Avril Lavigne: Goodbye Lullaby

With three smash records and one failed marriage (to Sum 41 singer Deryck Whilbey) behind her, it’s hard to begrudge glitter-punk queen Avril Lavigne an album of grown-up melancholia. Consequently, Goodbye Lullaby has been billed as the “Complicated” singer’s “adult” album and a departure from the power-pop of smash hits like “Sk8er Boi” and “Girlfriend.”

Avril Lavigne certainly turned on the waterworks for her latest music video. Talk about crying me a river. The Canadian singer showed off a more emotional side than we’re used to seeing. It’s hard to believe this is the girl who gave us “Sk8er Boi” and “Complicated“. And the kicker is, the tears are real. She tweeted last night confirming the crying was genuine and no onions were used.

If only. Lavigne’s songwriting has definitely grown, and the tracks here are far and away more personal than “hey, hey, I don’t like your girlfriend.” It’s a bold step, lyrically speaking. But make no mistake, Jagged Little Pill this ain’t.

It might have been, though, if not for the sound. Lullabye’s production by Lavigne and her army of collaborators (Butch Walker, Max Martin, and, bizarrely, ex-hubby Whilbey) blasts her voice to high heaven amidst the clang and clatter of guitars, piano, strings and drums, like a teenage girl covering the E Street Band.

If that sounds familiar, it should: Lavigne’s been using this formula for nine years now, she’s just using it with more serious songs this time around.

Make no mistake, it’s all very catchy, if not exhausting down the stretch. But the straightforward production undermines how serious the album is. Lead single “What the Hell” is a surprising gut-punch of angry-young-womanhood shoehorned into a radio-friendly format; it’s the teen punk version of “Single Ladies” delivered in bubblegum wrapper. “I Love You” has solid lyrics as well, but it’s packaged like something Ashlee Simpson would have put out back in the day. What the hell, indeed.

The back-and-forth continues the whole time, with glimpses of what could have been adventurous showing amidst all the sound and fury. Appropriately enough, closer “Goodbye” starts out as a beautiful piano ballad, but before long, violins and acoustic guitars are thrown in and suddenly it’s “Time of Your Life” circa 2011.

Come on, now, Avril. We all know breakups suck, but aping Green Day at the moment of truth? You’re better than that, girl.