The Pretenders’ New Album ‘Relentless’ Is Out Now
The Pretenders’ eagerly anticipated new studio album, Relentless, is out now via Rhino Records on standard black vinyl, limited edition baby pink vinyl, CD, and digital download.
Produced by multiple Grammy Award-nominee David Wrench (Courtney Barnett, David Byrne) at Battery Studios in Willesden, North West London, Relentless marks the second consecutive full-length songwriting collaboration by founder Chrissie Hynde and Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne following 2020’s acclaimed Hate For Sale.
Buy Relentless here.
The album – which marks the band’s return to Warner Music Group after more than two decades having first been signed to Sire Records in America by the legendary Seymour Stein – includes the energized opening track, Losing My Sense Of Taste, which you can check out below.
“That song was more a take on the whole lockdown experience,” says Chrissie Hynde. “It is called Losing My Sense Of Taste, though, as a matter of fact, I never lost mine during the Covid period. But it did kick off the idea for the song – losing my sense of taste, my sense of smell, and sometimes the whole culture just seems tired. Not now of course, because there’s a new Pretenders album out.”
Relentless has quickly been met by critical praise around the world, with MOJO hailing its “persistently brilliant songwriting…surely how Chrissie Hynde always wanted The Pretenders to sound.” “The new prime of Chrissie Hynde,” declared Uncut while Record Collector affirmed the collection in a five-star rave as quite simply “the best Pretenders album in 20 years.” The Associated Press said, “The sparse arrangement on many of these tracks allows Hynde’s voice to fill the spaces, and she uses it to maximum effect.”
Relentless includes such recently released singles as A Love, joined by an official visualizer featuring exclusive footage of the legendary band’s recent live run at small UK clubs streaming via YouTube. Further highlights include Let The Sun Come In and the beautiful closing track, I Think About You Daily, the latter featuring composer Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead, The Smile), who provides the string arrangement and conducted the 12 Ensemble for the recording.
Buy Relentless here.