Rhett Miller says you can tell what his Old 97’s bandmates don’t
like about his songwriting by his solo work, which typically features
songs that get booted by the rest of the group. If that’s the case, the
Old 97’s’ voting majority might want to rethink their strategy, given
the strength and depth of Miller’s fourth foray beyond the Americana
confines of his regular band.
Written after the death of his grandmother and suicide of his
literary hero David Foster Wallace, Miller takes a darkly philosophical
angle on “Like Love” (“We all want things that we’ll never afford/Like
a house filled with laughter every night”) and “Caroline” (“I am my own
worst enemy”), but he often sets those melancholy ruminations to almost
spritely pop that Ryan Adams would be glad to own (“If It’s Not Love”).
By contrast, some of Miller’s more hopeful messages are couched in his
best torch and twang (“Bonfire”). Then there’s “Nobody Says I Love You
Anymore,” the album’s opener, where the band plays a visceral electric
waltz, while Miller cracks on the chorus’ high note in the kind of song
that Elvis Costello has made famous. With work this consistently
strong, the Old 97’s better take care or they’ll vote Rhett Miller
right into permanent solo status. — Brian Baker
This article appears in Jun 10-16, 2009.
