This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Last Heard From: Nowhere — unless you went to junior high with this Nepanee, Ont., teen phenom, who has since been taken under the wing of Arista head Antonio (LA) Reid.
What You Get: A baker’s dozen meticulously constructed pop-rock tracks whose sole purpose is to establish the big-lunged 17-year-old songstress as the Next Coming of Alanis.
Does it Rock? Yes and no. Lavigne has a decent, if still developing voice. And she seems like she can put together a decent lyric and melody. But this overproduced disc has all the spontaneity and originality of a cola commercial — which, presumably, Lavigne will be filming by the time you finish reading this review.
The Dark Side: Beware the hype. Arista would have you believe Lavigne is some sk8-punk guitar-slinger who fronts a garage band — but a perusal of the CD credits confirms none of her group played on the disc, which was actually assembled by crack studio musicians and production teams.
It’s Worth: Waiting until A) She breaks big and gets to do things her own way, or B) Tanks, gets dropped and makes an indie album. Either way, her next disc has got to be better.
