5. Let Me Go featuring Chad Kroeger
Avril's ballads have always had great success, from I'm with you to Nobody's Home. This song had great potential, featuring Kroeger, whose nostalgic Nickelback anthems (such as Photographs) have also had great success. However, Let Me Go is disappointing and although it is on Avril's album, would be more at home on a Nickelback record. Kroeger's influence is obvious. The tender opening piano has all the markings of a classic Avril ballad, although her first verse is full of reflections and abstract imagery rather than the personal thoughts and experiences that Avril usually uses. Kroeger's vocals are strained and would be more suited to a country song or rock and roll, rather than an out and out ballad. Neither singer displays any emotion, which is ultimately the track's weakness. The accompanying instrumental is also experimental for Avril, as it begins bare and acoustic, before losing this vulnerability to a generic drumming and piano Nickelback arrangement. The only saving factor is the epic final chorus which, regardless of its futile attempt to convey any genuine emotion, manages to thrill after an immense build up from a confident declaration that "love's never too late". The song closes with a bare piano melody, which would have helped the song had it been used earlier to its full potential, but seems strange at the end of such a rock song. 6. Give You What You Like
In Give You What You Like, Avril sounds moody, yet sensual, as she discusses trading sex for attention. Accompanied by a piano, a clicking drum and a gently ticking cymbal, Avril is stripped back, offering full attention to her lyrics. She promises "if you give me what you want then I'll give you what you like", offering sex for a person's company. She claims this is "a brand new cure for lonely" and the song's simplicity disguises it's hard-hitting message. It's not difficult to imagine a person in such a situation and pity is never far from your mind. Although she seems to hold some power (threatening "if you don't give me what I want, then you'll get what you deserve"), this is taken away by Avril's angelic ponderings over the basic chorus. Synths come into play as she questions "is it love? Maybe one day" and the listener immediately feels protective of Avril's helplessness.
7. Bad Girl featuring Marilyn Manson
This song is possibly Avril's strangest. Manson opens the track croaking "Lay your head in daddy's lap, girl". I don't really know what to say about that. There it is. The song grows into a standard punk-rock song, with frantic drumming which throbs through the chanting. An electric guitar jams throughout energetically rings across, there for fans of Avril's earlier work and also fans of Manson (who doesn't explicitly feature other than his creepy snarling). The chorus features Avril, once more, informing us that she is a "bad girl". However, it is catchy and it's impossible to listen without humming it hours later, regardless of your feelings towards it. Avril's vocals are distorted over a bridge in which Manson whispers through your speakers, which doesn't really fit with the track's heavy production. It's not hard to imagine a stadium jamming out to this, although I doubt it will be many people's favourite track from the album