There’s Probably A Rainbow But I Don’t Care

Miley Cyrus “Space Boots”

Miley Cyrus’ new record is a long slog, but it’s at least an interesting slog. And given that she made it with The Flaming Lips and Mike Will Made It, two contrasting creative forces I think would be rather overpowering in most cases, it’s remarkable that Cyrus pushed them both towards a very specific unifying aesthetic focused on thin, hazy synth drones and crisply snapping beats. I think Stephen Thomas Erlewine’s take on the record is pretty right on – this album is the musical equivalent of watching someone else trip balls rather that something that takes you on a psychedelic journey, and there are stretches of the record where it does “feel like you’re the designated driver at an endless party that you can never leave.” But it’s kinda worth it for the tracks that really come together, like “I Forgive Yiew,” “Fweaky,” and “Space Boots.” The latter is just a really lovely ballad, and its stoned quality enhances its sentiment, and her eagerness to be aggressively WEIIIIRD roots it in very peculiar specifics. If the record is full of songs where you feel like you’re just indulging a self-absorbed friend, a song like “Space Boots” is the kind of thing that reminds you why you’re friends in the first place.

Get it from Miley Cyrus’ official site.