Why did Avril Lavigne have to go and make things so complicated? Though fast-rising Jaded Era has been making the rounds with its plush, whip-smart rock longer than the pop-turned-punk Lavigne, her success could make this band look like a bunch of opportunists to those who don’t know better.

Let’s hope that’s not the case, and that Jaded Era scores the deal it deserves in the wake of its excellent second album, Invisible. A substantial improvement over the group’s solid debut, Invisible sees Jaded Era maturing into its own sound, bringing an end to the No Doubt comparisons (except on the adrenalized “Take It”). Frontwoman Kira Leyden, who has reined in her vocals a bit, sings with equal poise and promise. The rest of the band brings the heat, turning rockers like “Perfect” and “Sacrifice” into a memorable mix of saccharin and sweat. Recorded by Sponge producer Tim Patalan, Invisible is of major-label caliber, and so is this band.

This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2002.