Avril Lavigne: My World

“Avril Lavigne is upfront, outrageous and totally in control,” reads the cover copy on this, the young singer's first concert DVD. “(She) is real, rockin' and anything but ordinary.” Yeah, well, that's their opinion, and it's no doubt shared by the fans who sold out the Buffalo, New York venue where the show was recorded in May 2003. But while the “sk8er boiz ‘n' gurls” who bought Lavigne's Let Go CD by the millions will surely dig the DVD too, her charms are likely to elude anyone older than, say, 23. Fact is, Lavigne's rather tuneless, sometimes off-key singing isn't her strong suit, to say the least. And the songwriting…well, Lennon and McCartney, or even the Go-Go's, are in no danger. So what's the appeal? Well, she's got spunk, as well as what passes these days for “attitude”--little matter that the ‘tude in question has a certain MTV-style lack of conviction or insight. Combine that with the loud, crunching guitars (heard in Dolby Digital 5. 1 and stereo), the anthemic, driving choruses of Lavigne's songs, and tons of extra features (including a 40-minute featurette, five music videos, and even a bonus audio CD with six tunes), and you've got more than enough to keep the kids satisfied. And let's not forget that Lavigne has visual appeal (which leads one to wonder: if she looked like, for example, a younger Janis Ian or Phoebe Snow, both of whom are immensely more talented and immensely less cute, would Lavigne be selling out concert arenas and moving CDs by the truckload?). Considering Lavigne's popularity, this should definitely be considered for larger music collections. Aud: P. (S. Graham)