Notes & Personnel Info |  | Japanese version with two bonus tracks. | | While Avril Lavigne's 2002 debut, LET GO, arrived amidst a tidal wave of teen female performers, the 17-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter managed to distinguish herself with a punk-rock attitude tempered by a hooky pop sensibility. Lavigne's sound reached a remarkably wide audience, even inspiring indie-rock icon Liz Phair to openly pattern her next record after it. | | With her 2004 follow-up, UNDER MY SKIN, Lavigne makes it clear which side of the pop-rock precipice she's standing on. Instead of pop producers such as the Matrix, Lavigne aligns herself with Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida and Linkin Park producer Don Gilmore. The result is a much more complex record--an angst-ridden, soul-searching album that rocks with fury without losing a keen ear for melody. This is clear from the outset with the brooding, lushly orchestrated, guitar-driven opening track "Take Me Away." However, while the music has significantly matured, Lavigne's lyrics still possess the same sense of teenage confusion and frustration so charming on her debut. UNDER MY SKIN is an impressive step for the young songwriter, and it effectively transcends the teen-pop label she inevitably received with her first record. |
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