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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