Avril may have worn her fair share of designer dresses lately but don't worry Lavignites - the married, 22-year-old hasn't grown up yet. In fact, she seems to be embracing her surly, sk8ter-girl aesthetic of old. So break out the skinny ties, fishnets and screw-you 'tude and invitethe girls round for a sugar-fuelled slumber party.
For her third album, The Best Damn Thing, Lavigne is unapologetic about her big-is-better approach, vapid lyrics and bounce-around guitars, just as she is about stealing other people's boyfriends.
"She's like so whatever, you could do so much better," she snipes on Girlfriend, her answer to Hey Mickey. On the title track she breaks into a light rap about such pressing issues as PMS and wayward guys, managing to sound vulnerable and smug at the same time.
Yes, there are ballads as deep as a puddle, but it's the big-chorus songs like Runaway and Contagious that will ensure her chart success. That's if you can stand to listen to an entire album of her relentlessly poppy melodies.
Substance is not what you'll find, but when she tried substance on her last album she turned into a bore. Still, it's ironic that she used to be tagged as an anti-Britney; now it seems Lavigne is happy to represent a rebellion tame by Britney's standards.
Verdict: Canadian pop princess returns to her brattish best
