A decent start (Let Go - Avril Lavigne)

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Let Go - Avril Lavigne
Date:	13/09/09 (2 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some catchy tunes

Disadvantages: Pretentious attitude

I'm not exactly an Avril Lavigne fan, but I did give this album a go when I was a bit younger, and for what's basically disposable teen fluff, it's actually not all that bad. I find her rebel figure very contrived and manipulative as a piece of marketing, but she has a good voice and there are some quality singles on this album.

Avril made a name for herself with the single Complicated, which, as far as pop records go, is actually pretty good - she decries why her relationship with a guy has to be such a complex and messy affair. Also of note is Sk8er Boi, for which she is most famous, which has a rather catchy chorus and some good guitar work even if it is a bit too tweeny for my liking.

I'm With You, though, might be the best thing on here - it has a powerful ballad quality and I don't feel as though I have to pretend to hate it, thankfully. The video is also quite powerful about a girl who runs away from home, I liked it.

I admit that I do find part of her image very pompous and pretentious, though, and that's the idea that she has to be an individual, but ironically, in wearing all of these skater clothes, she's ironically simply conforming to another trend. Her song that focuses on individuality to me feels very disingenuous and very self conscious in its attempts to stray from the bell curve.

Does it work? Well, the album is enjoyable enough fluff that's really tailor-made for its target audience even if it is one of the more crudely and strategically marketed bits of music you'll find. It has only a few songs I'd listen to again, but I can see it suiting its target audience like a glove, and that's what really matters here.

Summary: An often pompous but fluffy album