Posted on: June 10, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

Rhett Miller has had a tremendously full career despite eir age; The Dreamer adds considerably to this mythos and provides listeners with a new set of songs to spin through the summer. The Dreamer begins with Lost Without You, a nearly five-minute track that showcases Miller’s utter confidence in eir fare. Where the longer track length would be disastrous for lesser musicians, Miller provides more than enough material and variation to keep listeners focused in.

The album moves into Long Long Long, a track that immediately catches listeners with memorable harmonies and a perfect interplay between the vocals and instrumental side of things. It is during this track that a few threads are created that are touched upon time and time again. While the guitars of tracks like This Summer Lie and Picture This are considerably different from Long Long Long, I feel that each provide a specific  addition to an instrumental narrative.

The Dreamer is given a substantial boost with the inclusion of Rosanne Cash during As Close As I Came to Being Right. Cash’s vocals spin the disc in an entirely different direction and provide listeners with the extra energy that they need to make it through the disc’s final four tracks. Sweet Dreams is the perfect closing to The Dreamer, both thematically and as a track that touches upon Miller’s past, present, and future. See Miller live the next time ey goes out on tour, and check eir website about any other collaborations or music that may be released this summer and beyond. Well over a decade in and Miller is still creating innovative and expansive music; few other musicians can claim the same.

Top Tracks: Lost Without You, This Summer Lie

Rating: 7.9/10

Rhett Miller – The Dreamer (CD) / 2012 Maximum Sunshine / 13 Tracks / http://www.rhettmiller.com

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