Avril Lavigne Album: “Let Go”

Avril Lavigne burst onto the music scene with "Complicated," a mid-tempo pop-rock tune that was a hit in the land of both radio and video. "Let Go," her debut album, shows that this teenage singer-songwriter-guitarist has a lot of energy and a witty outlook on life.

"Losing Grip" kicks the CD off with an angst-ridden song that begins mellow and builds to a roar. "Why should I care? / 'Cause you weren't there / When I was scared / I was so alone." It's for everyone who has suddenly realized that everything isn't okay and who feels as if their cries are going unanswered. This is probably my favorite track on the album.

"Complicated," the breakout hit, is all about being yourself instead of pretending to be something you're not. I love that the lyrics are both realistic and optimistic.

The bouncy "Sk8er Boi" should definitely be a future single. It tells the story of a girl who passed up a chance with a boy because her friends didn't care for him, and she regrets it years later. The guitar-driven song is very bouncy.

Avril belts her heart out on the ballads one moment ("I'm With You," "Naked" and "Tomorrow") and demands to be noticed the next ("Unwanted"). From the observant ("Mobile" and "My World") to the strong-willed ("Nobody's Fool") to the inquisitive ("Things I'll Never Say" and "Too Much To Ask"), she is not afraid to rock out and speak her mind. At times, her voice and style reminds me of the band Fisher, but with a little more edge to it.

This album is "Anything But Ordinary." It is sure to please folks who heard of her through her first hit, and may she have many others to come. Her style is very refreshing. While she's not necessarily mainstream, she is also not acting different simply to get attention. She's proud of who she is.

I strongly recommend this album to folks who like an album that plays well from start to finish, music that easily transitions from rock to adult contemporary, and lyrics that resonate the emotions and questions we all possess.

Avril performs a function. She plays music for the kids who have outgrown Spongebob Squarepants and Barney but aren't ready for the likes of Strapping Young Lad or Wilco. The kids are too young to go to clubs to see real bands. They're too young to understand more mature bands or music. How could they when the only thing they are exposed to is the mind numbing commerciality of MTV and commercial radio? How could they when the lyrics might be about love or loss? I don't think most kids have any experience with those kinds of adult themes. So I can't blame them for liking Avril. She has great songwriters to provide her with meaningful teenage and preteenage material about Sk8ter boys and such and a competant band of studio musicians to back her. For Junior High or Middle School kids Avril is entirely age appropriate and I can't begrudge the kids their fun. Eventually when they get into highschool they'll move on to more "mature" bands like Good Charlotte or Interpol or maybe even Elliot Smith or classic bands like Black Flag or Led Zeppelin. Until then, have fun wearing ties and T-shirts, I know my twelve year old does. But seriously if you're over the age of 18 and think that Avril is one cool and righteous babe, it's is definitely time to open up your eyes and get off the farm. If you want righteous music made by strong, intelligent women who rock I'd get some Ani Defranco or Sleater Kinney and leave this commerical, manufactured kid stuff behind.

Avril's been praised for being independent and real - for being herself. But she's also been criticized for being a "fake" independent. Critics say she's just another pop sheep dressed up in a punk wolf's clothing. But what is important here is not necessarily Avril's image - it's her music. And whether or not Avril is truly a punk/sk8er or another Britney, her music is not affected and remains solid and true.

Her first single, "Complicated" is more on the pop side of things, according to Avril herself in an interview. But it isn't the super-sweet, syrupy love songs typical of pop artists. The theme that permeates the song and Avril's first album, "Let Go," is "be real." "Complicated" is about the facades people put on, about those of us who "become somebody else, 'round everyone else." Avril promotes a respectable message of being true to oneself, and she does so to the tune of original melodies and down-to-earth lyrics.

"Anything But Ordinary" is similar in its message and its pop sounds, but is a different song altogether. As a 17-year-old, Avril has been called an "old soul" and for good reason. She somehow manages to have a deep insight into the true value of life, as she sings, "I want to know that I have been to the extreme/So knock me off my feet/Come on now, give it to me/Anything to make me feel alive." We have but one life, and Avril sings enthusiastically about making the most out of that life by refusing to put on facades and just being oneself.

