22. HATE FOR SALE by The Pretenders

Couple of things about Chrissie Hynde - her voice sounds essentially as good today as it did when she first started the Pretenders; second - she basically is the Pretenders (and it’s really been that way for many years). But, there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s always been the life force behind the band even when they had permanent members for their first couple of albums. This 2020 record is their eleventh in 40 years of existence. Though their first 3 albums are considered their best, I found their 1994 album, ‘Last of the Independents,’ to be one of my favorites. And, now, ‘Hate for Sale’ is my favorite since then. From the punk opening of the title track and the ‘Kid’-like vibes of ‘The Buzz’ to the reggae of ‘Lightning Man’ and the Bo Diddley-ness of ‘Didn’t Want to be this Lonely,’ there’s something for everyone here. Oh, and just try to get the earworm that is ‘Junkie Walk’ out of your head.