I wonder if there is something in Canadian drinking water that helps produce so many talented musicians, and especially singer/songwriters. Inevitably, the comparisons will be made between this young lady and the already well-established, and highly successful, Avril Lavigne. Both ladies are very young, and both utilise heavy rock backing music to communicate their teen angst and experiences. But after listening to Dobson’s new record, I think she has the edge, and in several ways.

And it doesn’t take long to spot one difference as the first track, Stupid Little Love Song, explodes from the grooves. The rock vibe is far heavier and very close to the metallic variety. This is a song full of adrenaline and a pretty simple message, and it works. Dobson’s voice is young but strong, and more convincing than her counterpart. Bye Bye Boyfriend is next on the roundabout and as I was relaxing to the first quiet, relaxing moments I was suddenly shaken by another torrent of heavy rock. The changes of pace, strong melody and instrumentals, excellent production, and decent lyrics should see this eventually released as a single.

Take Me Away is song three and by this point I’m thinking that Dobson is a more rounded, solid performer than Lavigne. Next up is Everything from the movie Perfect Score. It’s a super pop song with several changes of pace, strong melody and a wonderful vocal performance. Then along comes one of my favourite tracks, Revolution Song, which again provides a tranquil opening before opening out into the heavy rock arena. Looking down by notes, I have marked the good songs with stars and I’m pleased to report that there are many stars. Unforgiven is back into the heavy metal league, while We Went For A Ride is attractive in its simplicity, melody and medium rock vibe. The latter could be another single.

It’s not till one reaches the final segment of the album that the pop ballads start to appear, and it was here that Dobson really excelled. She conquered acoustic tracks like the very beautiful Julia, and the distinctive 8 X 10. On the UK album edition there are two bonus tracks that almost steal the show. Rainbow is a mesmerising pop ballad with lovely piano passages, and a really expressive performance by Dobson. Final track, Don’t Let Me Fall is also a bit of a heartbreaker and manages to control the rock urges within sensible limits.

FeFe Dobson has produced an excellent debut album, and exhibits more authority and maturity than the competition. The song lyrics are simple and effective, while her voice manages to cover the full spectrum of moods and notes. In reviewing teenage artists, I like to try and think ahead to where they will be in a few years time. This lady has enough natural talent for the long run. I came away thinking that I would like to see her perform live, and that’s a strong recommendation for any artist.

4/5