Soundbites

Avril Lavigne
“Under My Skin”
Arista

“I can’t handle this confusion,” sings Avril
Lavigne on “Take Me Away.” What’s so confusing,
Avril? You’re a cute, wholesome sk8er girl with legions of
fans and catchy songs. The only thing confusing about the
straightforward “Under My Skin” is the absence of her
trademark tie. But such are the perils of artistic maturity. The
album is Avril’s first shot at being taken seriously, and
though she doesn’t quite hit the bull’s-eye, she
doesn’t miss the target entirely.

On first listen the new songs are a little more emotive and a
little less glossy. The decision to break with production team The
Matrix showcases her desire to avoid being pigeonholed by her
original sound. But “Under My Skin” isn’t good
enough to take the songwriter training wheels off just yet. The
lyrics deal almost exclusively with boys: boys who are jerks, boys
who lied to her and boys who are just all-around no good.

“Under My Skin” unfortunately ends up playing like
Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill,” as if
written by a teen pop star who has never experienced real
heartache, much less taken a high school English class.

The album fares better musically. Avril’s vocal inflection
sounds less like the pop-rocker of old and more like Dolores
O’Riordan of The Cranberries.

Avril remains the best of the young new female singers, at once
more talented and genuine than any of the bubble gum fluff and more
charismatic and catchy than Michelle Branch and the rest of the
post-Lillith Fair generation. Though she isn’t ready to
transcend her humble beginnings just yet, at least she’s
making the attempt.

-David Greenwald