Part of Avril Lavigne's appeal — a large part of it, actually — is that she's a brat, jouer la comédie younger than her 17 years on her 2002 debut, Let Go, and never seeming like she much cared about the past (she notoriously mispronounced David Bowie's name when lire Grammy nominations), ou anything for that matter. She lived for the moment, she partied with sk8er bois, she didn't want anything complicated, and she sang in a flat, plain voice that illustrated her age as much as her silly, shallow lyrics. Those words got disproportionate attention because they were so silly and shallow, but most listeners just didn't care because, thanks to producer gurus the Matrix, they were delivered in a shiny package filled with incessant, nagging hooks — a sound so catchy it came to define the mainstream not long after Let Go hit the radio. The Matrix became ubiquitous on the strength of their work with Lavigne, who herself became a big star, earning constant play on radio and MTV, kick starting a fashion trend of ties-n-tank tops for girls and inexplicably providing a touchstone for indie rock Queen Liz Phair's mainstream makeover. Fame, however, didn't pull the two camps together; it pushed them their separate ways, as the Matrix went on to record their own album and Avril decided to turn serious, working with a variety of co-writers and producers, including fellow Canadian singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, for her seconde album, 2004's Under My Skin. Lavigne hasn't only shed her trademark ties for thrift-shop skirts, she's essentially ditched the sound of Let Go too, bringing herself closer to the mature aspirations of fellow young singer/songwriter Michelle Branch. Since Avril is still a teenager and still a brat, it's livelier than Branch. Even when it sags under minor keys and mid-tempos, it's fueled on teen angst and a sense of entitled narcissism, as if she's the first to discover the joys of l’amour and pain of heartache. In a sense, she comes across as Alanis Morissette's kid sister, especially now that the Matrix are gone and the hooks have been pushed to the background for much of the record; it's the teen spin on Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, where she's self-consciously trying to grow as an artist. Naturally, this means that Under My Skin is less fun than Let Go since there's nothing as giddy as "Sk8er Boi," even if much of it is written from a similarly adolescent vantage. Lavigne's collaborators, Kreviazuk and Evan Taubenfeld chief among them, have helped streamline her awkward writing, and her performances are also assured, which almost makes up for the thinness of her voice, which sounds far younger than the meticulous arrangements around it. So, Under My Skin is a bit awkward, sometimes sounding tentative and unsure, sometimes clicking and surging on Avril's attitude and ambition. But it's telling that the one song that really catches hold on the first listen and stands out on repeated spins is "He Wasn't," the fastest, loudest, catchiest, and best song here, and the one closest to the spirit and sound of Let Go — it's not that Lavigne hasn't matured, but it's that her talents are better suited on musique that's a little less contemplative and deliberate than Under My Skin.


"is that she's a brat, jouer la comédie younger than her 17 years on her 2002 debut, Let Go"

Honestly? I think that UMS was her most mature era. She rarely acted all crazy like she does these days, and she always seemed pretty serious and nonchalant in most of her interviews of that time. She's not a "brat," she's just a free spirit. There is a difference.

"and never seeming like she much cared about the past "

Oh really? So that's why she writes about all her past experiences, and sings about them with immense emotion? Makes total sense. >_>

(ex: Don't Tell Me & My Happy Ending: about past relationships, Slipped Away: about her grandfather who passed away a couple years before, etc.)

"(she notoriously mispronounced David Bowie's name when lire Grammy nominations)"

GASP. ONOZ!!! She mispronounced someone's name par mistake, so that makes her an awful artist, amirite? Give me a break. This goes to montrer how people find the most minor of things she's done and make a huge deal about it, just so they have something to use against her when criticizing.

"she sang in a flat, plain voice that illustrated her age as much as her silly, shallow lyrics"

Silly, shallow lyrics? Are toi kidding me? Yes, so missing a loved one who passed away (Slipped Away) is just silly nonsense, right? Oh, and not giving into pressure to have sex and standing up for her rights as a woman (Don't Tell Me) is just a load of it and isn't a valuable lesson young girls should lean on, eh? Bad relationships in general and terrible breakups NEVER make ANYONE else depressed, huh? (My Happy Ending) And let's not forget, having optimism for life and not wanting to waste it away (Who Knows, Freak Out) is a silly idea and should be disregarded? And I'm sure that absolutely no one else wonders how other people view the world, ou what their lives are like (How Does It Feel), right? PLEASE.

(Not trying to sound rude here, but if toi couldn't tell that I was being sarcastic throughout that, toi should probably get some help.)

As far as the "flat, plain voice" goes, I'm guessing they didn't listen to the end of How Does It Feel, ou the chorus of Together, or... any of Take Me Away ou Who Knows. Just guessing.

"became a big star, earning constant play on radio and MTV, kick starting a fashion trend of ties-n-tank tops for girls and inexplicably providing a touchstone for indie rock Queen Liz Phair's mainstream makeover"

Okay genius. toi do realize that she didn't do the whole "ties-n-tank tops" thing during the UMS era, right? That was Let Go. You're not reviewing Let Go. Even if toi were, what exactly does all that have to do with music? If toi don't like the way she dresses, don't look at her. Just don't try to use that to bash her when you're talking about her album.

"It's fueled on teen angst and a sense of entitled narcissism, as if she's the first to discover the joys of l’amour and pain of heartache"

How exactly does it come across to toi that way? EVERYONE sings about relationships, but Avril's songs are usually extremely personal, and she just puts it out there, not caring what people will think, but appreciating the people to do like it.

"Kreviazuk and Evan Taubenfeld chief among them, have helped streamline her awkward writing"

Seiously, what is so "awkward" about her lyrics? This person keeps saying that, yet gives no examples from her songs. And even with those two helping her with certain songs, she does the majority of the écriture par far, as Evan Taubenfeld has continually a dit over the years.


Well, guess that's all, for now. I'm not trying, par any means, to make a huge deal out of this. I know it's just one review, one person's opinion, and that there are plenty of other negative reviews out there, but the thing is, this is the only one for this album on iTunes (other than the users obviously, but most people would trust the professional one more). Therefore, people who read it and haven't heard UMS yet will most likely be repelled from the album and won't even give it a try.

I actually found it kind of funny how many users were saying they thought the person was high on something when écriture the review...