It was my freshman year of high school when my ears were first graced with the wonderful sounds of Avril Lavigne. Ten years have passed, and after a slew of albums, one thing about this Canadian singer/songwriter has held true. She sucked then and she sucks now.
Her most recent release, “Goodbye Lullaby” stays true to her horrid form. The album, which is the first after her split with Sum41 front man Deryck Whibley, is quite possible the most uninspired thing to come out in the last two years. Every song sounds the same on this 13-track trash heap. Sure, the tempo changes now and again, but that’s where the differences end. This entire CD would be the perfect music to offset the terror of a dentist. A root canal would seem like a pleasure cruise compared to listening to this crap.
Like any good failure, this album fails not only musically, but lyrically as well. In what I can only assume is an attempt to connect with an older fan base, Lavigne spouts off a wide range of vulgar obscenities in multiple tracks. Don’t get me wrong; I love a well-placed “f bomb” as much as the next guy. However, there is an art to using vulgarity that Lavigne doesn’t seem to grasp. A prime example is Cee Lo Green’s now famous song “F**k You.” The song is riddled with the most taboo word of all, but when it comes from Green’s mouth, it’s art. The radio version, which replaced the word with ‘forget,’ just doesn’t carry the same zest as the original. It literally censors the art.
Lavigne does not have this talent. She sounds like a child who was recently liberated from strict parents. Now she can curse as much as she wants. Pretty weak for the former “punk rock princess.”
There is one saving grace on this album. Lavigne covers Joan Jett’s top 100 hit and mantra “Bad Reputation.” At first, fear gripped me as I thought of all the ways Lavigne could destroy this famous track. Thankfully this time I was wrong. She sticks pretty close to the original arrangement, and her voice isn’t half bad. Jett’s is better, though, just for clarification. There is a downside to this cover. In order to hear it listeners will need to purchase the deluxe edition of the album containing acoustic versions of Lavigne’s music and a remix. Not worth it.
All in all, if you’re looking for something to put in the elevator at your office and Kenny G’s greatest hits is sold out, this may be your album. Just be prepared to spend some time editing out the vulgarity.