Saturday, 7 December 2013

Avril Lavigne- Avril Lavigne Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- Avril Lavigne
Artist- Avril Lavigne

When she broke onto the scene with her stellar album Let Go, Avril Lavigne was very much the next big thing. Since that album she has had a good career producing hits such as Girlfriend and What the Hell. However her record sales have definitely declined with each new release, and the so Avril Lavigne will definitely have to do something to make the singers career that bit better. The self-titled nature of the album could suggest that this is her most personal record, although that idea is out of the window, because she admitted she just didn’t know what to call the record. But could Avril Lavigne be a great title for a record that might be a new pinnacle in her career?

Track 1- Rock n Roll

Second single and opening track Rock n Roll is a song that can fool you from the title: this is very much a pop rock effort leaning a little more into pop, but the song is more about just living life and not caring about what other people say or think, and just living life in the way that you have been and keeping that signature, vibrant energy. The chorus is catchy with the shouting, stadium ready quality, whilst the verses are fun in terms of how vocally the singer is strong and just a bit silly, which is infectious to listen to. The heavy beats and vibrant guitar solo of the bridge make for an intense sound to the track, and so whilst it perhaps isn’t her best work, the track is nice in showing that Avril Lavigne will always stay true to Avril Lavigne.

3.5/5

Track 2- Here’s to Never Growing Up

An anthem for all those young people going through major life changes and slowly rising into adulthood, Here’s to Never Growing Up is a forceful, fun pop rock number that finds Lavigne singing of just partying hard with her friends and living life the way they have. The carefree spirit of the lyrics is very infectious and wrapped around a chorus that cries out to be sung along to, whilst vocally the song is strong in the way that the singers voice builds in power throughout the track, although a little touch of Auto Tune (mostly at the beginning) feels a little unnecessary. The pop rock production is snappy and catchy with a great guitar loop and clashing drums that  makes the work feel like a lighter version of her 2002 hit Complicated, which isn’t a bad thing.

3.5/5

Track 3- 17

With 17 Lavigne seems to signal to the listener that this is an album all about nostalgia and not changing, because once again she reflects on the past and how great it was and how it informs her life now. Yet this track has more of a romantic spin, as the singer reflects on how this boy she was romantic with at the age of 17 not her how to be her and how her life was great because of this time. The message is sweet and once again Lavigne shows her knack for a great sing along chorus, whilst the rebellious nature of the singers memories is brought out with her feisty delivery of the chorus, which is also offset nicely by the slightly softer and sweeter delivery of the verses. Things are kept simple with the production with a light pop rock guitar riff that acts as the songs base, before the addition of some equally light drum beats to add to the time that was fun sentiment.

3.5/5

Track 4- Bitchin’ Summer

Lavigne stops reflecting on the past but still keeps a carefree spirit with Bitchin’ Summer, a song all about Lavigne telling the listener of how everyone is waiting for the fun to start and how this summer is just going to be awesome. The sentiment of the song is nice, but at this point the fun maybe becomes a bit too much because Lavigne’s personality seems to be distilled by her I am the party girl persona. The chorus is catchy but the ‘oh oh oh’ hook is a bit clichéd, whilst Lavigne’s delivery doesn’t quite have the same energy of the former tracks and the rapping in the bridge straddles the line of fun and stupid. Things are little more acoustically driven with the guitars and drums of the song but the production also feels similar, and so at this point the song stands well on its own but makes you want more in the context of the album.

3/5

Track 5- Let Me Go (featuring Chad Kroeger)

Finally the listener gets a different side of Lavigne within the record as she goes into more emotionally powerful territory and a different kind of sound with Let Me Go, a pop rock ballad underpinned by piano and being a bit darker in its essence, although hopes does seep through. The song finds Lavigne and her now husband Chad Kroeger singing of letting the person go in a relationship, but with a spin at the end to show them not letting each other go and simply going through the intensity of love and life, with these lyrical change being pulled off to good effect as it more naturally reflects the couples own relationship (hence why it was re-written). Lavigne is vocally really great here, with her reaching of high notes showing some nice depth to her voice, and whilst some people see his contributing vocals as unnecessary, I believe Kroeger really holds his own within the song and adds some passion and grit that elevates the song. Production of the track (which was handled by Kroeger and ex- Evanescence member David Hodges) is good in terms of the build from soft piano to really stadium sized drums and guitar riffs, and so the sound is a pleasure to listen to, although the final minute or so off subdued piano and vocals is more annoying and pointless than a pleasurable listen.

3.5/5

Track 6- Give You What You Like

Continuing along the idea of giving us more emotional depth, Give You What You Like is an even moodier affair with a minimal texture to the sound and vocal delivery, which just makes it all the more impactful. The song lyrically focuses on a fractious relationship where the tension bubbles with an almost eerie sensuality, and the lyrics are perfectly brought out through Lavigne’s soft and languid vocal delivery that builds the intensity and shows off her range to good effect. Keeping the sound simple with the steady drumbeat and plunky guitar notes makes for a dark listen that is also soothing in a weird way, and this song would ultimately just make for a great curveball of a single.

