What's the consensus on HAW?

For me personally I'd rank it as her 3rd best album. LG and TBDT will always be favorites of mine. But I think it's basically a better version of GL and definitely better than AL. And UMS has never been a favorite album of mine either so yeah it easily outranks all those. I don't think it's her best album but certainly not her worst either.

I do think it is probably her best album or at least one of her best in terms of lyrics (aside from LG, don't think anything will ever top that because she had so much professional help with it), though this album's lyrics are more poetic, which is nice. And I think it's her best album vocally too.

I think it would have been better maybe if she had released the album in two parts, like while she was still sick if she released the Lyme songs, and then released the love songs later. But I also like that the album tells a story - it is definitely her most cohesive album in that sense. None of her other albums really tell a complete story from start to finish. GL maybe a little bit, but as we know, that album had its own set of issues.

I think this is a good direction for Avril to keep going in and is a good comeback album for her. It may not have gotten the sales/charts that people hoped for, it will probably get ignored at the Grammys and other award shows, but that's ok. This is overall a huge achievement for her to have made the album at all after what she went through and not even knowing if she'd make music again. That in itself is something she should feel proud of. And hopefully she will just keep going from here.

It's a great album, too bad that she has some fillers like Bigger Wow and Love Me Insane.. and i don't like Warrior either but i don't consider it a filler because it's a perfect album closer.
Lyrically is very good since she co-wrote with great writers, it's better than the past albums minus Let Go( that album will always be her best lyrically), but too many na na yeah yeah yeah that ''ruin'' the pleasure to listen to the songs, at least to me. I always felt like she added those things because she couldn't write anything more and in the long run it's repetitive and annoying, very annoying..especially the yeah yeah of Souvenir and yeah yeah lo lo ve me insane part. In fact i tend to not hear those songs because they get on my nerves.

To me the best songs of this album are the underrated ones: Crush, Tell Me It's Over and Goddess.. they shows her vocals perfectly. The dark side.. well i like it very much, but it's too overrated: Birdie and Devil are great song, but it doesn't mean they are the best only because they are dark and more ''Avril-ish''.. And i wish she had written more songs like It Was In Me.

For me all filler except 2 tracks
Fake Instruments again

In my opinion, it's nowhere near to LG or UMS, but I could see it turning into my 3rd favorite album, leaving TBDT in 4th place. However, it's VERY new, and my outlook on it may change. I certainly think this will outrank GL and AL for sure, nonetheless.

At first I was kind of annoyed at how the last songs are so much lighter than the first ones, but after giving it more listens and realizing how it actually tells a story (something unprecedented in her discography), I can see why she went that way. I'm still curious to see what kind of album we would've gotten if she hadn't had that falling out with Rotem. It probably could've been her second or even her best album to date. I have a feeling the songs she had before the Phillip songs "Souvenir, ""Goddess", "LMI", "Bigger Wow" were a lot better, but oh well.

The only thing that annoys me is the jazz vibe in a few songs. I'm ok with TMIO, but then the Crush verses are very annoying, she's like forcing her voice too much to fit that genre. On the contrary, I don't think it really suits her that well. The chorus, which is more pop, suits her a lot better. By the time I get to Love Me Insane, I'm kind of done with that vibe.

I hope the next album is more upbeat and more like TBDT in terms of sound and production, with HAW type of lyrics. That would be pretty amazing.

For me Head Above Water is a love/hate relationship:

Dislikes:
- Birdie: One of her best songs ever, great production and lyrics! But why are her vocals so screechy?!?
- Dumb Blonde: For me, this is another Bitchin Summer, so much potential but so CRINGEY!!! I actually prefer Niki Minaj verse to any of Avril's. The lyric video is Pure Killer though.
- It Was In Me: I really don't understand the hype of this song? It's okay but sounds exactly like Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls.
- Souvenir: One of my favourite songs on the album however after the chorus before the bridge when there is the 'Souvi - Souvenir' break down that should have continued for another 4 bars but ends abruptly - bad production work.
- Goddess: A great song that's ruined by the 'Bananas / Pyjamas' rhyming couplet.
- Love Me Insane: Feel like there should be another repeat of the chorus at the end, the song kinda just ends after this big build up.
- Warrior: The chant during the bridge should have repeated, it kinda just happens and then is forgotten about, would have liked to have seen it reappear at the end with a slow fade.
- Considering it took her so long to produce the "perfect" album, songs feel rushed like they were trying to meet a deadline.
- Would have LOVED to hear the other songs she worked with J.R.Rotem.
- A general feeling that Avril is as talented as other pop female artists. Compare this to Rainbow by Kesha and it's clearly obvious who is the better musician...
- It's another concept album with songs varying vastly in sound.
- Some of the songs, mainly the singles, are again quite Radio-Disney like her previous album.

Loves:
- Avril maturing and modernising her music! FINALLY!
- Her vocals are great.
- Love the album cover.
- Was worried that it was going to be 100% emotional ballads but she has provided song great pop tunes.
- Top 5 Songs: Souvenir, Goddess, Bigger Wow, Birdie and Fell In Love With The Devil

Overall for me, it's a 3.5/5

It's her 3rd best for me. GL & UMS are above it and TBDT follows it as 4th best album.

It's good because that means she evolved. I know some singers where the first one is still the best and they have 3 to 4 albums.