Cast yourself back ten years and you’ll find a young teen skater chick breaking into the mainstream with ‘Let Go’, an angst ridden rebellion of a new alternative icon for young girls. Come 2011, following a divorce and brand new start at life, Avril Lavigne is back to show the world her new offerings in the form of 'Goodbye Lullaby'.
Before tackling a first full listen, you may already have one tune stuck in your head. The frustratingly catchy pop-beats of ‘What The Hell’ have been resonating in people’s heads since its release and, without a glimpse of anything else to base it on just yet, surely it is a fair assumption to assume the rest of the album will be just as catchy?
'Black Star' is a surprisingly delicate introduction to an album you’d expect a great impact from. A piano quietly plays as Avril’s light vocals lead into a ballad-y one and half minute introduction before we meet again with ‘What the Hell’ in an awkward track-transition, a song previously dubbed a newfound liberation with a fresh slate in life.
This has always been pinned as a big step by laying everything out with mature subject material. Admittedly, it’s admirable, brave and a very raw, genuine album Avril has produced yet there’s a sombre undertone to most of the lovelorn acoustic tracks – ‘I Love You’ and ‘Everybody Hurts’ being perfect examples.
With a slight redemption at the end, we find ‘Alice’ – written for Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ – a fine mix of pop and eeriness suitable for the director’s dark twist on a childhood film, but it seems a slight dose of too little, too late.
If you’re seeking an easy listening album full of acoustics and heartfelt sentiment, then ‘Goodbye Lullaby’ is something you’ll most likely enjoy. For those looking for a catchy pop-induced release from the ‘motherfucking princess’, you’ve been mislead by the lead single but you’ll still find it to be a good release, just different to what you perhaps expected.
It seems like an overwhelming criticism, but it’s more a surprise. This album is genuinely a fine work of expression and maturity for the most part and does suggest a new, fresh start – it just comes as a slight shock to find it a primarily acoustic and understated album. Needless to say, Avril has definitely achieved her goal in producing her most mature album to date.
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'Black Star' is a surprisingly delicate introduction to an album you’d expect a great impact from. A piano quietly plays as Avril’s light vocals lead into a ballad-y one and half minute introduction before we meet again with ‘What the Hell’ in an awkward track-transition, a song previously dubbed a newfound liberation with a fresh slate in life. 
