Rhett Miller: The Instigator

With Fight Songs and Satellite Rides, Old 97's put the finishing touches on its steady transformation from a great country-rock band to a great pop-rock band. On the occasion of his solo debut (though Old 97's remains together), singer-songwriter Rhett Miller leaves no doubt that the evolution is complete. Any lingering questions about his intentions—is this solo thing a callous bid for personal glory is that a Gap model on the cover—are answered about 10 seconds into the first track on The Instigator, a shimmering winner through and through. To list the album's tracks is to list its highlights, but Miller courts perfection on the hypnotically catchy "Our Love," "Four-Eyed Girl," and "Hover" ("wrapped up in each other / making lovin' out of nothin' / like the Air Suppliers said"), pausing only to knock out a gorgeous ballad in "World Inside The World." Sung with the versatile confidence of a star, and impeccably assisted by ace producer Jon Brion (who also plays and/or sings backup throughout), The Instigator's songs feel instantly familiar in the best way possible. As for Miller's country-rock roots, he doesn't bother displaying them until two-thirds of the way through, on the appropriately chugging, clattering "The El." By that time, however, the song seems more like a left-field genre exercise than any sort of return to form. Every year or two, a great record threatens to vault hooky, sunny, straightforward power-pop to the commercial prominence that would seem to come naturally. Considering the appeal of the lusciously swooning single "Come Around," not to mention Miller's cover-boy looks, if The Instigator doesn't make power-pop fashionable again, nothing ever will.