitar rhythm, overdriven lead and some very cool lyrics.

There are lots of neato guitar sounds on this record and on “A Plan Too Far,” there is some wild, loud, loose electric mixed way back – very cool stuff indeed. Hynde gets all Aimee Mann-breathy over some tight swaggering drumming in the studied and slinky “In a Miracle,” one of the better here.

The drums and gated electric create a cool roil under a slightly cutie vocal by Hynde on “House of Cards,” and the clinky toy piano and whistle make “Tourniquet (Cynthia Anne)” the most interesting sounding tune here, though it doesn’t amount to very much in the end. “Adding the Blue” is a great song though, a wonderful ender, with a sweet melody, solid backing vocals, well-placed strings and Hynde delivering her most expressive vocal of the whole eleven.

Sure, maybe the leader of the Pretenders is not breaking any true new ground here, but Stockholm is a well-written, perfectly-executed album from this woman of honest voice and grand rockin’ ‘tude?