'The Instigator' ruffles feathers

"Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?" This was a question posed by Rob Gordon (John Cusack) in the instant classic "High Fidelity," and one that pertains quite literally to Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller's second solo effort, and his first on a major label, The Instigator.\nMiller, with the assistance of super-producer Jon Brion (best known for scoring Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" or for his work with such artists as Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann and the irreplaceable Elliott Smith), has crafted a boisterous pop nugget held together by Miller's heartfelt vocalizations of his own lovelorn lyrics.\nMany will compare The Instigator to Ryan Adams' Gold, in that it's an album produced by an artist known primarily for his alt-country stylings who happened to veer into the realm of pop. While not quite as accomplished as Gold, the album still proves to be an entertaining listen.\nMiller kicks the album off in high fashion with "Our Love," a likable, country-tinged rocker with a chorus sounding eerily similar to the "Party of Five" theme song. This soon segues into the slightly whiney yet moving first single "Come Around," in which Miller sadly croons repeatedly, "Am I gonna be lonely for the rest of my life?" Hence the correlation between "High Fidelity" and The Instigator is clearly drawn. This is "sad bastard music," done happily.\nLater tracks warranting attention include "Things That Disappear," a straightforward rocker co-written by Brion; "The El," in which Miller gets to fully embrace his hillbilly hepcat past; and the saccharin-sweet yet infinitely well crafted love tunes "World Inside the World," "Your Nervous Heart" and "Terrible Vision." Misses include "This Is What I Do" and "I Want to Live," which sound so generic they leave Miller stranded in Matchbox 20 territory. And "Four-Eyed Girl," Miller's stab at New Wave, sounds like the worst song Ric Ocasek never wrote.\nAll in all, The Instigator is a slickly produced pop album, likable but nothing revolutionary. Fans of Miller's will no doubt dig it, but they'll also long for his return to the Old 97's.