Miller's tenure as lead guitarist with Emmylou Harris's backing band, Spyboy, influenced Poison Love, the follow-up to his 1995 debut. Harris and Spyboy's rhythm section (drummer Brady Blade and bassist Daryl Johnson) chime in on several tracks, and a more adventurous musical approach is apparent on such songs as "100 Million Little Bombs." But the heart and soul of Miller's work remains simple, well-crafted country tunes, whether they be ones cowritten with his wife Julie (the stunning ballad "Don't Tell Me" and the twangy acoustic ditty "Love Grows Wild") or well-chosen covers (the George Jones/Roger Miller Chestnut "Nothing Can Stop Me" and Otis Redding's old soul classic "That's How Strong My Love Is"). --Peter Blackstock