Rhett Miller

Fri., Sept. 18, 8:30 p.m., $25-$35, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

by M.J. Fine

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Published: Sep 16, 2009

rock/pop

When Rhett Miller stepped outside the Old 97's for 2002's The Instigator, he assembled a backup band called The Instigators. For his 2006 followup, The Believer, he dubbed them The Believers. So what's the guy to do when he's touring to promote a self-titled album? Miller rooted around in his back catalog, rechristening his crew The Serial Lady Killers, a nod to the Old 97's classic "Barrier Reef." The tongue-in-cheek reference isn't so out of place, given his preoccupations on the new record. After a couple albums' worth of sappy but snappy love songs, Miller lets more doubt and regret surface in songs like "Like Love," "If It's Not Love" and "Nobody Says I Love You Anymore." In anyone else's hands, such neediness, insecurity and false bravado would be unbearable, but somehow Miller makes it work.

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