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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 /TiVo
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Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Warren, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Warren, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, Clapping, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, Clapping, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - JON BRION, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Figueroa, Clapping, AssociatedPerformer - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Warren, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Marotta, ComposerLyricist - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Warren, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - JON BRION, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Guitar, Percussion, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Aimee Mann, ComposerLyricist - Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Warren, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, MainArtist - JON BRION, ComposerLyricist - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Warren, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - JON BRION, Electric Guitar, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Rachael Yamagata, FeaturedArtist - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ken Bethea, ComposerLyricist - Murry Hammond, ComposerLyricist - Philip Peeples, ComposerLyricist - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - JON BRION, Organ, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Andrew Williams, ComposerLyricist - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Warren, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Salim Nourallah, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Ross Miller, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Danny DeLaMatyr, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lyle Workman, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patrick Warren, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Salim Nourallah, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Josh Schwartz, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - George Drakoulias, Producer - Matt Chamberlain, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Ken Bethea, ComposerLyricist - Murry Hammond, ComposerLyricist - Philip Peeples, ComposerLyricist - Rhett Miller, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - JON BRION, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Ford, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
George Drakoulias, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Rhett Miller, Actor, Actor/Singer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Danny DeLaMatyr, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Salim Nurallah, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Josh Shwartz, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2006 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
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 /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:46:28
- Main artists: Rhett Miller
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Verve Forecast
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2006 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2006 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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