Unlike most wannabe pop stars these days, 17-year-old Avril Lavigne actually tries hard to sound older than she really is. The Canadian singer/songwriter is fast becoming big news over on the other side of the Pacific, having gone platinum with this accomplished debut album and attracting favourable comparisons with both Dido and Linkin Park. It's not hard to see why - Lavigne's tomboyish take on angst-ridden rock is appealingly brash, and her brazenly man-hating lyrics are not a million miles away from the kind of thing that made Alanis Morissette such a big star. Being a teenager is frustrating and boring, she seems to be saying, and the sooner she grows up and gets to meet some real men, the better. Unlike Morissette, however, Lavigne is not completely one-dimensional; some acoustic, introspective moments here show that she has a brain as well as a heart. The sheer emotional intensity of her lyrics can get a little wearing at times, but there's no doubting the raw talent on display here. If you're beginning to find Kylie and her ilk just a little too sweet, Lavigne might well prove to be the perfect antidote.
