At her worst, Courtney Love is a recurring drug addict and a questionable mother. She’s an angry former stripper ready to lash out against any adversary and a marginally talented actress who’s widely viewed as destroying the most important post-Berlin Wall band.

-At her best, she’s the essential riot grrl and the most determined person in show biz. She has a chameleon-like ability to change with the punches and a cockroach-like ability to survive them.

“America’s Sweetheart” is Love’s first solo release and her first creative output since Hole’s 1998 release “Celebrity Skin.”

Love’s ability as a solo artist is questionable. Her breakthrough record “Live Through This” is rumored to have been ghostwritten by her late husband, and Hole’s third record listed Billy Corgan as a “consultant.”

“Sweetheart” is as hypocritical as it is schizophrenic and as exciting as it is forgettable.

It’s glossy while trying its hardest to be raunchy. It is blunt while lacking direction. At times, the seething guitars lay the groundwork for a solid rock album. At others, they’re erratic and smothering.

The album relies heavily on the raucous guitars that have become Love’s trademark — as they go, so does the album. Tracks such as “Mono” are cocky, fist-pumping anthems. Others, like “Sunset Strip” and “Uncool,” are as self-deprecating and as desperate as Love’s facade

On “But Julian, I’m a Little Older Than You,” Love exclaims, “I’m overrated/ I’m desecrated/ Still somehow illuminated/ I know I’ve got a screw loose.”

Unfortunately, everyone else knows she does as well. But on occasion, she can steady the loose hardware and piece together a decent song.