Review: Avril Lavigne's The Best Damn Thing

The huge risk an artist runs when they label their album The Best Damn Thing is having it be a complete and utter mess. Avril Lavigne took that risk, and has failed miserably.

I have been a long term Lavigne sympathizer. When I heard "Complicated" for the first time on MTV, I thought the girl had the potential to be an edgier Mandy Moore, and her second album showed a level of sophistication far surpassing her peers.

But apparently she was too punk rock for quality.

The new album has a whole lot of Gwen Stefani-esque chanting (not even good chanting like Hollaback Girl, more like Wind it Up chanting) without any of the charm. It features over the top ridiculously heart felt goth-tinged lyrics like Dashboard Confessional without any of the levity, heart, or self-deprication of Chris Carraba. And it features the musical stylings of a Blink 182 coverband led by a former Real Worlder too fat and whorish to appear on the challenges.

I wanted to believe that maybe there would be a good track or two on the album, but there really isn't. Her first single, Girlfriend, is the only decent track on the album, and I use decent in a very generous way here.

Avril Lavigne has completely lost me with her effort-filled screamo...that isn't supposed to be screamo.