The Believer (2006)

Fronting the excellent alt-country outfit Old '97s, Rhett Miller is a smart songsmith sweating out barroom fever. Solo, he's a smart songsmith trying to escape the twang ghetto with sparkling pop-rock Americana á la the Jayhawks — whose Gary Louris contributes here, ditto pop polymath Jon Brion. Believer has gorgeous arrangements, melodies, turns of phrase, tailoring, and portraiture. But a few more quirks and blemishes might've made it more memorable.