At the same time as the world continues to recover from Avril-mania, the formula that Ms. Lavigne has pioneered stands as a template for young artists to break through into the scene. A fellow Canadian, FeFe Dobson (hailing from Toronto) takes a page from Avril’s book with her marketing efforts for her self-titled debut CD, by deigning her intended hit singles as “Bye Bye Boyfriend” and “Stupid Little Love Song.” Please forgive us for thinking that this is the punk-pop song-styling reincarnate…

But Dobson’s music is actually nothing like Avril’s, nor much else that is playing on today’s hit-radio. Dobson has a hankering for a soulful sound, with a bit of hip-hop, and even elements of gospel to complement the overall accessibility of the popular overtones. The debut CD actually gets better as the disc progresses, from the fore-mentioned throwaway tracks to the musical strength inherent to the last three tracks, “Give it Up,” “Julia,” and “8 x 10.”

FeFe Dobson is likely not to topple Avril from her current perch, even though she arguably has a much stronger voice and a greater inherent sense of music-making. Her sounds are more eclectic, and likely less destined for teenage girl obsession as has make Ms. Lavigne a superstar. Dobson is a welcome addition to the scene, but her work is going to take two or three album releases, and a couple of good years, to ferment.