It didn't deserve it one bit, but "Goodbye Lullaby", Avril Lavigne's phenomenal 2011 record dedicated to her split from Deryck Whibley, was a flop, selling a bismal fraction of her preceeding albums and spawned only one mild hit. It could've come down to the fact that she waited four years to deliver that album, but the scene didn't change so drastically to the point of rejecting an Avril comeback. Maybe it was the mellow, heavily acoustic-driven sound that scared off potential consumers, or maybe it was all just a matter of timing. Whatever the reason, "Goodbye Lullaby" just didn't click with the critics or the public. A stumble like this naturally would've sent an artist back to the drawing board, but Avril Lavigne is still a brat at heart, unwilling to let anything trump her spirit. That disappointment seemingly fueled her desire to keep fighting the clock, to maintain the irresistable spunk that broke barriers back in 2002. She doesn't ditch the softer sounds of "Lullaby" altogether, not in the excellent "Hush Hush" or the pretty-good break-up ballad "Let Me Go", which ironically features new husband Chad Kroeger, but she does sharpen her hooks in the livelier songs, such as the fist-pumping "Rock N Roll" or the embarrassingly fun "Here's to Never Growing Up". And it's no surprise hearing Avril in a better mood than she was two years ago --a rebound marriage will have that effect-- but what is surprising is how cohesive "Avril Lavigne" really is. As it bounces back between bratty anthems and sweeping ballads, it can feel pretty languid, and things get pretty weird by the Marilyn Manson assisted "Bad Girl" (which as as filthy as it reads, and as it very well should be). But pacing issues aside, there's not much to dislike about this record. Each song is worth a listen, and Avril Lavigne can still wring emotion out of every given note and solidify the hooks that are nevertheless there. It's actually quite nice to see Avril break from tradition --since this is her fifth record, one would normally expect a waiting period of five years (one more year than the gap between "Goodbye Lullaby" and this), and a collection of hollow bubblegum-punk. Since she split the difference between adult and brat, she's widened her cross-cultural appeal, winning over new, younger fans, while maintaining the interest of her core audience of young adults and those who have just entered the lame realities of a grown-up world. "Avril Lavigne" finds her in full control of her artistic abilities, and it would've been perfect had it been able to churn out a pair of anthems like "I'm With You", "Complicated" or "Girlfriend". Overall, the impression is that regardless of whether or not this record will be a bigger success than "Goodbye Lullaby", it's still one of her best works to date, and it's further proof that the skater-punk we all fell in love with a decade ago is still here rumble.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Rock N Roll 2. Here’s to Never Growing Up 3. 17
4. Bitchin’ Summer 5. Let Me Go 6. Give You What You Like
7. Bad Girl 8. Hello Kitty 9. You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet
10. Sippin’ on Sunshine 11. Hello Heartache 12. Falling Fast
13. Hush Hush
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