Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Unvarnished
Reviewed by: Jane Roser
It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since Joan Jett’s last record, but it was certainly worth the wait. “Unvarnished”, Jett’s 10th studio album proves that the queen of punk is still a true rock star right down to the hot shiny red leather jacket she wears on the album cover. Released by Blackheart Records with four live bonus tracks, Jett collaborated with Dave Grohl and Laura Jane Grace, incorporating new tracks into her live shows before recording in the studio so she could judge the audience’s reaction to the songs.
‘Any Weather’, the first single released, was co-written by Grohl. Featuring only Jett on vocals and rhythm guitar and Grohl playing every other instrument imaginable on the track, ‘Any Weather’ is a fun, catchy anthem you’d expect to hear on a jukebox at some gin joint in the Bronx. ‘Make It Back’ is a head banging tune about the generosity and spirit that Jett witnessed after the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, which Jett herself was displaced by. Jett was touched by the kindness neighbors bestowed upon each other and this tune is a tribute to them. ‘TMI’ is a tongue-in-cheek song about the gross over sharing people have been inclined to do on social media and beyond: “Hear all the rumors like tumors, yeah they grow and they’re mean, you make the fashion of passion, you make the scene to be seen.’
Like Jett, this album is a timeless rocker chick filled with raging guitars and a whole lot of ‘tude. So put another dime in the jukebox, baby, because you won’t hate yourself for loving this.
Rating: Iconic
