Yay for The Pretenders! This is their second album, as you can tell from the title, but they’ve found a good sound, a great groove and it’s instantly recognisable as Pretenders - even if that first track is a bit weird. But as a whole, it’s a brilliant listen, with Chrissie Hynde’s incredible voice and unique energy.

I sort of assumed Kim Wilde was a one hit wonder, Kids in America being a pop anthem but what else? Turns out she’s had a few albums but this was the first. If you like Kids in America, you’ll like the rest of the album because it’s all pretty much the same. It’s good pop but it really does all sound like riffs on the one successful song. There’s a bit of reggae thrown in for good measure, but mostly, it’s much of a muchness.

I really liked the first OMD album I listened to, unfortunately this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations but it wasn’t too bad. There was one song I didn’t like, another of those that feels a bit too much like Ross playing with his sound effect packs, but then it was made up by Joan of Arc and the Maid of Orleans. Not sure this is one I’ll revisit a lot but it was fun to listen to.

I really thought this was going to be a lot more out there than it was, given the general presentation of Adam and his Ants. It was pretty good, really, a fully 80s pop-rock album, more pop than rock if you ask me, and actually with some good messages. Ridicule is nothing to be scared of, you know?

Only knew one song from the album. It was a heck of a lot darker and more experimental than I’d expected. Moody, full of saxophones and that bluesy sound. Good though.