After losing guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon to drug-related deaths, a sobered Pretenders returned to the spotlight with Learning to Crawl. Chrissie Hynde turned her distinctive contralto to sentimental songs, both romantic and reflective, that retained her trademark, clear-eyed bravado. Poignant singles like the shimmering love song "Show Me" and the rueful "Back on the Chain Gang" meshed perfectly with attitude-driven rockers "Middle of the Road" and "My City Was Gone".