Miller’s new pretty direction forgets his strengths

Why Rhett Miller chose, now his seventh record of new material, to experiment with is unknown. For better or worse, his main project, the Old 97’s, has not changed its sound in about 20 years. His solo work strayed from their genre-defining alt-country sound into great power pop on The Believer and The Instigator, but they would not have raised the eyebrows of anyone familiar with the sordid love stories and infectious guitar-powered hooks of his original band. The Misfit lives up to its title as Miller gets over his “lifelong skepticism of synths and drum machines” with expectedly messy results. The moments when Miller’s abilities fuse with a beautiful electronic flourish and interesting production choices make the failed attempts even more frustrating.

An article outlining Miller’s influences featured many instances of previously acoustic bands entering the electronic age, most notably Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More.” Miller draws a parallel between himself and Petty working with a producer outside their established spheres, neo-psychedelia Sam Cohen and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, respectively. The key to the greatness of “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” in-between the stunning sitar and non-stop licks, is in Petty’s nasal earnest vocals, piercing through all of it. Miller has the poise and chops to do the same, yet he doesn’t use it right through all of The Misfit.

“Already There” has a morose piano line amidst twinkling atmospherics, yet Miller is saddled with a crackling filter that does not fit the stark loneliness of the writing. “Fascination” features dystopian synth drops and haunting guitar chimes brought down by Miller’s tiny presence in the mix. This creates a watery quality to the production and the song’s repetitive nature does not help it. “Heart Attack Days” could not have been salvaged with the constantly ascending lead melody taking over everything, and the song does not warrant all the echo and unnatural laced over the vocals.

Right in the middle of the record are two songs that should have been the direction for the album. “Just When It Gets Good” has this creepy carnival synth and a pre-chorus of heavy drums over a sparse arpeggio, and the vocal echo is used in the right moments to add to the vulnerable tone of the hook. Right after it comes “Beautiful Life,” where Miller is allowed to dominate the song with an incredibly unstable melody in the verses and a desperate tone in his voice, only for prominent harmonies to come in for a triumphant hook as he celebrates putting himself out there. Both these songs show how to use vocal effects to enhance emotions and that Miller’s voice could work with all these effects on his own if he was trusted to.

Miller’s had his best with sharp hooks and aggressive tempos, and The Misfits does not play into these strengths. Many bridges try to kick things into high gear with fuzzed-out solos or pedal steel popping up, but they are not enough to save a relatively low-key record. “Let Me Go There With You,” “Twelve Thirty Four,” and “You’ll be Glad” end the album with a dull note thanks to not varying enough to grab attention and Miller delivering his softest vocal performances. There are pretty cascades halfway through “Twelve” and the delivery on “You’ll be Glad” is intimate and comforting. It’s easy to find a likable acoustic jingle or synth one on any given song here, they just don’t coalesce into whole tracks.

Any artist willing to try something different so deep into their career should still be applauded. There are enough positives here to warrant another chance if Miller decides to venture in this direction again, but he’s not used to his full potential and the album ranks among his less energetic to date. A good synth-pop or dance rock song featuring the pristine synth and organ work throughout The Misfit and Miller’s knack for hooks and raucous compositions sounds like a home run. Instead, the record settles for low-key soundscapes featuring inconsistent vocal production or too little evolution.