The just-released record is being hailed as one of the band’s best in recent years and marks a bit of a musical departure for the straight-ahead rockers. “This album is more upbeat and I would describe it as ‘easy listening,'” frontwoman Chrissie Hynde said. “It’s not an album that drags you into the psyche of the singer or demands very much. Or at least I don’t think it does.”

Along with a new, more laid-back feeling, the album incorporates dub, dance, and reggae sounds – a first for the established rockers.

Aside from a stack of Rolling Stones support dates this past September, the last time The Pretenders toured North America was back in 2000. The tour coincided with the band’s 1999 album, Viva el Amor. Since then, they’ve mainly kept to U.K. and European stages.