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Rhett Miller, front man for the alt country band Old 97’s is nothing if not consistent. Most of his solo albums have had similar titles from "The Instigator" to "The Believer" to "The Dreamer." For His latest, "The Messenger," he digs deep into his psyche in a way he hasn’t done before.

Working with a new producer and band leader, Sam Cohen, Miller’s sardonic side is softened somewhat for mostly mid-tempo songs that come across as more self-deprecating than his previous work, and much more appealing.

He has an amusing take on modern techonogy…

Looks back on his life by describing the cars he’s owned…

Miller’s solo concerts can be just that, him and his guitar and these songs sound designed for that format but there’s just enough interplay with his backing musicians to keep things interesting and, as always, his songwriting is smart enough to give the impression that he’s playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers.