THREE-CHORD CRUNCH

“GOOD MUSIC.” Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Blackheart. On her first album in two years, the leather-coated queen of bubblegum displays the same love for gnarly fuzztones and shout-it-out-loud choruses that began back in her daze with local all-girl rockers the Runaways and continued through such disarmingly charming chartbusters as “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll.”

The hard-touring Jett embodies the crazy mixed-up kid for whom life found its purpose and meaning in three-chord glamarama rock ‘n’ roll. And, as usual, half of the new album is devoted to giving some of that love back to such inspirational texts as Jonathan Richman’s “Roadrunner,” Jimi Hendrix’s “You’ve Got Me Floatin’,” the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun” and--best of all--a meat-grinding version of an outside composition that more than lives up to its title: “Just Lust.”

Speaking of the Beach Boys, they and Phil Spector’s former studio star Darlene Love are on hand to lend background vocals to the kandy-korn krunch of the title track, which along with the similarly poppin’ ‘n’ rockin’ “Contact” provides the most memorable original musical moments. The metal-rap “Black Leather” might also qualify on that count, if it weren’t so full of the vocalist-guitarist’s love for rock ‘n’ role . Break out the licorice whips. . . .