Lavigne's Almost Letting Go

Over the course of the past year, many female artists have attempted to distance themselves from the teen-pop pack with their songwriting ability. Avril Lavigne is among the first to use that ability to put a dent in pop stardom. Her introspective debut album, Let Go, features catchy, guitar-driven rock doled out in four-minute bursts of emotion. Lavigne tackles the ups and downs of relationships and the awkwardness of adolescence, with lyrics that are confessional and universally accessible.

Occasionally, this style tends to border on vagueness, epitomized by the track "Unwanted," in which Lavigne expresses her feelings of being ignored and rejected with cliched phrases: "You don't know me/Don't ignore me/You don't want me there/You just shut me out." Thanks, couldn't have thought of that myself. Similarly, her first single, "Complicated," features a catchy melody and appealing lyrics, but it is crippled by the banality of its chorus, especially the oft-used rhyme of "complicated" and "frustrated" and the line "Life's like this"--a brilliant phrase, previously explored by Britney Spears.

"Mobile" is a standout track with its inventive imagery--"I'm a mobile/Hanging from the ceiling/Life's a mobile/Spinning 'round with mixed feelings." Lavigne busts out her fun side on tracks like "Sk8er Boi," but at times she seems to be trying too hard to fulfill the image created by the album photos, in songs like "Sk8er Boi." Nonetheless her intriguing lyrics and captivating music create an album that is rarely, if ever, boring.