Devil With a Gold Tooth

Never heard of Rhett Miller, you say? Well, you're about to. Why is this, you ask? Well, it seems Miller has taken a break from recording with his band��Old 97's--to record his debut solo album, The Instigator, and dozens of smug music critics have already spewed out praises like "a breakout," "triumphant," and "the best album yet this year."

Wow, you say, does he deserve all this attention? The answer is yes--and no. You see, Miller's album is a near seamless pop production.

He's really good at singing about things like love, life and, uh, loving life, with lyrics like "You gotta give the world the finger/You gotta sing a happy song." Any of the tracks on Instigator could easily become pop radio hits. Miller also has a distinctive vocal sound, and for some added grittiness, a gold tooth. Basically, he kicks John Mayer's ass.

Impressive, you say, but is this enough to make him a star? Unfortunately, in today's music world, building a solid pop rock album that isn't so annoying you want to launch it like a razor-sharp Frisbee at Pink's head is a major accomplishment. So, while Miller isn't actually "instigating" crap, he is doing very good things in a genre that needs talent like his right now.

Thanks for the info, you say? Well, you're welcome.