Unapologetically original. Unabashedly in your face. Avril Lavigne's 2002 debut Let Go gave young women a defiant voice and set it to music they could rock out to. Fourteen million albums and eight Grammy nominations later, the Canadian chanteuse returns with Under My Skin but if you're expecting a whole lot of the same, you've got another thing coming. This is not a girl who rests on her laurels.
Under My Skin opens with the dramatic tracks "Take Me Away" and "Together," which set the scene for the kick-ass guitars and radio-ready chorus of "Don't Tell Me," a song of willful female empowerment that picks up where "Complicated" left off. From there it's a one-two punch of three-chord guitar licks ("He Wasn't") and head-bopping optimism ("Who Knows") alongside swirling, brooding melodies ("Freak Out") and moody tracks ("Forgotten," "Nobody's Home") that reveal a darker side of Avril Lavigne.
"I grew up so much in the past two years," admits the Napanee, Ontario, native. "I've been through a lot, I've learned a lot, and experienced a lot both good and bad. These songs are about all of that, and each is very personal to me." Working with producers, Butch Walker (of the Marvelous 3), Raine Maida (of Our Lady Peace), Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Pearl Jam), Avril co-wrote the dozen introspective songs on Under My Skin in near secrecy. "I'd just come off my world tour and got back to Toronto and was writing right away," the 19-year-old says. "I had no idea what I was going to do. No one did. People wondered if I'd run out of things to write about, but it was the opposite." [ read more ] >>

Under My Skin
Release Date: May 25, 2004
[ read more ] >>

The debut disc from spunky teen songwriting prodigy Avril Lavigne suggests both the confessional style of Alanis Morissette and the honey-sweet vocalizing of Jewel, distancing this 17-year-old from her bubblegum contemporaries. On the autobiographical Let Go, the self-confident Lavigne lays herself bare, spinning personal tales with her impressive lyricism and guitar playing. The young Canadian stakes out her individuality on the infectious breakout single "Complicated" and traces her ride from homogenous suburban roots (the breezy "My World") through the less glamorous byways leading to fame (the acoustic guitar-driven "Mobile"). Throughout, the self-described skate punk deals out hooks like playing cards and ups the ante with subtle bleeps, loops, and keyboard swooshes, which intensify big guitar songs such as the power-pop punk "Sk8er Boi," the Dido-flavored "Losing Grip," and the sweeping angst-fest "Unwanted." Equally moving is Lavigne's subtler material, including the lush "Tomorrow," with its hint of uncertainty, and the trip-hoppy "Naked," a like-minded tale of vulnerability. Bursting with talent and joie de vivre, Avril Lavigne proudly announces herself as the new kid in town -- one that's sure to make a lot of friends real quick.
Dave Gil de Rubio [ read more ] >>

An arena-ful of fans loved every second of this 68-minute concert (recorded in May 2003 in Buffalo, New York) by then-18-year-old pop sensation Avril Lavigne. And while the singer's charms may elude anyone older than, say, 25, that won't stop the sk8er boyz 'n' gurls who bought her Let Go CD by the millions from digging this, her first DVD, as well. Fact is, Lavigne's rather tuneless, sometimes off-key singing isn't her strong suit. And her songwriting... well, Lennon and McCartney, or even the Go-Go's, are in no danger. But she isn't without talent, and she's got attitude to spare (even if that 'tude has a certain MTV-style lack of conviction or insight). Combine that with the loud, crunching guitars, the anthemic, driving choruses of Lavigne's songs, and tons of bonus features (including a six-song, audio-only CD), and you've got more than enough to keep the kids satisfied. After all, it's a rock show, dude.
Sam Graham [ read more ] >>