Avril's Not Too Grown Up For The Room

If you miss the skate punk Canadian Avril Lavigne who blasted onto the musical world stage with in your face teen scream standbys like "Sk8er Boi" and "Complicated" you'll be happy to learn from me that the now almost 30 year-old's latest collection holds no shortage of that natural fiery spirit. Only several seconds into "Rock 'n' Roll" and already you'll be able to rest reassured that, regardless of whatever twists and turns have entered her life she hasn't forgotten to return to her feisty roots. "Here's To Never Growing Up" already has proven itself to be as footloose as any ditty playing up the wonder of youth and the fierce determination to hold onto it as the years pass. "17", the number that for the teen scene usually symbolizes drama it is apex as high school graduations draw ever closer, long time bonds grow apart, other bonds move in to lessen the sting, displays Avril's unexpected ability to tell a story so concrete in imagery that you'd be hard pressed not to smell the cigarette ash, to own the fizz from the soda pop cans in the corner store. Avril'a ace in the hole is that she's never been an artist who veers past being PG-rated family friendly. The Marilyn Manson aided creepiness of "Bad Girl" aside, Avril won't alienate the scads of fans who got her where she is today. The just mentioned track does hint at the close that you can tell Avril was having fun goofing around with the '90s era shock rock titan. That's the cutesome laughter of a young woman who was merely humoring her urge to let her wild side come out to play. I classify that as PG-13 but nothing that would give Grandma a coronary and make Mom wonder what she could have possibly been thinking of when she agreed to conceive the demon child who considers this suitable children's entertainment. "Hello Kitty" is weird, but I don't say that disparagingly. It's more of a benign whisper soft free fall through Avril's gentler side. "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" supplies a reinforcing shot of Avril, strong twentysomething powerhouse, reminding us that there this chamber of heart that's going to remain eternally young no matter what. She is chomping at the bit to show her faithful what she's worth, and how even more valuable she could potentially be in the future. All that "Sippin' On Sunshine" really needs is a sandy beach. Of course cocoa butter suntan lotion along with the special someone who makes your heart skip beats couldn't hurt. "Bitchin' Summer" encapsulates all that is perpetual motion about a group of youngsters counting down the seconds until the freeing of their academic institutional chains. I don't think it's right to crucify Avril for keeping herself enmeshed in territory that teenagers find infinitely palatable. I do wish she hadn't uttered "Mutha fuckin' princess" during "Rock 'n' Roll" because that strong declaration of self already reared its head in "Girlfriend", one of the heavy hitters from her earlier "Best Damn Thing" set. I know six years is a veritable lifetime's gap in the product demanding music business but she could have kept that zinger in the scrapbook until the nostalgia factor perked up a little. One type of song you won't find here is the enormous epic a la "Keep Holding On". If anything that demonstrates Avril's more committed to affairs of the heart and letting your self loosen up than she is gifting her followers with ready made inspirational wisdom. Fellow Canadian Chad Kroeger, he of Nickelback, the group people either adore fervently or want to tear their hair out upon a fresh listen pops in for "Let Me Go". The steam between the two is loosely contained. This is no octave spiraling contest. His huskiness and her pop princess character play off each other well. "Hush Hush" ends the spunky collection on the finality of a relationship that at one point seemed destined to go places but at this advanced juncture appears headed for the scrap heap. Avril's career certainly isn't earmarked for the realm of yesterday. You can cry "artist development relapse" all you want. I see a shrewdly marketed female who nobody had to force to wear this particular assortment of hats. Perhaps a Behind The Music episode will one day tell us all how poor Avril wasn't happy playing the riot grrrl who wasn't allow to let her teenage history drift into the rear view mirror because her record label saw nothing but dollar signs when she played that part. I prefer to focus on a young woman who isn't so grown up that she's willingly deposited her most loyal fans in the garbage while on the prowl for subject matter that's a little more edgy. A comfortable in her own skin Avril fits perfectly.