Avril Lavigne tackles teendom

If Buffy the Vampire Slayer gave up on vampires, turned her anger against love and formed a pop-punk band, she'd be Avril Lavigne. Under My Skin, Lavigne's sophomore album, has a "touch me and I'll kill you" vibe as compared to the "confused teen on a mission" attitude on her debut, Let Go.\nUnder My Skin enables Lavigne to embrace a devil-may-care sense of style and lyrical simplicity, letting her own dim light shine. Not half as manufactured as her radio counterparts, the young vixen co-writes her songs and takes responsibility for them, whether they flop or fly.\nLavigne's words open the new album reflecting an emotional stalemate -- the way a person can make you feel absolutely nothing, like you wish someone else could save you from the void ("Take Me Away" and "Together").\nContinuing with rich vocal melodies, Lavigne tackles "the arm that's 'round (her) neck" on "Don't Tell Me" by subtly preaching abstinence, a praiseworthy feat when compared to other pop princesses such as Britney Spears, who turned her back on childhood innocence and decided it was okay to portray herself as a stripping sensation to impressionable female fans.\nAt least on Under My Skin, Lavigne packs a punch at the opposite sex and shows that a girl can be strong and make good choices. An applaudable theme on the album stems from Lavigne's way of not settling for just anything that's given to her, or any guy, for that matter. Though overwhelmed by the world in "How Does it Feel," Lavigne seems to understand the main worries festering in teens' minds. She touches upon the key themes -- love, sex, confusion, fear and individualism -- all the while relaying her thoughts with straightforward lyrics.\nUnder My Skin's musical flavor is less punk-oriented than Let Go, yet it keeps the band's refreshing, pop-quenching ability. Sliding into a warmer, honey-smooth sound on "Nobody's Home," Lavigne tells the story of a woman "broken inside," who has lost herself, her faith and who needs guidance.\nBy the end of Under My Skin, the singer contradicts her earlier prudish stance and finds someone worth making her knees quiver. On "Fall to Pieces" (produced by Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace), she sings, "When I come undone/You bring me back again …/ 'cause I'm in love with you." So much as she tries, Lavigne cannot escape love. It'll consume her, even if she attempts to plunge a stake into the heart of her mystery guy.\nEven if you're not an angst-ridden teen, whom Lavigne's music is aimed at perfectly -- whether knowingly or not -- her femininity and strength shine through sincere songs. Although not the deepest content-wise, the tunes are thoroughly enjoyable. However, the question remains: does this girl ever smile, or does she still have something to prove?