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Okay, I'll admit from the start, I'm biased here.  Rhett Miller is the lead singer of the Old 97's, and that foursome of alt-country-heroes/power-poppers/just-flat-out-great-rockers is my favorite band.  So when I found out several months back that Rhett's got himself a solo album, I anxiously awaited a record that I knew would be great.  I also knew that since it was Rhett, it could be a record of him whistling Yankee Doodle for 45 minutes and I'd probably buy it and like it anyway.  Be assured, though, that The Instigator is much more than that.  The album is made up of twelve well-crafted pop songs that are literate, heartfelt, and if there's any justice in this world, instant classics.

The album starts with a bang with "Our Love," a rocking standout track that features guitar work from producer Jon Brion, also known for his work with Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, and others.  The second track, "This Is What I Do," is about the "job" of writing songs of lost love-perhaps a response to critics who view as a weakness the dominant role of heartbreak in Miller's writing?-with the salient chorus line, "This is what I do for a living."  First single "Come Around," with lyrics like "I'm gonna be lonely for the rest of my life until you come around," is another use of the classic songwriters' "sad-song-that-sounds-happy" trick, and this ain't the first or the last time we've heard this from Rhett Miller.  

Power-pop influences come through loud and clear in tracks like the upbeat "Things That Disappear" and "Hover," which manages to sound cool while referencing 80's cheese-pop band Air Supply.  While the power-pop sounds may remind listeners of the 97's' Satellite Rides (which some more closed-minded alt-country purists considered a travesty), none of these songs sound like Old 97's songs, with the notable exception of "The El," with its vaguely countrified fuzzy guitars and lumbering bassline.  97's fans can only hope that Murry, Ken, and Phil will adopt this one from Rhett for future live shows. 

The Instigator includes only three ballads, but the album doesn't really need any more.  "World Inside the World" and "Your Nervous Heart" reveal a growing maturity in Miller's songwriting.  On the musical side, "Terrible Vision," the album's closer, employs some female backing vocals that, when combined with the 60's-esque pop sound that pervades the record, make the song resemble the Mamas and the Papas.  

Miller has always been a literate songwriter, referencing Raymond Carver in the Old 97's "What We Talk About" from Fight Songs and J.D. Salinger in Satellite Rides' "Rollerskate Skinny."  In much the same vein, "Our Love" was inspired by the letters of composer Richard Wagner and writer Franz Kafka to their respective lovers, and "World Inside the World" references Don DeLillo's massive novel Underworld.  Surprisingly, Rhett's allusions, which would seem nerdy and obtuse from the mouths of other singers, come across as intelligent, quirky, and hip.  When Miller's literary side comes out, it's vaguely similar to a younger Elvis Costello with some graduate study in English.

Best of all, The Instigator leaves you wanting more.  Miller knows better than to fall into the common trap of the overlong debut album.  He's kept his album to an economical twelve tracks of an equally economical forty minutes, and since the record is reasonably short by CD-era standards, you know that there have to be some great tracks saved up for a second album or rarities collection.  Or the next Old 97's record.

Until then, Rhett is ready to be a rock star, and one look at the cover photo-a close-up shot that's equal parts Gap ad and the archetypal sensitive singer-songwriter-will tell you that.  If real musical and songwriting talent means anything and if there's still a market for intelligent pop music, Rhett Miller will find the success that he deserves.  Let's hope so-he's got the goods.  After all, this is what he does.

Matthew Luter 10/7/02