Chris Cagle is “Back in the Saddle” on June 26th – Album Review

By: Gillian McClellan

The first step is admitting that you are powerless over your addiction, so…Hello, my name is Gillian, and I’m a Caglehead.

It all began at the tender age of 13, playing “Chicks Dig It“ on repeat and day-dreaming that my own knight in shining Wranglers would bust through our fence and carry me away in the back of his pickup.  A few years later – in the parking lot of an undisclosed Supermarket – I was learning my own life lessons while raising cane on a dropped tailgate, knowing I’d need forgiveness for my teenage transgressions come Sunday morning.  Seeing a parallel to my own life within the lyrics made each song all the more meaningful for me and all the more enjoyable to listen to.  Then, just when I thought my heart couldn’t grow any fonder, Chris Cagle gave us all a little distance.

Now after several years of anticipation, Cagle has burst back onto the scene with “Got My Country On“, an energy-packed single with the same rock-and-roll touch he’s been injecting into the genre since 2000.  Fans will not be disappointed come June 26 with the release of his appropriately titled fifth album, “Back in the Saddle.”  The singer, who penned five of the tracks himself, places introspection and reflection at the forefront, creating a very personal and heartfelt experience throughout.

Cagle reveals a softer side with “Dance Baby Dance,” a touching tune that is sure to inspire many a father/daughter moment, along with the gentle “Southern Girl,” framed by soft, charismatic lyrics and sung with a vulnerable tenderness that is rarely heard from the self-proclaimed “redneck rock ‘n roller.”  Other equally moving tracks play as haunting reminders of trying times, love lost and lessons learned. “Probably Just Time” paints a relatable picture for those of us unable or unwilling to release the baggage of past mistakes and allow ourselves time to heal-“it’s probably just time to start moving on/ it’s probably just time…I can’t count all the blessings for all the mistakes/and all life’s little lessons learned a little too late/it’s just too much trouble to carry this weight.”  

 Just as in life, the album recovers from it’s melancholy moments with blasts of excitement and energy, one of which being the surefire hit “Let There Be Cowgirls.” Chock-full of pure country goodness, “Back in the Saddle” delicately weaves together everything that is classically Cagle with a great deal of heart and emotion.  The result is nothing short of addictive…and this chick definitely digs it.