Chris Cagle's Play it Loud (You Should)

Shortly after Chris Cagle’s debut CD hit record store shelves, his label, Virgin Records Nashville, closed its doors. However, he was picked up by parent label, Capitol. With a new label to call home (and probably a big sigh of relief), he still has the promotional backing to get his songs to the airwaves. (Some of his labelmates weren’t so lucky.) Play it Loud demonstrates that promise this Nashville newcomer showed record label execs.

Play it Loud contains ten tracks, eight written by Cagle, and exhibits a full and loud country sound. The album kicks of in high gear with “My Love Goes On and On,” a song with lots of fiddles, guitar and plain ol’ umph. It has that Garth Brooks “Ain’t Going Down ‘Til the Sun Comes Up” feel. Your foot will instantly begin tapping, and you’ll be singing along by verse two, as the chorus unbelievably sticky. (Would the song interest you more if I told you Cagle started writing the little tune while taking what seemed to be an endless potty break…it’s true!)

Upbeat “Laredo,” the current single, has a man begging his hometown to make his woman stay. It reminisces about all the places in the town, and what memories they bring back. (“Oh, Laredo. You’re my only hope. Get her back to the day we met, cause that’s as far as she needs to get, but please don’t let her go…”)

Rockin’ tune “Country By the Grace of God,” plays tribute to livin’ it up in the country. (“I don’t like a high-rise cluttering up my blue skies”) Fans of Tim McGraw’s “Down on the Farm” or Tracy Byrd’s “I’m From the Country” will love this song. Another groovin’ track, “The Love Between a Woman a Man”, says that’s all that matters in life. You’ve done that best you can, but you live in a house you don’t own, the money in the bank’s almost gone…all that stands is that love.