Lavigne, Avril—Let Go

Posted May 4, 2004, 2:11 p.m.

Avril Lavigne stormed onto the music scene as the “anti-Britney” with her hit 2002 album, Let Go. Lavigne’s skater/punk rock persona was a welcome change in a bland pop scene, even though many of the songs on Let Go were co-written and produced by “The Matrix”—a hot production team that has worked for 98º, Ricky Martin, and, you guessed it, Britney Spears.

I’m not going to pretend that this album is anything that it isn’t (although Avril seems to want us to believe she is something she isn’t). This is a pop album. Thankfully, it does have a bit of an edge which makes it tolerable, and—at points—quite good.

“Sk8er Boi,” despite the unfortunate name, rocks. It’s a great song. The familiar radio staple “Complicated” is pretty good too. “I’m With You” is one of the better recent pop ballads. Beside these three radio hits, there is a pretty even mix of good songs and mediocre ones on this album.

Lavigne has potential—she’s cute, unique, and talented—but the pop-style production of Let Go really hurts it. It’s still listenable, but it’s nothing special.

Avril, here’s a bit of advice for you: Rather than working with “The Matrix,” write the songs yourself (we know you can!) and make an album with a rock producer. Strip out the pop effects and lyrical tripe and do something personal. I really want to like you, hopefully your next album will give me a better reason to.

3 out of 5 stars.

Scott Bradford has been putting his opinions on his website since 1995—before most people knew what a website was. He has been a professional web developer in the public- and private-sector for over twenty years. He is an independent constitutional conservative who believes in human rights and limited government, and a Catholic Christian whose beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. He loves Pink Floyd and can play the bass guitar . . . sort-of. He’s a husband, pet lover, amateur radio operator, and classic AMC/Jeep enthusiast.

Quotes

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As Christians, we are called . . . to stand in an awkward tension, seeking to prosper, while yet remaining vigilant to answer the call of Christ, even if that call leads us into depletion, discomfort, or even death.

I would rather belong to a poor nation that was free than to a rich nation that had ceased to be in love with liberty.

Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. . . . Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.

In a word, the true morality of Christianity is love. And love does admittedly run counter to self-seeking—it is an exodus out of oneself, and yet this is precisely the way in which man comes to himself.

The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of The United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.

No one can have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the godless chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.

My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

[Free speech] may indeed best serve its high purposes when it induces a condition of unrest, creates dissatisfaction with conditions as they are, or even stirs people to anger.

Conscience has rights because it has duties.

Any man who has once acclaimed violence as his method must inexorably choose falsehood as his principle.

Suffering overwhelms you because you take it like a coward. Meet it bravely, with a Christian spirit, and you will esteem it like a treasure.

The biggest scientific delusion of all is that science already knows the answers.

I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of its conception; even under threat, I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity.

The one certain way to invite disaster is to be opulent, offensive, and unarmed.

If the parents in each generation always or often knew what really goes on at their sons’ schools, the history of education would be very different.

Children lack morality, but they also lack fake morality.

A liberal is fundamentally fearful of concentrated power. His objective is to preserve the maximum degree of freedom for each individual separately that is compatible with one man’s freedom not interfering with other men’s freedom.

The pure, clean water of spiritual truth is placed in rusty containers, and the subsequent failings of the church down through the centuries should not be projected onto the faith itself, as if the water had been the problem.