☆☆☆☆
Image: Supplied.
Multiplatinum star and the voice of the early 2000's, Avril Lavigne has blessed us with her seventh studio album, Love Sux. The record marks the singers first full length release since signing to Travis Barker’s DTA Records, and is a welcomed return to the punk-based sound Lavigne met us with in 2002.
Opening with the raucous and commanding Cannonball, the singer channels the energetic and playful nature of her 2007 album, The Best Damn Thing, bringing the pop-punk sound she championed in the 2000's into a contemporary setting. The albums lead single Bite Me conjures all the badass carefree energy Lavigne has always been synonymous with. On the track, the singer stands her ground and knows her worth, accepting nothing less than the best within a relationship, echoed in Déjà vu and F.U.
The singer enlists a number of the genres contemporary hitmakers, teaming up with partner blackbear on Love It When You Hate Me, which documents a toxic relationship that keeps pulling you back. Machine Gun Kelly lends his talents to the more pop-punk Bois Lie, where the two exchange back and forth snarling lines on deception. Making it a full blown blink-182 affair, Mark Hoppus joins the singer on All I Wanted, an electric cut that encompasses all the troupes of early 2000's punk as the pair effortlessly play off eachother.
Laced with nostalgia, massive hooks and catchy melodies, Lavigne reminds the world that she was the original queen of pop-punk, and she's reclaiming the crown with a body of work that brings everything the world loved about the singer. Armed with a new sense of empowerment, the record explores the demise of a relationship, and calls out toxic behaviour. The record find its more love-fuelled ending on Kiss Me Like The World Is Ending, likening the end of a relationship to the end of the world atop strident guitars and drum work, before Avalanche captures and navigates the anxieties and confusions of life.
Lavigne continues to prove her chops across the album, showcasing the strength of her vocals and relatable lyricism, with the albums most down-tempo track Dare To Love Me offering up a vulnerable side to the singer. Closing out the collection of songs with Break Of A Heartache, Lavigne has delivered an engaging body of work, reminding the world how she paved the way for contemporary artists.
The eight-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum singer, songwriter, designer, and philanthropist changed the game with her 2002 ARIA #1 debut album Let Go, which spawned the global hit singles Complicated, Sk8er Boi, I'm With You and more. With six albums under her belt, Lavigne remains one of “Soundscan-era’s top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S.” and “the third bestselling Canadian female artist of all-time.”
4/5 Stars
Love Sux is out now!