The Best Damn Thing - Avril Lavigne
Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
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  1. All Music Guide
    90
    True, this is far from deep but Under the Skin proved that a deep Avril is a dull Avril. The Best Damn Thing, in contrast, builds on every one of her bratty strengths which makes for ridiculously catchy pop - the kind of music that provides a soundtrack for teens and guilty pleasures for everyone else.
  2. The Guardian
    80
    Crammed with hooks, The Best Damn Thing is a triumphant comeback.
  3. musicOMH.com
    80
    A fun, engaging record.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    The dumb, girly, giddy Best Damn Thing reembraces the 15-year-old pom-pom punkette within, with multitracked hand claps, Toni Basil-gone-bad cheers, and pep-rally-rattling guitars.
  5. Stylus Magazine
    75
    It’s enormous, senseless, superficial, selfish, and cocky past the point of absurdity, but it’s never wrong.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    75
    It's a consciously lightweight pop-punk romp that appears to have been inspired by "Since U Been Gone," Kelly Clarkson's massive hit.
  7. Spin
    70
    The Best Damn Thing rarely takes itself too seriously. [May 2007, p.89]
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  8. Sputnikmusic
    70
    The range of emotions and material on display make The Best Damn Thing a much easier listen than the monotonous angst of Under My Skin.
  9. Billboard
    70
    A mostly sassy'n'snotty affair on which she sounds even younger than when her debut album, 2002's "Let Go," went multiplatinum. [28 Apr 2007]
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  10. Austin Chronicle
    67
    Lavigne's punk-lite cheerleader chic could well be tweens' first tantalizing steps down the primrose path to Patti Smith.
  11. Hot Press
    65
    A boisterous and bratty collection of hook-swamped shout-alongs.
  12. Rolling Stone
    60
    There are few surprises here, but The Best Damn Thing is totally fearless about targeting pop radio and rather expert in its execution.
  13. Boston Globe
    60
    The songs are furiously bouncy and unbelievably vapid.
  14. PopMatters
    60
    The album is filled with strong pop-punk turns, offset by a handful of regrettable ballads.
  15. The New York Times
    50
    As an album “The Best Damn Thing” is too relentless to be heard end to end. Its songs are expected to bring occasional jolts to a playlist. [16 Apr 2007]
  16. Hartford Courant
    50
    The songwriting is weaker than on her previous two albums, though there are plenty of sugary pop hooks and a slick, punked-up guitar sound that exists solely in $1,000-a-day recording studios.
  17. Slant Magazine
    40
    The Best Damn Thing is a big step back for an artist who was just starting to grow up.
  18. NOW Magazine
    40
    The lyrics are brutal.
  19. Dot Music
    20
    This is pretty fluffy stuff.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 197 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 73 out of 117
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 117
  3. Negative: 35 out of 117
  1. Mangaeyes
    9
    Lavigne's first two albums seemed to be more about her trying to prove herself as a musician, while 'The Best Damn Thing' is much more playful. The lead single and first track on the album, "Girlfriend", pretty much sets the tone for the album; girly, aggressive, fun, confident. Not every song shares its brattiness though, with "One Of Those Girls" acting as a "Sk8er Boi" part 2 and "Contagious" being a cutesy song about a crush. There are even a couple of mellow moments with the second single, "When You're Gone", being a gutsy ballad, allowing Lavigne to showcase both her improved vocals and improved lyrical ability. Lavigne's lyrics however, while an improvement on her previous efforts, still come short on some songs with the lyrics of "Innocence" failing to cleverly describe the intriguing state of bliss Lavigne bluntly calls "brilliant". Similarly, "Hot" and "I Don't Have To Try" keep up with the aggressive theme but choose obvious, predictable rhyming over creative songwriting. It's a brilliantly fun, energetic album, adding another dimension to Lavigne's trademark pop-rock sound she's been building throughout her career and in her seemingly relaxed approach to writing this album she proves herself to be the authentic rocker that she tried (and failed) to be with her first two albums.… Full Review »
  2. musicisallineed
    5
    An average album created for average music fans that satisfies your ears with some beautiful and catchy songwriting for a small percentage of the time, but remove these efforts and you have nothing more than a bad teenage album from an artist who just needs to, at times, grow up. The potential is present, but potential feels somewhat lazy by album number three.… Full Review »
  3. Liameq
    6
    1st post AHHHHHHHHHHH =)

    If you liked the albums Let Go or Under My Skin then there is a good chance you wont like this album. Avril Lavigne'    s 3rd album, The Best Damn Thing is in many ways a bold one. Avril really does throw away her Pop punk rift's and melody's produces something a bit more glamorise and I hate to use this word but 'mainstream'. To be honest this album really did disappoint me, saying that, there is no doubt in my mind that this is a good album. The thing is, it's just not why I listen to Avril. That's okay though because this album is sure to capture a whole new audience. ARGH I'M GETTING LOST!

    To the point...
    I thought this album had some great beats such as Girlfriend, The Best Damn Thing, Everything Back But You and I Don't Have To Try, It also delivers some emotional drainage that you expect with an Lavinge album with the songs 'When You're Gone', 'Innocence',' Keep Holding On'. Although I enjoyed 'When You're Gone' I though 'Keep Holding On' was nothing but mediocre and 'Innocence' just made me **** angry =( To summarise, the album is probably not what anyone expected but it actually takes nothing away from the album. This is a relatively good, fun, POP album.    … Full Review »
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