Miley Cyrus : "Something Beautiful"

Miley's 9th album is pretty ambitious. It's framed with preludes and interludes to create a more immersive experience than your average pop. The title track clashes a soulful lounge ballad with a more jarring industrial noise-tinted section, which might be seen as the chorus. Her voice sounds great, this seems to blend her pop sheen with the more rock-inflected moments of albums like "Plastic Hearts". She claims this album is inspired by "The Wall", the saxophone wailing in the background bringing a "Diamond Dogs" styled chaos to the fringes of its sound. 1 am highly amused by the upbeat musical frolic that juxtaposes the lyrical content of "End of the World". 

"More to Lose' is a well-sung, yet more predictable ballad that fits well on the current pop landscape. "Easy Lover" is not the Phil Collins song; it holds little regard for the '80s. But works well for what she is going for. The first shift of vocal color and reflection on her country roots surfaces for "Golden Burning Sun".  She is more nuanced on the verses her and belts it out in her more trademark style for the chorus. Interesting ambiance colors this mix. There is a more Bronski Beat feel to "Walk of Fame' which is my favorite moment so far. Brittnay Howard from Alabama Shakes joins her for this one. 

"Pretend You're God' could have been on alternative radio in the 90s, the production creates a more dream pop vibe. "Every Girl You've Ever Loved" is more of an '80s pop collision with disco.  She does return more to the 80s with "Reborn', which features some interesting vocal layering, and darker production than what I expected , until the chorus, which feels like French future-pop. There are some house elements worked into several songs.  I was not expecting the last song to be a 70s-flavored pop ballad. I can hear where this would be from a musical, though there is also an ABBA vibe.  She is raising the bar, Based off what I have heard so far I am not sure the new HAIM is going to be able to compete with her she is at now. She has entered her hyper-diva phase, expect the gays to worship this album, hell, I will even give it a 10.Flawless Victory.

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