Geffen Records
2004
Autobiography
About This Album
Give Ashlee Simpson some credit -- she (or her management) knew that the only way to break out of the shadow of her older sister, Jessica, was to be her opposite. So, she dyed her blonde hair jet-black, based her music in rock, not dance-pop, and co-wrote every song on her 2004 debut, Autobiography (Jessica only co-wrote one on her debut, Sweet Kisses). It could be argued that this makeover for the star of the square WB TV series 7th Heaven is a bit too calculated, but regardless of the intent, the end result still works far better than that of her big sister's albums. Where Jessica sounds like a throwback to the late '60s/early '70s, specifically to the variety shows of Andy Williams and Sonny & Cher, Ashlee is modern, using the glossy, punky pop of Pink and Avril Lavigne as the touchstone for her debut. It's heavy on guitars and light on dance beats, although those are bubbling under the layers and layers of six-strings, and Ashlee has adopted a growl that may come out closer to a mousey squeak, but the attitude is appreciated all the same. And that pretty much sums up Autobiography -- it's not perfect, and it's often affected, but it winds up being endearing because of her earnestness.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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