Since
Packed!
(at least), each new record from
the Pretenders
has been hailed as
Chrissie Hynde
's return to form (praise that was thrown at
Learning to Crawl
, by the way), and it's hard not to resist to say the same of
Viva el Amor!
, the seventh studio album from
. So, we won't say that, even though it may be true. At the very least,
is a very appealing, focused album from
Hynde
and
Martin Chambers
, their most consistent album in years. It's not just that the songs are uniformly good (
's writing is sharp again, without seeming bitter or jaded), it's that the record sounds excellent -- a clean, uncluttered production that enhances the muscular performances. For the first time since
Get Close
, there is a minimum of sentiment -- the ballads are never saccharine, even when the melody is lovely -- and
resists her temptation for exaggerated metaphors or embarrassing phrases (even if her continuing fascination with bikers is puzzling).
never provides a knock-out punch, even on the level of
"Night in My Veins,"
but it never lags in momentum, as many
Pretenders
records do.
sounds committed and convincing on each song, turning the album into one of the group's strongest. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine