Rhett Miller Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Someone once said there's no point making a solo record unless you're going to do something you can't do within the context of your band, and Rhett Miller of the Old 97's has certainly embraced this notion on his fourth, self-titled album. Miller has previously used his solo work to explore the poppier side of his music and tone down the Old 97's' country accents, and Rhett Miller clearly follows this path, with the light Texas twang gone from Miller's voice and the lyrics following an artier, more cerebral model than the regular-guy tone of his best-known stuff, especially in the Dylan-esque surrealism of "Happy Birthday Don't Die" and the globe-trotting confessional of "I Need to Know Where I Stand." Rhett Miller also sounds cleaner and more intimate than The Instigator or The Believer; Salim Nourallah, who plays in Miller's road band and produced the Old 97's Blame It on Gravity, was behind the controls for these sessions and he gives these songs a straightforward, intelligent sound regardless if the band rocks hard, they dip their toes into Baroque chamber pop, or if Miller and his acoustic guitar are the tight focus of the arrangement. But what's most striking is that the spunk and fire of Miller's best music is largely absent from the 12 songs on Rhett Miller; troubles with women have always been one of his favorite subjects, but here he moves from a twenty-something's girl trouble to adult relationships that leave real scars when they go awry. Miller brings plenty of heart and soul to these songs, but "Haphazardly," "Another Girlfriend," and "Like Love" go into darker and more haunted places than he's dared to venture in the past, and Rhett Miller is a long way from what he's delivered before, either on his own or with his band. It's an ambitious album that finds Miller really stretching himself as a songwriter, but it's hard not to wish there were more songs like the nervy "If It's Not Love" on board to help the medicine go down. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Rhett Miller's third solo offering, like 2002's The Instigator, is a lush collection of great melodies wrapped brightly around catchy lyrics about the same subject he's been writing about since he began fronting Old 97's. Produced by George Drakoulias -- who has worked with the Black Crowes, the Jayhawks, the Cult, Tom Petty, and Maria McKee, to name a few -- The Believer has a clear, wide-open ring. Guitars are the driving force on this set, where Miller's lilting pop voice sails and swoops, emoting sincerely (even if he is a bit overwrought in places) while Matt Chamberlain's strings, and keyboards, fill it all in. Miller has a ton of guests on the album including Gary Louris, Jon Brion, and Rachael Yamagata (who duets with Miller on the beautiful, country-tinged "Fireflies"). Producers can only do so much, though, and The Believer is a case in point. Judging by his solo material in general and The Instigator in particular, Miller writes according to a particular formula. Simple changes, lilting melodies, one topic -- he's focused but at the same time it feels, with few exceptions, that one song becomes nearly indistinguishable from another. There are exceptions, though, in the rocking "Ain't That Strange," which is stripped down, with its guitars roiling and squalling, barely contained in the mix and nearly covering the vocal. Likewise "Delicate," is anything but. It's a rock & roll song without restraint or apology. It's the exception to the rule, however. That said, there are some gorgeously crafted moments here, including the jangle pop single "Help Me, Suzanne." No Miller disc would be complete without its country-rock moments; after all, he is a Texan, and while "Fireflies" is a ballad, "Singular Girl" is a straight-up country-rock tune with a honky tonk piano and the one-two shuffle beat, yet it has a chorus worthy of Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend. The quirky metaphor -- "Talking to you girl/is like long division...." -- is a Miller trademark, and these are everywhere on this set. The Believer may be a formula recording, but it still satisfies, for the most part, on the level of what it is: a finely crafted pop/rock album. And since there are so few out there these days that even get close, it stands out and deserves a place on the shelf. It's one of those albums that in five years you will pull out of the rack, pop in the deck and be delighted with. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller's major label solo debut is almost exactly what fans can expect: extremely well-written pop songs, heart-wrenchingly delivered, and brightly produced, making for a fine all-around package. The thing that comes as sort of a surprise is the level of power the missing members of Old 97's would have added if this was a full-band release. While Miller and producer Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann) have crafted a bright and sonically diverse sound for The Instigator, showcasing Miller's obscenely clever songwriting and swooning vocal style, his individual work is not as strong as any of Old 97's albums. This may be an unfair comparison, since no effort has been made to mask this as a full-band release, but hearing Miller's unmistakable singing and songwriting style without Murry Hammond's backing vocals and the rest of the Old 97's chunky country-rock-pop behind him seems a little less than it could be. All "could haves" aside, the album on its own is a barrelful of fun. Brion's trademark sonic roller coaster is kept relatively in check until the swirling finale, and the country-rock burners "Our Love" "The El," and the single "Come Around," all sound like Miller and his guests are having a great time. The brightest points come from his explorations into Cars-era '80s pop ("This is What I Do" and the exquisite "Four Eyed Girl"). Although this clean geek-pop veers away from the alt country material he'd perfected with Old 97's, Miller seems to relish the break and really shines in this new light. Comparisons will undoubtedly be made between Miller and Ryan Adams (both of whom have been involved with genre-leading alt country bands and have done solo albums), but while it is arguable that Adams' solo works are as good (if not better) than his work leading Whiskeytown, Rhett Miller's solo turn, while fun and certainly worthwhile, does not overshadow his collaborations with his bandmates. Still, on it's own, The Instigator is a fine album with enough gems to keep fans of the genre going until the next Old 97's release. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Mythologies finds young Texan Rhett Miller sounding curiously British at times during a collection of bare, acoustic folk tracks. Erroneous accent aside, the 1989 offering gives fans an opportunity to observe the early stages of development in the career of a great young songwriter. Miller's longtime partner in crime Murry Hammond, who would later join Miller in Sleepy Heroes and finally the Old 97s, produces all 13 tracks and performs on ten of them as well. Though nothing on Mythologies quite reaches the level of quality of later Miller/Hammond collaborations, there is some strong material here. "Iron Child," "Song for Truman Capote," "Redbird Song," and "I'm Coming Home" show the potential that would be realized on later releases, while the playful "Candy Apple Corkscrew Hair" is more fun than anything you'd expect to find on a folk album. As to be expected given the young age at which Miller wrote these songs, there are some awkward moments like the unfortunate "Honey in My Tea," but for the most part Mythologies is not only a great find for curious Old 97s fans but is also an album that can stand alone on their own merit. ~ Michael Frey, All Music Guide
