Pretenders

Fifty-seven years haven't worn Chrissie Hynde thin -- she sounds saucier than ever on the Pretenders' first album since being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band's rock is strictly rooted in tradition here via Bo Diddley rhythms, rockabilly romps, bluesy ballads, countrified soul and boot-stomping boogies. Hynde remains the unwavering crux of a line-up in constant flux, and through pedal steel licks and knee-slappin' beats, her no-nonsense attitude ("Rosalee"), poignant poise ("One Thing Never Changed") and street smarts ("Break Up the Concrete") prove to be aging gracefully.