Rhett Miller - The Instigator

It’s hard to believe how cheerful Rhett Miller sounds, considering he survived both Texas alt-country weepers the Old 97s and 9/11, having escaped his Manhattan loft just minutes before the second World Trade tower disintegrated. But on his solo debut, produced by Jon Brion (Aimee Mann), Miller hits high on the happymeter, delivering enough sunny pieces of power pop to make Matthew Sweet or even Emmitt Rhodes jealous. Standout tracks include “Our Love,” “This is What I Do” and “Four-Eyed Girl.”