The Canadian pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne attempts to climb the music charts with her latest self titled fifth studio album this year. From “Sk8er Boi” to “Girlfriend” to the underrated “What The Hell,” Lavigne has always released pop music that defies the usual. This album has a popular sheen than ‘Goodbye Lullaby’, but mostly dwells on punk and hip- hop elements for which Avril is famous. There are two collaborations- with Avril’s husband Chad Kroeger (of Nickelback fame) and death metal poster- boy Marilyn Manson.
Here is a track by track review for Avril Lavigne’s latest music album:
1. Rock and Roll: This pop anthem has an energetic and wild beat and captures the essence of rock and roll. It reminds us of the classic We Will Rock You by The Queen and sounds like a traditional rebellious Avril track.
2. Here’s to Never Growing Up: This single released as a summer anthem is a notable hit among the teenagers where Avril clings to her youth image. It simply sends across a message about having fun while you’re young.
3. 17: For a 30 year old humming the tune like “All we needed was some love, That’s the way it’s supposed to be 17” seems a bit watered down. But Avril Lavigne delivers perfectly as this pop rock song is an easy listening and catchy single.
4. Bitchin’ Summer: Through this fourth single, Avril wants to capture the mood of a typical American summer in the countryside to be enjoyed with friends and be carefree. It’s a relaxing acoustic track with a surprise when Avril raps over a frantic strum towards the bridge of the song.
5. Let Me Go featuring Chad Kroeger: This heartbreaking love song with Nickelback’s lead vocalist Chad Kroeger seems to be a classic Avril ballads followed by her last album ‘Goodbye Lullaby’. The piano melody is beautiful written with th help of David Hodges.
6. Give You What You Like: This song shows the glimpse of moody sensual Avril singing of exchanging physical pleasures to combat loneliness. The tone of it is really likeable when she claims ‘this is a brand new cure for lonely’ makes it a good sensual sounding ballad.
7. Bad Girl featuring Marilyn Manson: By far the heaviest sounding track on the album, it’s the flavour that counts. It is catchy and it’s impossible to listen without humming it hours later, regardless of your feelings towards it.
8. Hello Kitty: This is one of the experimental tracks with dubstep and electronica, serving as a nod to Eastern countries. The song is sexy and sassy, and it’s incredibly addictive. As a curveball, it works brilliantly; but as an attempt to make her sound current in today’s EDM-pop dominated charts, it falls considerably short.
9. You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet: The song follows a young romance, but the lyrics are sometimes shockingly bad. “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” is not quite as solid as “Avril Lavigne’s” up tempo singles, but it’s almost there, and the unabashedly joyful bridge is worth a listen by itself.
10. Sippin’ on Sunshine: The song is generic and doesn’t really stand out, but is fun to listen to and will work excellently in the summer sun. It sounds the kind of mediocre track that Avril though many may find it to be a catchy teenage anthem.
11. Hello Heartache: Hello Heartache has a country feel to it, with an acoustic instrumental for its verses. With lyrics quite well achieved “Goodbye my friend, hello heartache, it’s not the end, it’s not the same“, Lavigne laments on this straight forward breakup track.
12. Falling Fast: With a simple acoustic guitar riff, Avril returns to a more mature sound here and still manages to retain her innocence. Lyrically, Avril admits that she is falling in love with somebody which juxtaposes with the melancholic instrumental.
