By Isaiah Smith/entertainment editor

Avril Lavigne achieves pink-goth on her new album The Best Damn Thing, her third studio album. Power-pop punk-rocker Lavigne takes a more fun approach to music on her latest CD.

“ I didn’t have an A&R guy on this record; I knew exactly how I wanted it to sound,” Lavigne said on her Web site www.avrillavigne.com. “I’m doing choreographed dancing for the first time ever. It’s going to be such a blast.”

“ Girlfriend,” Lavigne’s first infectious single, is already topping most requested lists on radio stations such as 106.1 KISS FM. Lavigne embraces her pop side with this radio-friendly track with a clapping backbeat and a cheerleader sounding chorus.

One hit off of the CD was written for the movie Eragon. “Keep Holding On” was included on the movie soundtrack and conquered the radio waves before The Best Damn Thing was even released. Lavigne has a lot of passion on this song; the chorus has a soothing quality while still staying up-tempo.

“Hot” is a sensual track that stays clean and upbeat, a difficult combination; still Lavigne sings the hook-line well, a great single. “Hot,” along with three other tracks, was co-written by Lavigne and former bandmate Evan Taubenfeld.

“ Evan is one of my best friends in the world. He’s been with me since day one,” Lavigne said.

Taubenfield also helped write “One of Those Girls,” “Innocence” and “Contagious.”

“ Contagious” is a fun love song about how this guy makes Lavigne feel high, all the time, on love. Lavigne goes back into her normal range on this track whereas on most of the album, she sings in a higher pop-level octave than normal.

On “Everything Back But You,” Lavigne tells a cheating boyfriend to hit the road after smelling another chick’s perfume. There is a Sum 41 influence to this song, which adds a cool, rock-edge.

Deryck Whibley, Lavigne’s husband and the lead singer for Sum 41, helped produce some of the tracks, so it makes sense.

The title track “The Best Damn Thing” has a pep rally cadence to it in the verses, then speeds up to rock during the chorus. This is a sassy, in-your-face kind of track when she declares she is “The best damn thing you’ll ever see” in the chorus.

“ One of Those Girls,” is a track where Lavigne laments a type of girl who uses her looks to manipulate men before moving on to another guy.

All in all, Lavigne moves beyond the dark black goth of Under My Skin to show her pink goth side on The Best Damn Thing. I give it five stars.

Lavigne is showing the world punk-goths can be happy and upbeat too.