SUSAN CAGLE
The Subway Recordings
Lefthook Entertainment 2006
www.susancagle.com

What’s the 4-1-1?
The singer songwriter’s live release recorded in New York at Times Square Station and Grand Central Station.

Genre
Rock / pop / soul / singer-songwriter

The Good
Susan Cagle has a sweet yet dynamic melodic voice that thanks to the live nature of her debut album is unfiltered by unnecessary effects. The music on the CD is mostly fixed in a kind of mid tempo kind of groove, but there are moments where a faster vibe is clearly evident. The lead track is “Shakespeare” and it is a real gem. While probably unlikely, the song wouldn’t feel out of place as the main track in a date movie. The song is based on Cagle’s tendency to ask new people she meets if they like the famous author.

The band is tight and above it all soars Cagle’s voice and snappy songwriting. I love that the CD has so many good songs that struck me as being pop radio quality. I would have nothing against pop music if it were of the quality found here. There’s a lot to like in this album and if you are looking for examples to show to other people about what’s good in the singer-songwriter musical genre, you should consider playing such great tunes as “Ain’t It Good To Know,” “Manhattan Cowboy,” “Stay,” and “Happiness Is Overrated.”

The Bad
I personally didn’t really care for two of the 10 songs on the album, “Dream” and “Be Here.” The album is listed under Susan Cagle’s name, but twice during the live performance she refers to the group as The Cagle Band. It might make people question which name is correct.

The Verdict
In 2005, I was completely taken by surprise by the live CD by the previously unknown to me band Antigone Rising. It ended up as one of my favorite discs of the year. This is how I feel about Susan Cagle’s The Subway Recordings. It’s an out of left field surprise and yet for a “rookie” recording, it’s an absolute smash.
I’ve always thought there was a world of music out there just waiting for people to open their eyes and discover it. Susan Cagle’s songs and wonderfully smooth voice just might make it worth it to head down into New York’s subway system after all. Music should always be this good.

Did You Know?
The album is a family affair with Cagle’s sister on bass, brother on guitar, and another brother on drums for six of the songs. While brother John Cagle plays drums on the first 6 cuts on the disc, the last four songs feature Mark McLean on the skins.

Rating: out of 5

-- Jay Roberts