Artists can go through many changes throughout their career. Miley Cyrus has changed her image in the public eye more times than anyone can count. With her new album “Younger Now,” Cyrus has chosen to reinvent herself yet again. Cyrus is still churning out radio pop, but now with an added touch of her old country pop sound.

The album’s title track and first single, “Younger Now,” starts off strong, with a nice hook that will grab listeners immediately. The added vocal echo gives the song a larger sound stage and adds an enjoyable concert-like vibe.

“Malibu” and “Rainbowland” are reminiscent of two of Cyrus’s past sounds. “Malibu” is about Cyrus’s time on the West Coast. Although it contains a very attractive bass line, it feels lazy and drawn out. The track never quite feels like it reaches its climax.

As for “Rainbowland,” we hear more of a heavy country influence. The southern twang is a refreshing step back from the thumping pop songs that Cyrus has been producing lately. Dolly Parton’s vocal contribution also makes this track a fun listen.

“Miss You So Much” is a particularly excellent performance. Cyrus lets loose on her vocals. Her voice pierces through the guitar and drum beat as she sings about longing for a loved one.

Other songs in the album start to travel back towards her pop sound, doing away with the nostalgic theme. The song “Thinkin’” is simplistic, but the guitar and ear-worm vocals create a hook that makes it hard to stop listening to.

The choice to veer back toward Cyrus’ pop sound is not without its faults. “Bad Mood” and “Love Someone” sadly seem to blend together. Both are filled with resentment toward old loves and don’t contribute a lot to the narrative of the album.

Venturing into past relationships is a major theme in this album, and Cyrus’ execution ranges from very poor to very engaging. “She’s Not Him” weighs on the good side of the scale and is one of the most heartfelt and best songs of the album. Cyrus sings about her relationship with a woman and how it is affecting her current relationship. The song is expressive and demonstrates what Cyrus can sound like when she feels strongly about a topic.

The song “Inspire” bookends the album with a forgettable, mellow sound that leaves much to be desired.

The majority of the album feels all over the place, jumping from nostalgic memories all the way to current love troubles. It seems as if Cyrus wants to sing about her past and present, which makes the cohesion of the album very weak. However, this album is worth a listen, just to hear the great hooks and learn a little bit more about Cyrus.

6/10

Summary: An interesting look into Miley’s past and personal struggles, but lacks depth and true lyrical coherence. The music often lacks effort and finesse; however, it does have a few tracks worth listening to.