‘The Time Of Our Lives,’ Miley Cyrus, MCA Music

Is she rock, country, or pop?

A bonafide rocker she ain’t but Miley Cyrus’ new CD, “The Time Of Our Lives,” proves she can roll with the best of ‘em.

The opening track “Kicking And Screaming” shows Miley channeling the likes of Pink’s “Get This Party Started” or Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend.” Note the guitar crunch, the rhythm-punctuated stanzas, and the full-on band choruses.

Ditto with “Talk Is Cheap” that has a chord vamp seemingly taken straight out of The Clash’s “Clampdown.”

From time to time, the “Hannah Montana” star reverts to the anodyne pop sound that made her popular (e.g., her latest hit, “Party In The U.S.A.”).

“The Climb,” meanwhile, shows Miley effortlessly straddling the huge chasm between Taylor Swift’s country-pop leanings and the Jonas Brothers’ brand of pop-rock.

And that’s our chameleon right there – a little bit country, a little bit rock, and a whole lotta pop.

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‘Your Christmas Girl,’ Sarah Geronimo, Viva Records

Although Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo has been the “it” girl in local showbiz for some time now, there’s nothing in this album that you have not heard before.

Except for the original songs “Your Christmas Girl,” “Christmas Wish,” and “Gift Of Love,” this CD offers the usual mix of Christmas classics that we’ve heard from most artists year in and out. Do you hear what I hear? “Pasko Na Sinta Ko,” “A Perfect Christmas,” “Sana Ngayong Pasko,” “White Christmas,” “Give Love On Christmas Day”…fa-la-la-la-la.

The saving grace here lies on the production. The songs are familiar but the producers managed to burnish it with a coat of pop that is hallmark Sarah. And, anyway, Sarah can do no wrong at this point in her career (she’s the “it” girl, remember?).

When she sings, “I don’t need anything that’s for sure, ’cause right now I’ve got it all, all I want in this world, right at the top of my list, my number one wish is to be your Christmas girl” in “Your Christmas Girl,” listeners are wont to empathize with she who has it all save for someone to kiss underneath the mistletoe.

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‘Raygun,’ Raygun, Sony Music

It’s easy to mistake London-based Raygun as one of those “sex, drugs, rock and roll” bands with members who throw television sets out of a hotel room “because we can.”

Yet despite the band’s lyrical predilection for the decadent lifestyle, there’s still a twinge of regret in some of their songs that says, “I try to be good, but I can’t help myself.” Check out “Just Because,” “Lord Forgive Me” and “Kaleidoscopic Soul” for proofs.

The Raygun sound is a mix of rock, pop, soul, dance and glam – a bit of everything, really, that’s why it takes time for the music to grow on you. Standouts are “Lord Forgive Me,” in which the band mixes euro-style dance beats while still going full-on guitar crazy, and “Can’t Say No” with its handclaps and Motown-inspired rhythm and hooks.

When it comes to singing, Raygun stuns listeners to attention in the soul-tinged numbers “You Gotta Make It On Your Own,” “It’s A Mystery” and “Kaleidoscopic Soul” especially when lead singer Ray Gun shoots for the high notes.

For more reviews go to www.mb.com.ph.