Ashlee Simpson

"Autobiography"

Geffen Records

Grade: C

Brown hair isn't the only thing that distinguishes Ashlee from her sister, Jessica, these days.

Ashlee Simpson's debut album, "Autobiography," is a far cry from the sugary pop that made her older sister famous.

With a voice that strangely resembles Courtney Love, Ashlee sings openly about subjects which Jessica wouldn't dare mention, until she was married to Nick, of course.

While her sister sings happy love songs and remakes of everyone else's songs, Ashlee busied herself by contributing to every song on her album.

It paid off because "Autobiography" is a blend of punk rock and alternative sound totally opposite from Jessica's.

And autobiography it is.

Track three is about living in her sister's shadow, but finally being able to come into her own as a performer.

In the title track, "Autobiography," Ashlee sings about being a nasty girl and uses a few choice words that probably have her preacher father covering his ears.

The world got a preview of her album on her reality show, aired on MTV.

The best song on the entire album is by far "Unreachable." The song was recorded after Ashlee and her boyfriend broke up and is filled with her own personal anguish.

Lyrics state, "So don't make me cry, because this love don't feel so right, you can't push a river, you can't make me fall, but you can make me unreachable."

Other highlights are her first single, "Pieces of me," "Love makes the world go round," and "Undiscovered."

But the song "Lala" is definitely worthy of the skip button.

After playing in a show such as "7th Heaven," Ashlee isn't capable of dressing up in a French maid's uniform and having people believe É well, never mind.

While her vocals are not nearly about as strong as Jessica's, at least Ashlee has variety to her music.

While she claims to be revealing her true self, after listening to the lyrics it sounds as if she is trying to be the exact opposite to her sister in every way.

It's as if she is portraying a bad girl image to sell records, following in the footsteps of Christina and Britney.

The album as a whole isn't that bad. In fact, it borders on okay.

But it does make you wonder.

Wasn't one singing Simpson enough?

-- by Stacy Temple, associate editor