A doozey of a concept album, this two-CD set captures the double life of singer/actress Miley Cyrus with one disc of songs performed by her blonder pop-star TV alter ego, {|Hannah Montana|}, and a second disc, Meet Miley Cyrus, of songs sung -- and often co-written -- by the teen actress (not, mind you, Miley Stewart, whom Ms. Cyrus also plays on TV). Although...
Read moreA doozey of a concept album, this two-CD set captures the double life of singer/actress Miley Cyrus with one disc of songs performed by her blonder pop-star TV alter ego, {|Hannah Montana|}, and a second disc, Meet Miley Cyrus, of songs sung -- and often co-written -- by the teen actress (not, mind you, Miley Stewart, whom Ms. Cyrus also plays on TV). Although unified by high-energy, Radio Disney-ready pop songs, filled with candy-coated power-pop guitars, positive, tween-and-teen-friendly lyrics, and dance-happy beats, there are subtle differences between the albums. For one, Hannah Montana 2 has higher-octane songwriters, including Robbie Neville and Matthew Gerrard (who wrote {|Kelly Clarkson|}'s "Breakway"), lending their chops to proceedings. The results offer more bounce than a superball, from the ska-powered chorus of "We Got the Party" to the Avril LaVigne knockoff chorus of "Nobody's Perfect." For a nice change of pace, Hannah -- or is it Miley? -- gets funky on the {|Prince|}-lite "Old Blue Jeans" and recalls more than a little of {|Vanessa Carlton|} on "One in a Million." Meet Miley Cyrus follows a similar vibe, but the singer feels a little more invested: There's a tad more country in her voice, a little more soul in the singing. And on some of the tracks, including the searing "Right Here" and the reggae pop of "Clear," this queen of teen sounds like she doesn't need a TV show behind her to shine.
Brand: WALT DISNEY RECORDS
