Noah Cyrus : " I Want My Loved Ones To Go With Me"

Yep, this is Miley's sister. Regular readers here will know I am a fan of Miley, and this is not the first time I have heard her sister, but the first time I have listened to an entire album. Miley has talked about her before, saying her sister has never wanted her help or wanted to do anything similar to what Miley does, and you can hear that on this album. However, there is less of an indie feel on this one, with a more produced sound; however, she is not making pop country either. She has a good voice, but isn't a powerhouse like her sister. It is more melancholy and atmospheric than what Miley does. What they do have in common is that country music is just in their DNA. 

She has begun to pull strings when it comes to the guest spots as Fleet Foxes joins her on the second song. It's a ballad that is more folk than country. Though country music begins to bleed in, thanks to the guitars. Her vocals are typically multi-tracked, which is most obvious in the layers heard on "What's It All For". This one is another reflective ballad. The elements of country also fade into this song as well, though it's more subtle. She abandons herself to country music on "Way of the World," which plays to her favor, and I would also say this album is more country than the last Kacey Musgraves album, and more country than the bulk of her sister's work. For "Way of the World," there is a ton of Dolly Parton influence, which invokes more of a '70s feel. 

Not a huge fan of Blake Shelton, but he works well enough on "New Country," which benefits from having strong, honest lyrics, reflecting on finding her own musical identity amid expectation. Things stray into a direction I was expecting with "Long Ride Home' that veers more toward indie rock. There is a Lana Del Ray feel to "Apple Tree," where you can hear one way the producer sought to set her apart from Miley is by applying more reverb to her voice. It is a ballad that simmers as she opens up and sings out more, proving her sister is not the only one who can belt.  It also helps that the vocal production on this album is incredible and all the layered harmonies are beautiful, as you can hear on " Man in the Field"; she might have outdone her sister in this regard. 

"With You" is stripped-down country music that leans in the direction of balladry again. Which is the only complaint about this album, things could be a tad more dynamic, as it is fairly ballad-heavy. Not all ballads invoke the same thing as the haunting feel of "Love is a Canyon" works really well.  Bill Callahan from Smog joins her on the last song. I will give this album a 9.5, despite being introspective country ballads, it's done in a manner that sets Noah apart on her own. 

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