3.5/5

Track 7- Bad Girl (featuring Marilyn Manson)

Marilyn Manson assisted band girl finds the singer taking on kind of 70’s punk pop rock inspired sound in which she basically sings about being a bad girl and how this guy should just come and get her if he wants to. The singer sounds comfortable within the song and the message fits with the rebellious nature of her persona, which has pretty much characterised her music career. But vocally the song is something that people will either love or hate because her voice is manipulated to give the vocal a funny, electronic tone. Manson’s presence on the song doesn’t leave that much of an impact, with the artist seemingly just coming on board to give the song a bit more of a rock and roll credibility. However the clashing drums and feisty electric guitar riffs gives the song this crazy vibrancy that is fun to listen to, and so whilst some listeners may hate it, others will love it.

3.5/5

Track 8- Hello Kitty

From the rock vibes of Bad Girl Lavigne turns to more electronically focused music with Hello Kitty, a song fuelled by both Lavigne’s love for the brand that is Hello Kitty and a use of double entendre. The song finds Lavigne wanting Hello Kitty to stay and play, with the lyrics being weird and fun and catchy all at the same time. Vocally things are simple as Lavigne kind of raps and sings, whilst the use of Auto Tune blends well with the songs sound and isn’t annoyingly unnecessary. The only problem with the song is the production with its blend of vibrant electronic notes, cheerleader like drum beats and a weird dubstep breakdown. It is not terrible but it does kind of feel like Lavigne is trying to overtly too stay relevant within today’s music industry.

3/5

Track 9- You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet

The first of two songs on the record completely written by Lavigne alone, You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet is a bit of a narrative led love song in which Lavigne is basically telling this guy that she is ready for this relationship and that he better be ready because he hasn’t seen all that he will from her and doesn’t really know where this relationship is going to go. The song is a simple pop rock offering underpinned by a typical guitar rhythms and drums that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on some of Lavigne’s other records, whilst the vocals are vibrant enough but slightly feel like something that Lavigne can do really easily, so whilst it is a fun up tempo number it doesn’t show any progression and feels to obviously Avril Lavigne.

3/5

Track 10- Sippin’ on Sunshine

Another up tempo, light pop rock offering, Sippin’ on Sunshine focuses on Lavigne telling this person how it is great to be with this person and how they are just going to live the life and somehow sip on sunshine. There are elements of cliché but the chorus is quite catchy and Lavigne exudes a charm within her vocals that makes the song that bit more infectious for the listener. The tracks producers do a nice job in capturing the light tone of the lyrics with the songs sound, giving us some snazzy rhythms and a funky guitar line in the bridge that makes for a fun loving finish, and really the only problem with the song is that it is easy to see this song and Here’s to Never Growing Up having been producing simultaneously, because they have a similar sentiment and sound.

3.5/5

Track 11- Hello Heartache

Hello Heartache is a forceful heartbreak number where Lavigne sings of the disintegration of a relationship where she has said goodbye and now has to prepare the flood of heartache that she has come to expect in life. Featuring a cool ‘la la la la la la la’ hook, the song isn’t maybe the most orginal sounding but it brings a different texture to the record and gives us a bit of a grittier, pessimistic Lavigne that works well. Her snappy vocal delivery perfectly captures the songs sentiment, whilst the drums and guitar of the production further elevates the lyrical message to leave more of an impact on the listener.

3.5/5

Track 12- Falling Fast

For the final two tracks Lavigne takes down to a softer, down tempo state, beginning with Falling Fast. The lyrics of the track are pretty obvious to get from the title: Lavigne is singing about falling in love and just hoping that it will last. It is a sweet statement that is nicely elevated by the soft tone of the tracks production with the lush guitar instrumentation and feathery delicacy of the tracks sound that means the song can feel a bit more relatable for listeners. The brilliant thing about this song is that the softer sound and sentiment allows for the singer to show a different side vocally, giving us an airy and very loved up vocal performance that makes the song seem all the more sincere.

3.5/5

Track 13- Hush Hush

Closing track is another slow number, but this time there is bit more power within the songs chorus and there is a slight grittiness and weighty tone to the vocal performance. Lavigne lyrically focuses on venting her emotions and accepting that this relationship has come to an end, telling this person that she won’t ask questions and she just asks them to go on and live their life. Lavigne nicely captures that state of a break up where you finally wish the person well and move on, and her vocals bring out this sentiment nicely as she powers through the chorus and flits between different elements of her range to good effect. The simple drumbeats and twinkling piano melody of the song furthers this idea of the acceptance of the end, whilst some use of strings adds a touch of drama to the track that makes it a potent end to the record.

Final Review

Best Track- Give You What You Like

Worst Track- Bitchin’ Summer

Avril Lavigne is a solid pop rock album that finds Lavigne in a comfortable groove, experimenting with her sound a little but ultimately creating quite a few songs that her fans will be used to hearing. And that is pretty much the problem with this record. It’s not that the songs in themselves are bad, but as a whole the collection just feels like something Lavigne could have pulled together a few years ago rather than an artistic statement that shows an artist that pleases you and continues to progress, which is basically what people want from singers these days. It may go down well with her existing fans, but Avril Lavigne is definitely not an album that will get her any new ones, with a few glimmers of hope being present in some songs that suggest we could have more from this artist.

5/10

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