If you haven’t heard of The Immediate Family, it’s OK. You’re not the only one. But if you haven’t heard of this quintet’s members, then you haven’t been paying very close attention to the fine print on your old record albums: Waddy Wachtel and Danny Kortchmar (guitar and vocals), Leland Sklar (bass) and Russ Kunkel (drums) have played on hundreds of major albums over the years, both individually and as a collective. Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and Carole King are just some of the iconic names that have benefited from their input on their classic records. (Back then, Kunkel, Wachtel and Kortchmar were part of a group called The Section.) Over the last several years, the four, along with the touring session guitarist and songwriter Steve Postell, have rebranded as The Immediate Family, redirecting their energies toward their own music. Skin in the Game is their second full-length album, following two EPs and one LP. As on those recordings, there’s no denying the quality of the musicianship here, as if there could be—players with this much studio experience aren’t about to slack off. What comes as a pleasant surprise is the concentration on quality songwriting: Most of these songs are original compositions and several qualify, well, immediately as stone classics. The title track, released as a single, maintains a mid-tempo pace but is tough and deliberate—if radio still played new mainstream rock the way it did in the ‘70s, then this would be headed for hitsville. Other selections, like the opening “Whole Lotta Rock and Roll” and “Confusion,” spotlight the triple-strength guitar lineup but also give the rhythm section plenty of room to flex. The album’s sole cover, Sparks’ “The Toughest Girl in Town,” finds a balance between retro cool and contemporary production values that make it an instant earworm. There is a whole lotta rock-and-roll here for sure.