After a long hiatus, 26-year-old Avril Lavigne is back with her impressive fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby.
What was created in late 2008, Lavigne decided to shed her snarly punk princess persona from her third effort, The Best Damn Thing and the number one hit, “Girlfriend,” and return back to her roots from the 2002 Grammy nominated record, Let Go and the 2004 rocker, Under My Skin.
“It’s stripped down,” says Lavigne. “I love performing that way, so I really felt like it was time to make a record like that.”
Besides the somewhat consistent mellow vibe that lingers throughout the tunes overall, Lavigne’s record label, RCA, wanted her to balance out the album with some radio friendly material.
A compromise was reached when Lavigne worked with songwriter, Shellback (P!nk, Britney Spears) and producer and pop hit maker, Max Martin (Kelly Clarkson, P!nk) whom Lavigne worked with previously on 2007’s The Best Damn Thing.
They were able to pop out the albums lead pop single, “What The Hell,” which Lavigne describes as the least personal track to her off the record. The anthemic pop lead managed to settle comfortably in the Top 10 position on iTunes.
The other tracks whipped up by Max Martin include the rumored single, “Wish You Were Here,” reminiscent of P!nk’s, “Fuckin’ Perfect,” and Demi Lovato’s, “Don’t Forget,” with the words, “I remember all those crazy things you said / You left them running through my head / You’re always there / You’re everywhere / But right now I wish you were here,” while the explicit attitudinal cheery number, “Smile,” reflects Lavigne’s rebel-like vibe with the bratty lyrics, “You know that I’m a crazy bitch / I do what I want / When I feel like it.” The pre-chorus is a sure fired up hit maker in the making with a cheery chorus that follows, “You’re the reason why I smile.” The song, clearly directed at current boyfriend Brody Jenner chants, “I woke up with a new tattoo / Your name was on me / And my name was on you.” (Both Lavigne and Jenner have tattoos of each other’s names.)
The last pop induced number, “I Love You,” Max Martin helped deliver is highly reminiscent of Jen Leckman’s, “Your Arms Around Me,” while Lavigne sings, “La, la, la,” along with the melody and is almost shortly identical to that of Alanis Morissette’s hit, “Thank U,” during the bridge’s, “oh, oh.” Though the tune holds its own and could easily be a radio hit, Lavigne makes a slight hint towards ex-husband Deryck Whibley with the bridges lyrics, “Even though we didn’t make it through / I am always here for you.”
The rest of the record could easily be compared to a modern day Alanis Morissette with a rather simplistic twist. The rumored single, “Push,” written by Lavigne and best friend Evan Taubenfeld (whom coincidentally duets on the track), starts out with an acoustic vibe with jumbled fast paced lyrics. Though the chorus comes across screechy, the lyrics are very reminiscent of the rebel Lavigne with the lyrics, “I’m capable of taking care of myself / So if you fuck this up / Than go take a hike.” The tough love track was produced by Lavigne’s ex-husband, Deryck Whibley, front man of Sum 41.
Also produced by Whibley was the clap-finger snap-cutesy track “Stop Standing There,” self-penned by Lavigne which starts off with a frustrated Avril wondering what’s going on in her significant others head. “You’re just standing by / You’re just wasting time / Why don’t you just tell me the truth / About me and you?” The probing Lavigne sings in the bridge, “Stop standing there / Stop acting like you don’t care / Stop being scared,” and ends the number with, “Please tell me who you are / So I can show you who I am.”
“Black Star,” a twinkling star-like melody is only a 1:40 intro into the record, the track was self-written for Lavigne’s first fragrance commercials jingle. Lavigne’s soft and enchanting voice sings to her fans with the simple words, “Forever you will be a shining star.”
The eleven-year-old in the making track written before Lavigne ever signed a record deal, “Darlin’” is a cute uplifting acoustic number about wanting better for someone she cares for. “Pretty please / I know it’s a drag / wipe your eyes and put up your head / I wish you could be happy instead / There’s nothing else I can do but love you the best I can,” she sings.
“Everybody Hurts,” one of the earliest tracks written for the record starts out with an acoustic melody sure to win over lingered off fans with the first listen. With lost and confusion, Lavigne sings, “Don’t know if I can do this on my own – it seems I’m losing something deep inside of me.” With hopelessness, she sings, “It feels like nothing really matters anymore,” but uplifts the listeners with the chorus, “It’s okay to be afraid – everybody feels this way / and it’s okay.” It’s a reassuring and pleasant listen throughout.
The ‘90s grunge ballads, “Not Enough,” and “Remember When” that pop up on the record are ear grabbers from the start. Both reflect Lavigne’s recent divorce situation with Deryck Whibley whom coincidently produced both songs. “I’m sorry if this hurts you,” Lavigne vulnerably warns in the beginning of “Not Enough.”
“These feelings I can’t take no more / This emptiness in the bottom drawer / It’s getting harder to pretend / And I’m not coming back around again,” Lavigne sings in the self-penned number “Remember When,” chorus.
The self written tracks on the record, “4 Real,” and “Goodbye” were produced solely by Lavigne, something of which she admits never saw herself doing. But with an impressive first timer producing credentials, Lavigne sings “4 Real’s” catchy ethereal bridge with the words, “Hold me down / Hold me now / I’m safe / I’m sound / When you’re around.”
“Goodbye,” the simplistic ballad, which Lavigne described as the most personal, inspired the title of the record. What Lavigne claims was the most, “raw and vulnerable track” she’s ever recorded in her career, starts with a piano and cello as Lavigne sings goodbye to her ex-husband as a sense of closure. “Always know / That I love you so / Goodbye brown eyes / Goodbye for now / Goodbye sunshine.” The lullaby ballad rings, “La-lullaby / Help me sleep tonight.”
What could have been a very tearful number turned out to be a rather bittersweet reflection of what once was. “Goodbye, my love,” she sings while the strings linger and fade until the end, sure to raise goose bumps and tears for listeners alike.
It’s the perfect track to wrap up the record, end the chapter, close the book and move on.
But don’t be alarmed if you revisit for another listen or two.
By Annie Martin
Video source from YouTube.
