Miley Cyrus: 'The Time Of Our Lives'

The thing about the new Miley Cyrus album is, well, it isn't really an album at all. When it came out across the pond back in August, it was billed as an EP, made available exclusively at Wal-Mart department stores and essentially used as a promotional device for the teen queen's first clothing range. For the UK release, its seven tracks – one of which is a live recording with the Jo Bros, by the way – has swelled to eight, but the bonus cut is 'The Climb', a song which already appeared on the Hannah Montana soundtrack album and became a #11 hit earlier this year.

But while The Time Of Our Lives doesn't offer much, what it does offer is some of the best, most adventurous music Cyrus has recorded. 'Kicking And Screaming' and 'Talk Is Cheap' are sugary blasts of pop-punk in the Ashlee Simpson mould – the former was actually recorded by Simpson in 2005, to be fair– while the title track is a new wavey pop tune with a terrific, anthemic chorus. Also present are a pair of soft rocky ballads, 'When I Look At You' and 'Obsessed', on which Cyrus comes off like Jon Bon Jovi's husky, spunky niece. Then of course there's current single 'Party In The USA', a brilliant Dr Luke-produced pop smash that features the immortal line: "And a Britney song was on, and a Britney song was on..."

Equally, while The Time Of Our Lives doesn't offer much, what it does offer is further evidence that Cyrus can shake off her Disney Channel shackles. She's full of 'tude on the punky tracks, an endearing fish-out-of-water on 'Party In The USA', and her surprisingly grown-up vocals can sell a couplet as shonky as this one from 'When I Look At You': "You love me for who I am / Like the stars hold the moon." 'Talk Is Cheap' even finds her singing about clubbing, smoking and feeling "p***ed" off – did Hilary Duff ever get to that stage? Cyrus is on cracking form here, and each of the six genuinely new songs is worth a listen, so ultimately a fiver from iTunes for an album-no-it's not-really-an-album seems, well, entirely reasonable.