The more lyrical songs "I'm With You" and "Things I'll Never Say" are beautiful works of musical talent. Avril's sweet side comes through, as she sings with powerful emotion about past love experiences. She said in an interview that she needs to sing what comes from her heart; listeners can't doubt that these songs are her personal experiences, as her passion and emotion shines elegantly through.

The alternative "Mobile," "Tomorrow," "Too Much to Ask," and "Naked" demonstrate Avril's wide range of genres. While not considered "slow songs" like "Things I'll Never say" and "I'm With You," but not as bouncy and poppy as the first songs mentioned, these alternative tracks provide the same raw emotion of a 17 year old who is wise beyond her years.

Avril's eclectic mix is nearly completed with the funky "Sk8er Boi," reminiscent slightly of surfer music, and the soft rap of "Nobody's Fool." A white rapper? Avril does it tastefully and with amazing style to portray her stubborn attitude towards giving in to fake facades and images. The aforementioned "Sk8er Boi" is perhaps the only fictional song on the album, although it is rooted in personal experiences, as Avril said she is frequently annoyed by judgments passed because she's a skater. Critics have snubbed her lyrics as juvenile, especially "We rock each others world," but they undoubtedly fit the song's tempo and style, and moreover fit Avril's personality and tendancy to stick with what she thinks fits.

Finally, two slightly darker pieces complete the album. "Unwanted" is more of a rock song in which Avril's deep, powerful vocals have been likened to Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette. "Losing Grip" actually may not be considered dark by most. It's simply darker than the pop of "Complicated," the track immediately following it. Nevertheless, it is my favorite track on the album because it displays her voice beautifully. Her breakdown into the simple repetition of "I'm crying out loud, crying out loud..." always fills me with awe as I listen to her voice tinkling up and down the uneven scale of notes that makes her voice sound slightly (and beautifully) Irish or Gaelic.

All in all, Avril is the best artist to have come onto the scene in a long while, especially among the popular artists. She is real and she plans on keeping both herself and her music real. She has a beautiful and powerful voice, and lyrics that offer deep insights into life and relationships, even though those insights may manifest themselves into teenage lyrics. But hey, all this is much more than anybody should expect from a mere 17-year old, and Avril deserves two thumbs way up.

17-year-old Avril Lavigne isn't pretending to be anything she's not. Her lyrics are down-to-earth while catchy, and the melodies range from punk rock to soft ballads. It's hard to define exactly what genre this CD falls into, but let's just say that she's a little bit of Alanis Morissette, Michelle Branch, Pink, Bif Naked, Sarah McLachlan, and Heather Nova wrapped up in a semi-skater punk, semi-teenage-girl-in-love package. "Anything But Ordinary" and "My World" are probably the two most autobiographical tracks on the album, the first an empowering individualistic anthem describing wanting "to know that I have been to the extreme", the second talking about growing up in the 5,000 population town of Napanee. Each and every song is worth repeat listenings, and this album deserves a place in the CD racks of every non-Britney-... music-obsessed teenage girl.

"If you don't like me for who I am, then don't like for who I am - and all you're going to get is who I am," Avril tells us in the video interview on the CD. That's what you've got here. No pretending, just great music.

So it's Avril Lavigne, a young pop singer who wants to walk a little closer to the edge than the average young pop singer.

What's good:

-A solid pop record filled with catchy hooks

-A fun attitude from Avril

-Some rock guitar parts, particularly in "Losing Grip" and "Unwanted."

-Josh Freese, one of this reviewer's favorite studio drummers, recorded many of the songs on this album.

-Her voice is nicely done on the album.

What's not so good:

For the average pop fan, Avril may be seen as a groundbreaking new artist. For those of us who are into "other" types of music, we may hear stark reflections - warped into pop territory - of grittier and edgier music. But I don't see a problem here. As a modern pop offering, Avril's "Let Go" can stand on its own and is definitely worth a purchase.