No one doubts what Rhett Miller, when he's on, is capable of. Surely, the stalwart songs he penned for the Old 97's back in the day are plenty proof of his top-notch abilities.
But, alas, there's his solo work—no doubt poppier fare than his 97's stuff—and, you know, the fact that he keeps producing it. Ugh.
Let's face it: Pop music just isn't the man's strong suit, no matter his own opinion on the matter (or the fact that shows like Joan of Arcadia and Scrubs are scored to his songs). His solo catalog is largely pedestrian, shallow fare—a turn no doubt influenced by Miller's current residence not far from Los Angeles. There's just no soul to it.
But, still, he's Rhett Miller, and we all love him, if only because we love the 97's, and we just want to hold out the hope that all is not lost. To that end, we welcome him home to the town where he made his name for this House of Blues gig, but with arms only so open: Sarah Jaffe is primed to clearly outshine Miller on this night, as her voice is every bit as unique as his, but her perspective on the world is far fresher.
