Unvarnished

Joan Jett’s first album in seven years comes after the bio-pic The Runaways—with Kristen Stewart playing Jett—reminded everyone that she was the one member of The Runaways who kept playing catchy old-school rock ‘n’ roll long after Lita Ford went metal and the others went their different ways. After the extra excitement of the Dave Grohl collaboration “Any Weather (606 Version),” she settles into a conversational set of tunes that seem to speak to her longtime fans with a knowing wink. She still writes many of her songs with longtime collaborator Kenny Laguna. And her longtime bandmates—guitarist Dougie Needles and drummer Thommy Price—ensure that the album has a close-knit and tight sound. Plenty of classic rock and ‘60s pop moves are tied to the pathos of the heartbreaking “Soulmates to Strangers,” “Make It Back” (with a clever piano cameo), and the truthful “Hard to Grow Up.” The deluxe edition includes four bonus tracks, including The Blackhearts’ version of “Any Weather,” the demo version of “Different,” and the potential prom ballad “Everybody Needs a Hero,” complete with strings.