This is so Precious.
That’s the song; that’s the album summed up for me. There is something about the whole package: the snark of the lyrics, Chrissie Hynde’s perfect voice & the music that just fits. This song sums up the attitudes of the times then, and pretty much now.
This was released in 1980 as New Wave was in full swing and Punk was starting to morph a bit. Pretenders was a combination of these styles with a flair for power pop. Chrissie Hynde’s American style mixed with a British band differentiated Pretenders from the crowd.
“Brass in Pocket” got substantial airplay and kickstarted Pretenders’ success. For me, it’s no. 5 behind “Precious”, “Mystery Achievement”, “Stop Your Sobbing” & “Kid”. All in all a pretty fun & powerful debut album that set the stage for an excellent catalogue of work to come.