Love Sux is Canadian pop-rock musician Avril Lavigne's seventh studio album, a highly anticipated album by many for a couple of reasons. Not only did it simply feel time for a new album since it had been three years since Lavigne's sixth album Head Above Water, but Love Sux is a return to form for the singer. Ahead of the album being announced, Lavigne collaborated on a couple of singles with WILLOW and Travis Barker ("G R O W") and her current boyfriend MOD SUN ("Flames"), and both songs (whether intentionally or unintentionally, I don't know) served as precursors for what was to come on Love Sux. Much like her 2007 third studio album The Best Damn Thing, Love Sux is an album fueled by pop punk reminiscent of the likes of Simple Plan, blink-182, Sum 41, etc., and the album doesn't waste any time getting into that vibe, opening with the loud, heavy, and high energy punk rock number "Cannonball." "Cannonball" opens with the staticky sound of instruments plugging in, making it such a great way to open the album as that definitely sets the overall tone of the album. "Like a ticking time bomb, I'm about to explode!" Avril shouts after the instruments kick off. The chorus is a soaring, catchy melody that is sure to get stuck in your head after a couple of listens. I am not going to spend a whole lot of time addressing the lyrical meanings behind most of the songs on the album because many of the songs have a similar (if not the same) lyrical theme, and that is another way that "Cannonball" sets the mood for the album. Lavigne has stated that the song is "about being a fierce bitch," but, as is the case with most of the songs on the album, it addresses a bad breakup and how the speaker feels free and happier now that it's over: "You did me dirty," she aggressively proclaims in the first verse. "Now, I'm gonna live a life without you... and I'll be happy if we never speak again." (Like I said, that pretty much sums up the entire theme of nearly the entire album.) I like the melody of "Bois Lie" (the spelling of which is likely intended to be a reference to Lavigne's very early hit single "Sk8er Boi"), but I am not a huge fan of Machine Gun Kelly so don't love his being featured on it. One thing that does thematically stand out with "Bois Lie," however, is that it's not one-sided. Despite the title, MGK argues that "girls lie too," so we sort of get both perspectives of the failed relationship.
"Bite Me" is the album's lead single and is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. It's so catchy, and I especially love Lavigne's "eh-oh" at the beginning of the chorus because something about it takes me back to old school Avril from Let Go and Under My Skin. It's such a fun song that, like I said, as is the case with most of the album's material, is about feeling free and empowered after the end of a bad relationship: "Should've held on, should've treated me right," the chorus advises. "I gave you one chance; you don't get it twice." (She also released an acoustic version which even got its own separate music video.) We then get the album's second single, "Love It When You Hate Me," a collaboration with alternative hip hop artist blackbear who solely commands the second verse. Avril has described the song as being "about ignoring all the warning signs and doing something knowing, full well, you shouldn't." With that in mind, I would argue that it's more specifically about the consequences of having jumped into bed with someone whom you knew wasn't right for you. While I am not spending a whole lot of time discussing the sonic elements of the music (the reason behind which I will explain shortly), I will say that there is a part in "Love It When You Hate Me" that reminds me a great deal of "Runaway" from The Best Damn Thing. Here in "Love It When You Hate Me," Avril's voice melodically soars in the pre-chorus, "...and I ignore all the warning signs...," and in "Runaway," she sings (interestingly, also in the pre-chorus), "...and I feel so alive..." The melody between these two parts is nearly identical, and they even both start with the same two words. Given that both songs (albeit in different ways) thematically address being impulsive, it's not a stretch to imagine that it might be an intentional callback to that song. As one would expect given that it's the title track, "Love Sux" (which sonically reminds me a bit of Under My Skin's "He Wasn't") is such a great representation of the album's overall story: "Na-na-na, not another breakup. When I think of you, I just wanna throw up." "Kiss Me Like the World Is Ending" is another one worth mentioning because, despite the title of the album, it addresses love from a more positive perspective. Written with and about her boyfriend MOD SUN, it is a lovey-dovey number about getting swept away in the honeymoon era of a relationship: "The stars shine for the two of us... so sweet and mysterious."
"Avalanche" is another highlight, mainly because it's the first of only two occasions on the album that veers a bit away from the raw punk sound heard throughout most of the album which is exactly why, as previously stated, I am not spending a lot of time in this review discussing the sound of each song. Doing so would quickly get redundant because, as is one of my minor complaints with the album, it's a bit monotonous sonically. Although I have found this to frequently be the case with pop punk albums, The Best Damn Thing does at least offer up a lot more variety with tracks like "When You're Gone," "Innocence," and "Keep Holding On." Although a band eventually joins in, "Avalanche" begins on an acoustic note reminding me a bit of Head Above Water's "Goddess." I love the melody of the chorus, and I also love that it's one of the few spots on the album that doesn't address a relationship. It is instead about admitting that you're not okay emotionally, making it the one song on the album to which I most relate. I also really enjoy the guitar riff that fuels the chorus of "Deja Vu," and other highlights include "All I Wanted" (if for no other reason than that it features Mark Hoppus on guest vocals, an absolutely iconic name in the world of punk rock) and "Dare to Love Me" (the album's only soft ballad driven primarily by piano and orchestra). The album then closes on an upbeat note with "Break of a Heartache," perhaps (especially because of its speed) the most punk rock that the album gets. It's somewhat of a historical move for Lavigne because this is the first time that an album of hers doesn't end with a soft ballad. I overall have complex feelings about Love Sux. I am so happy to see and hear this return to form and there are some great gems on it, but one of the reasons why I love her 2013 self-titled album as much as I do is because of the variety on it, whereas, as previously stated, Love Sux gets a bit monotonous after a few tracks. The chorus of "Deja Vu" says it best: "It's the same thing over and over again." A close friend also pointed out that he felt that the equalization is off on certain tracks, and I went back and listened specifically for that and found myself agreeing; on the first three tracks especially, I am not sure if her vocals are loud enough, and on "Dare to Love Me," her voice seems to suddenly get a bit louder once the second verse begins. I think that, overall, this might be my least favorite Avril Lavigne album so far, but like I said, I am also thrilled about the return to form.
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