If
Breakout began to establish
Miley Cyrus as a singing star in her own right, free of
Hannah Montana baggage, then
Time of Our Lives is another confident step in that direction.
The Time of Our Lives still boasts a couple of frothy,
Hannah-esque party anthems, the title track and "Party in the USA." Though
Cyrus' voice borders on shrill on both songs, they'll please
Montana fans (that goes double for the live version of "Before the Storm" with
the Jonas Brothers). However, when she lets her inner rock chick and ballad-singing diva come to the fore,
Cyrus really shines: the lead track "Kicking and Screaming" has more guts and swagger than anything else she has recorded, and "Talk Is Cheap" underscores that she has a real flair for rock -- albeit of the well-groomed, Disney-fied variety. She is just as accomplished on the EP's ballads, particularly "Obsessed."
Cyrus has always sounded older than her years, and as she leaves her teens, that's a good thing -- especially since
The Time of Our Lives shows her music is catching up to her pipes.