Music review: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 鈥� 鈥楿nvarnished鈥�
It鈥檚 time to put another dime in the jukebox. Joan Jett鈥檚 first new studio album since 2006鈥檚 鈥淪inner鈥� is a stimulating confluence of brash garage rock and stylish glam musings.
The 55-year-old singer delivers her most personal material by trading in her normal song themes of rebellious fun for introspective examinations of love, life and mortality.
The Philadelphia native has always made it known she loves rock 鈥榥鈥� roll and 鈥淯nvarnished鈥� continues the sexy siren鈥檚 tradition of classic three-chord guitar riffs, participatory choruses and infectious handclaps. 鈥淎ny Weather鈥� opens the album with Dave Grohl on drums as Jett鈥檚 tough-girl vocals spar with her signature, crunchy guitar licks. 鈥淭MI鈥� possesses traces of Gary Glitter鈥檚 British Glam while 鈥淪oulmates to Strangers鈥� is a retro-sounding relationship-gone-band tune.
鈥淗ard to Grow Up鈥� and 鈥淔ragile鈥� find Jett pondering the vulnerability and uncertainty of life and love as one gets older.
鈥淪ince I鈥檓 no good for you and you鈥檙e no good for me/Let鈥檚 be as bad as we can be,鈥� sings Jett on the rousing 鈥淏ad as We Can Be.鈥�
Once a band girl, always a bad girl I guess.
Jett does reveal a softer side on the tender ballad 鈥淓veryone Needs a Hero,鈥� complete with strings, oboe and English horn.
I fondly remember being smitten with the female rocker after hearing 1981鈥檚 鈥淏ad Reputation鈥� debut release. The album featured 鈥淒o Ya Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah),鈥� 鈥淵ou Don鈥檛 Own Me,鈥� featuring the Sex Pistols鈥� Steve Jones and Paul Cook and grungy cover of Eddie Cochran鈥檚 鈥淪ummertime Blues.鈥�
The title track remains my favorite Jett song. Jett鈥檚 solo work was pure, straight-up rock 鈥榥鈥� roll fueled by songs like 鈥淚 Love Rock 鈥榥鈥� Roll,鈥� 鈥淟ight of Day,鈥� 鈥淟ove is All Around鈥� and 鈥淐rimson and Clover.鈥�
The latest material is a return-to-form release for Jett, who continues to leave a mark long after bursting on the scene as a member of the Runaways along with Lita Ford and Cherie Currie.
It is well worth it to find the Special Extended Version of 鈥淯nvarnished,鈥� featuring live versions of 鈥淏ad Reputation,鈥� 鈥淐herry Bomb,鈥� 鈥淭MI鈥� and 鈥淚 Hate Myself for Loving You.鈥