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by Scott Juba Published: May 24, 2004
 When Avril Lavigne first came onto the music scene at age 17, she was immediately labeled as the “anti-Britney”. Her unique style and her desire to be her own person set her apart from the norm, and her impressive vocal talents made people take notice. Now, two years later, Lavigne is back with her sophomore release titled “Under My Skin”. While continuing to assert her individuality, her latest CD also displays her increased maturity and proves that she is anything but a one-album wonder. As terrific as the songs on Avril’s first CD were, the 12 tracks on her second release are deeper, more accomplished pieces of songwriting. Dark, moody, and defiant, this collection of songs displays a darker side to Lavigne’s music that wasn’t present on the first album. Moreover, there is a high level of respectability to Lavigne’s music. Unlike Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears, who seem more concerned with being celebrities than music artists, Lavigne’s primary focus is her music, and she pours her soul into every song. Although she clearly crafts her songs to be mainstream radio hits, she doesn’t abandon her identity as an artist in the process. There is something very genuine about her music, and the listener is never forced to question the authenticity of her emotions. As far as the individual tracks are concerned, the CD’s opening song, “Take Me Away”, is one of the best. It has an infectious rhythm, and Lavigne’s vocals are as strong as they’ve ever been. The heavy guitars combined with her soaring voice sends a loud and clear message to the listener right from the start: Be prepared, this album is going to blow away any previous notions you’ve had about Avril’s music. Lavigne’s current single, “Don’t Tell Me”, is also a standout. Besides its catchy chorus and strong instrumentals, its lyrics are something of a rarity. In contrast to the sexually laced nature of most current pop music, “Don’t Tell Me” is a song that actually preaches abstinence rather than promiscuity, a message that hopefully some listeners will take to heart. The album’s best song, however, is “My Happy Ending”. In many ways its structure is formulaic, but the song comes across as anything but conventional. Lavigne injects her trademark style into the song, and her impressive vocals elevate it to excellence. If “My Happy Ending” is released as a single, don’t be surprised if it shoots straight to number one on the Billboard charts. As good as her first release was (good enough to sell over 14 million copies), “Under My Skin” displays Lavigne’s tremendous growth as an artist and a person. Moreover, it conveys her unwillingness to settle for anything less than her best. Overall Grade: A To Purchase Avril Lavigne's "Under My Skin" at Amazon.com Click Here. On the Web Official Web Site | Celebrity Spider |
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