Introspective Growth: Goodbye Lullaby

AVRIL LAVIGNE: GOODBYE LULLABY

SCORE: 85/100 - 8.5

'Goodbye Lullaby' is a more stripped and soft project after the bright & poppy 'The Best Damn Thing', and songs like 'What the Hell', 'Smile', and 'I Love You' show that Avril's still got it while showing off her more vulnerable and sweet sides.

This is an album that has been with me since childhood, with the hits of the album making up a lot of what I would listen to as a young girl - with 'Smile' in particular being a song that will always remind me of those days. Avril Lavigne was one of the artists I listened to the most when I was young alongside pop artists like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Ke$ha making up a lot of my childhood soundtrack. This album is the first in her discography that isn't older than me, and I was around when songs from her albums were highly commonplace. 

Now that I'm older, I have come to appreciate the slower songs that Lavigne has penned, songs that I had never heard before as a young kid. There are some hidden gems on this album that showcase a more melodic and artistic sound for Lavigne - and it's an incredible turnout.

Lavigne herself was one of the sole components of the production of the album, co-writing every song on the album and ensuring that it was her most introspective yet while being backed by softer, more toned down instruments such as the piano and acoustic guitar rather than electric instruments. It's softer and more insightful without losing her edge or fun nature, and songs like 'What the Hell' help to ensure that the album still has some of the same bite as her previous projects; showing that she knew when to stop and start when it came to introducing new sounds into her discography. Her ability to find what worked for her was exceptional with the more emotional and stripped down tracks, and even the opening track alone was enough to tug at my heartstrings with it's plucky piano melody and blooming synths that emphasize Lavigne's vocal register and accent beautifully. 

There is the new and the old on this album, with 'Everybody Hurts' being one of the first songs written by Lavigne when she was still only fifteen years old - but it had been saved and slotted for this album; where it fits in completely. It feels like a selection from 'Let Go' with the added maturity provided by this album - and the result is gorgeous.

It's a mix-up from her previous work, leading to unexpected reactions from many who were expecting more of the harsh pop-punk of 'The Best Damn Thing'. She keeps this sound in tact for some of the album's biggest songs, but 'Goodbye Lullaby' acts as one of her most personal and varied albums. There are some moments that feel jarring in terms of tone shifts (primarily 'Black Star' being followed immediately by 'What the Hell'), making it clear that Lavigne wasn't quite ready to settle on an entirely softened album - but maybe it wasn't her that wasn't ready. 

"My record company was being a typical record company and trying to give me their version of how it should be – trying to get me to go in a different direction. I had to fight with them over and over. I was like, 'No, this is a really special record to me and this is what I'm doing'." -Lavigne, Digital Spy [Wikipedia]

RCA Records wanted something that was more suitable for mainstream radio, ushering Lavigne to make more upbeat content for the album's tracklisting to match the success of 'The Best Damn Thing' - which was a very bright and upbeat project that showcased a shift slightly into pop for Lavigne. This album was something more serious and lulling - making 'Goodbye Lullaby' a suitable title for such a lush and softened album. 

One of the drawbacks of the album is it's inconsistencies in tone. Some moments are sharp and energetic while others are introspective and slow, and the shifts in tone and energy make some songs feel like they were put on the album mainly to keep her image. It feels as if she wasn't allowed to completely change her sound, and some of the more mainstream songs stick out like sore thumbs despite their incredible quality. This makes it so that the album does not flow together as well as it realistically could've, and some songs aren't quite as memorable as her previous works - but there's enough worthwhile content to make this album feel full from front to back, although it is slightly bloated at times. "With an album, I don't want to rush it out.... I have a very serious record, so I think I need to put a couple upbeat, fun songs on it." - Lavigne [Wikipedia]

The album was a serious shift for Lavigne, and it was something unfamiliar for her - leading  to her spending a lot more time than usual on the composition of the project (which was pushed back multiple times before release). It spanned her almost two years of creating content for the album and bringing it up to standard, and there's something unique in every single track, leading to some of her absolute best & most iconic material residing within the album's fourteen-track runtime. 

"It's stripped down. I love performing that way, so I really felt like it was time to make a record like that. To just make it all about the vocal and the performance, and the vibe, and the emotion." - Lavigne [Wikipedia]

'Goodbye Lullaby' focuses on Lavigne's vocals especially (despite her suffering from strep throat during some of the recording for the album), with some of her absolute best singing performances being on the ballads of this album. Sweet, emotional tracks make up the bones of the album - and 'I Love You' is a particularly sappy song that has always reminded me of my girlfriend and how unconditionally we have loved each other for so long. It's a sweet and introspective array of tracks that makes for another great album added to Lavigne's expansive and versatile discography - and although it isn't her best, it feels like one of the most comprehensive looks at all sides of her artistry. 

"The piano is more of an emotional instrument. It stirs up different emotions for me and moves me in a different way than the guitar can." - Lavigne [Wikipedia]

Avril has one of the most worthwhile discographies I have ever listened to - each album offers something new and exciting, and even this album was more enjoyable than I had expected it to be. So many of her tracks are truly timeless, and I can listen to albums like 'Let Go' and 'The Best Damn Thing' time and time again, start to finish, without ever growing tired of the tracks within them. This album is without a doubt her most provoking emotionally, with songs like 'Black Star', 'Wish You Were Here', and 'I Love You' making me entirely emotional. It's a stunning assortment of tracks for good and bad feelings - and it feels much more emotionally mature than her previous works despite her always having a sense of utmost maturity in every situation. 

This album is another project that showcases Lavigne's unique personal style and feelings incredibly well, keeping both sides of the coin valued while experimenting and moving into new territories. It's another exceptional shift in tone after her bestselling third album, and this was another reasonable and smart step that kept her discography from being "samey". Instead, 'Goodbye Lullaby' allows for a breath of fresh air to be let into her discography, blending her trademark pop-punk/rock sounds with new elements of acoustic rock, adult contemporary, and lyric-driven singer-songwriter music, making for a project that goes back to her early ballad roots while continuing the sounds that have brought her so much notability over the span of her career.