The Instigator
Old 97'sfrontman  Rhett Miller has always stuck to songs of heartbreak, I-done-bad confessionals,  and the occasional exercise in rave-up solipsism. Regardless of which of those  areas he's explored, he's set his lyrics in flawless melodies and delivered them  with infectious energy. WithThe Instigator, Miller is at least partially  on his own. Here he fronts a band that's less about fast-paced rocking and more  about pushing his passionate yowl to the fore. He's still wondering if he's  "gonna be lonely for the rest of my life" ("Come Around"), and he's doing so  with such heart-rending conviction that you can't stop listening. And Miller's  still creating melodies that shine in any setting. Straying from the  guitar/bass/drums setup of the 97's, Miller employs organ on the tender "World  Inside the World" and a decorous acoustic backing on the midtempo,  pop-radio-friendly "Point Shirley" and "Four-Eyed Girl." Miller's energy bursts  forth on the opener, "Our Love," and on his lo-fi paean to Chicago, "The El."  Fans who like the Miller who pours his heart all over the stage will loveThe  Instigator.--Andrew Bartlett