 |
LET GO
Avril Lavigne
(Arista-BMG)
Many are predicting this 17-year-old from Napanee, Ont., is going to be the latest Canadian female to make it big south of the border. She was signed directly to Arista in the U.S. by label head Antonio "LA" Reid, and her pop-rock debut album hits stores Tuesday.
While teen girls will probably eat this right up, everyone else will probably want to give it a miss. Lavigne has an impressive, big voice reminiscent of Alanis Morissette, but it's mixed with the pop sensibility and soul-searching songwriting of someone very young.
It proves to be a powerful combo on such songs as Losing Grip, I'm With You, Tomorrow, Anything But Ordinary, Things I'll Never Say, Too Much To Ask and Naked.
Her home town even gets a mention in My World: "Made my money by cutting grass / Got fired by a Fried Chicken a-- / All in a small town -- Napanee."
But over-production weakens the first single, Complicated, and other tunes like Sk8ter Boi, Mobile and Unwanted. She's working with L.A.-based producer-songwriter Cliff Magness and production team The Matrix, who both need to back way off.
And she proves rapping isn't her strength on Nobody's Fool.
Track Listing
1. Losing Grip
2. Complicated
3. Sk8er Boi
4. I'm With You
5. Mobile
6. Unwanted
7. Tomorrow
8. Anything But Ordinary
9. Things I'll Never Say
10. My World
11. Nobody's Fool
12. Too Much To Ask
13. Naked
14. Complicated (The Matrix Mix) (Bonus Track)