Album review: Miley Cyrus, Bangerz (RCA)

Without wishing to intrude on anyone's Twitter spat, it's impossible to ignore the sense of desperation about Bangerz, a gauche and graceless attempt to de-infantilise a child star. It's full of timid electropop anthems such as "We Can't Stop", "Love Money Party" and "SMS (Bangerz)" – on which Cyrus and Britney Spears ache to be as cool as M.I.A. – and bogus rebel schtick such as "4x4" ("Drivin' so fast, have to piss on myself"). The latter is one of the two best tracks, both produced by Pharrell Williams, who gives "#Getitright" the most original riff here. The album is awash in autotune: she claims that she's "turned into someone else", but it sounds more like something else – when two autotuned voices share an erotic moment in "My Darlin'", it's like hearing androids coupling, and about as potent.

Download: #Getitright; 4 x 4