Album Review: Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation

As I have said many times, I am not much of a pop music fan these days. Other than having no choice but to hear whatever Taylor Swift is working on, I am rather disconnected from the scene. It was a happenstance of evolution, wherein the trends changed in one direction and I chaned in the other. I hold no grudge against what's going on, but I suppose there is a part of me that feels a bit saddened to not be able to find in the music even a hint of what most people do. Even if I don't agree, being able to understand the conventional wisdom would be welcome.

For a moment in time, that happened. When "Flowers" came out and began to take over the world, I gave it a shot, and I found myself finally agreeing with everyone else (Ok, not everyone - several critics I pay attention to all found it bland and uninspired). Miley had made something I truly loved, and I could hear in her voice the star she has somewhat inexplicably always been.

That's the thing about "Flowers". It isn't a flashy song, nor would I say it is the most 'pop' of pop songs, but to my ears it is the best vehicle Miley has ever had for her voice. Everything from the tone of the production to the 'eff you' attitude of the lyrics served as a perfect canvas for her rough-and-tumble voice. In the wrong hands, it could be too much, but this was absolutely perfect.

That gave me both excitement and pause as the album approached. Excitement, because perhaps this could be the rare pop album I would find myself enjoying. Pause, because getting my hopes up based on one song in an entire career is foolish. And indeed it would be foolish, as "Endless Summer Vacation" is the sort of album that makes me want to love it, but than smacks me in the face to remind me how painful pop music can be.

Divided into two halves, they give me entirely different feelings. "Flowers" leads off the first, and those five songs tap into the same laid-back coldness. The production is demure, and Miley's voice does all the heavy lifting. Her lyrics about being tired of dealing with all the shit, and not wanting to look back and remember things being better than they were, fit her voice like a glove. Her tone is splendid, and I'm completely bought in.

The problems come at the end of the first half, with "Handstand" serving as the transition. It rides a bed of soft noise, with spoken word lyrics that build to nothing. It's the sort of transition that should have ben thirty seconds, but instead goes on for more than three minutes. It is the snooze button of the album, but really is the point where I can turn it off.

The second half of the record is more pop, more energetic, and entirely boring. As the production adds layers, Miley's voice sinks into the mix. She sounds more anonymous, and all the beauty of her rasp dissolves into the speakers. Couple that with songs that lean heavy on their repetition, with choruses that deliver the same line again and again, and suddenly this vacation feels like work.

By dividing the album in half, Miley is essentially presenting us two EPs. That might feel artistic, but it also means the differences in her approach is made all the more stark. As an EP, the first five songs here would be a fantastic release. As an EP, the last six songs would be a mildly enjoyable release. Together, they make for an album so frustrating it leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth. The best work of Miley's career is weighed down by extra pop fluff that doesn't fit with the tone. This is one of the rare cases where I would actually prefer this release to be an EP, because if Miley only had five songs leaning into an approach, it would have been more satisfying to hear them as a self-contained unit.

If all that sounds conflicted, it is. How I wish it wasn't.