Avril Lavigne rose to the top of the charts in 2007 with her hit single “Girlfriend,” but the Canadian teen seemed to disappear from the scene for a period of time after marrying Sum 41 band member Deryck Whibley. Four years later, she is now divorced, influencing her to release her fourth album, Goodbye Lullaby.

Lavigne’s new single, “What the Hell,” was released before the rest of the album. The nonchalant lyrics portray the angsty life of most high school teens, saying, “All my life I’ve been good, / but now / I’m thinking what the hell.” Despite these clearly life lesson-infused words, it is quite catchy, and any listener can expect to be humming this tune for the rest of the day.

“What the Hell” is not one of my favorite songs, since the track has become stale quickly with each repeat it has had on MTV, on the radio and even on my iPod, always switching to this song when on shuffle.

However, most of the album does not sound like this teen-empowerment song. Instead, the other songs are quieter and feature fewer electric guitar notes. My personal favorite track on the album is “Push,” a love song, but I think the lyrics are creative in comparison to those of “What the Hell.”

In the song, Lavigne states: “Maybe you should just shut up / even when it gets tough / Baby ’cause this is love. / And you know when push comes to shove / It’s gonna take the both of us / Baby, this is love / Baby, this is love.” The instrumentation and the combination of the soft vocals are a nice arrangement, as Lavigne usually compiles her albums full of loud tracks.

Another great song is “Black Star,” the album’s opener. The piano and vocal combination is a sweet and mellow way to introduce the listener to the new, grown-up Lavigne.

In addition to “Black Star,” “Remember When” is a piano-driven song that speaks about her past relationships and how she needs to move on with her life, with lyrics like: “Remember when / I remember when it was together till the end / Now I’m alone again / Where do I begin? / I cried a little bit / You died a little bit / Please say there’s no regrets.”

Most of Lavigne’s songs either talk about how great it is that she is in a relationship, or how she hurts after a breakup, making Goodbye Lullaby stand out as a girly album that is fitting to listen to in the car for about a month, before the tunes and words seem to blur together.

The deluxe version of Goodbye Lullaby includes a cover of Joan Jett’s famous hit “Bad Reputation,” along with acoustic versions of “What the Hell,” “Push” and “Wish You Were Here.” I prefer most of the acoustics over the originals, because sometimes the original songs are just too busy — too many instruments playing at once.

For potential listeners, I do offer a word of caution. There is no clean version, and though not marked by iTunes as explicit, there are several songs with a plethora of profanities. So, for those bothered by strong language, it may not be a wise decision to purchase this album.

Lavigne has not changed much maturity-wise between this disc and her first album, Let Go, but her songs are still catchy and worth listening to from time to time. Goodbye Lullaby is not spectacular, but, for those who are fans, it features the same Lavigne that they have come to adore.

The album is available on iTunes, on Amazon.com and at most local music stores.

For more music reviews, read the March 3 article, Adele drops impressive sophomore album.

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