Avril Lavigne - Avril Lavigne (2013)

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1. "Rock N Roll" 00:01
2. "Here's To Never Growing Up" 03:31
3. "17″ 07:07
4. "Bitchin' Summer" 10:35
5. "Let Me Go" feat. Chad Kroeger 14:10
6. "Give You What You Like" 18:40
7. "Bad Girl" feat. Marilyn Manson 22:29
8. "Hello Kitty" 25:28
9. "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" 28:47
10. "Sippin' On Sunshine" 32:05
11. "Hello Heartache" 35:38
12. "Falling Fast" 39:30
13. "Hush Hush" 42:44







This album has had mixed reviews, with a lean toward the negative. A lot of talk about the prominence of the bubblegum pop.

Yea, the Pop 40 is there.

Harmless peppy pop, unobtrusive & bland, in order to fit the inoffensive, vanilla Top 40 radio criteria is a necessary evil.

Her last album, Goodbye Lullaby, was really, really good. Musically rich and lyrically deep.

However, Lullaby was done during an emotional time in her life, divorcing that cat (forget his name), and Avril's albums have always paralleled her life.

That's why this one, overall, doesn't seem to have an overall attitude. She's married, almost 30, at a quiet point in her life.

It shows in her 5th record.


Now, the record...


Tracks 1,2 & 4:

Rock N Roll, Here's To Never Growing Up, and Bitchin' Summer are all poppy,bland and shallow, both musically and lyrically.

I question the wisdom of starting off newest cd with cuts that mirror your oldest cd.

The critics are saying she's stuck in the past, that she's creatively bankrupt. The titles alone aren't helping her case any.

The only spin I can put on these cuts, is maybe this is her way of closing the book on her youth. A final look back. At least I hope so.

These three cuts, unless I have a real change of heart, won't be making any playlists.

They may not even make it to my Ipod.


Track 3: 17

No debate here. This one is definitely a look back. There's a difference between looking at your past and being stuck in your past.

It's catchy and melancholy at the same time.

I like it.


Tracks 5 & 6: Let Me Go & I'll Give You What You Like

These two tracks slow the tempo. Give you a chance to clear palate of the bubblegum taste.

The duet with her husband (Married? Missed that one) is not bad at all. Aside from having a guest artist, it's the first signs of my absolute favorite thing about Avril...her harmonies.

I really like I'll Give You What You Like. If not for the falsetto throughout, I would love it.

They're both good songs.


Tracks 7 & 8: Bad Girl (feat. Marilyn Manson) & Hello Kitty

The two roughest cuts on the album.


I was surprised I liked Bad Girl, considering my general dislike for Manson.

I've found myself singing along with an infectious chorus.

It's got a punk feel, and that's due to some well placed vocal distortion and a hint of reverb here and there.

It's got attitude and a rough edge.

I like it. And, 37 years after I bought my first record, I can say I have some Marilyn Manson.

Hello Kitty is a weird hybrid of rock, rap and techno pop. Oddly enough, I like the rap parts best. It's also got an in-your-face edge.





Track 9: You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

This may be a single later on. There's nothing new here. It would fit on any Avril album.

It's not kiddie pop, but it is benign enough to get airplay.

Even with the similarities of earlier stuff, I like it a bunch, mainly because it's got Avril's harmonies. The chorus harmonies are melodic and soaring.


Aaahhhh, harmonies. My musical heroin.


Track 10: Sippin' On Sunshine

See tracks 1,2 & 4.


Track 11: Hello Heartache

It's not bad. It's got a positive beat, with a sad message. I haven't made my mind up about this one yet.


Track 12: Falling Fast


This one's a bit of an enigma to me. I like the heartfelt vocals, but have a nagging feeling she took this track from a list of songs that just
missed the cut on her other albums. A filler.


Track 13: Hush Hush

A big production ballad to end the album. It builds steadily to a really
...mediocre fizzle at the end. She could have done sooo much more with this one.


Overall, I'm not hating it. But it is a letdown for me.


5, maybe 6, out of 10.
 

Gongora

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Oddly, I liked the two first songs off this album, I couldn't even finish the rest.

I like these lyrics "singing radiohead at the top of our lungs"
 

AboutAGirl

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I felt like "Here's to Never Growing Up" was really cliche' and weak at first. But a friend at work has been playing it a lot and it's totally grown on me, I like it a lot.
 

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