I paid my cover – a New York subway ticket – and headed down into the Times Square subway station for this show. While I may have been the only one who was in the station solely to hear Susan Cagle perform, the size of the crowd revealed the extent of her reputation among New York commuters.
The performance featured most of the songs from Cagle’s forthcoming The Subway Recordings. The album was recorded in both Times Square and Grand Central Stations, complete with the requisite station noise. What it lacks in studio production it more than makes up for in charm and appeal.
Both live and on record, Cagle’s music has an engaging organic quality to it. Her lyrics, while simple, are honest and heart-felt. Adding to the mix is Cagle’s delicate and expressive voice, the perfect complement to her self-described “urban folk.”
Album opener, “Shakespeare,” captures all of these qualities and has all the makings of a major hit. After luring in listeners with jangling guitars and a driving rhythm, Cagle chronicles a young lover cautiously exploring a new relationship. “Do you like Shakespeare, Jeff Buckley, watching movies on Sunday,” she asks, “I need to know, what do you like?”
Dig deeper on this album and you’ll find many satisfying moments, such as the melancholy “Happiness is Overrated” or the yearning “Manhattan Cowboy”. But the most rewarding aspect of all is to see a great new talent emerge from underground.
Although the album isn’t going to be released until May 23rd, those in the New York area can get a preview each Thursday in April when Cagle plays in the Times Square Subway (42nd and 7th Ave. entrance) beginning at 6:30pm. You might even see me there…
To hear two tracks from the album visit Susan’s at MySpace or see a video profile.
Stand-out Tracks: Shakespeare, Manhattan Cowboy, Stay, Happiness is Overrated.
April 15th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
[…] Susan Cagle - I missed her in Austin but I made up for my mistake a few weeks later in New York. The forthcoming The Subway Recordings is an infectious pop gem, anchored by Cagle’s captivating voice. For more on Cagle, see the recent Twangville album preview. […]
May 25th, 2006 at 11:06 am
[…] Cagle honed her sound playing the New York subway over the past five years. Her debut, recorded live in the Times Square and Grand Central subway stations, is a delightful gem filled with buoyant pop. For more on Cagle, check out the Twangville preview. […]
January 23rd, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Once you get past “Shakespeare,” there is nothing of genuine interest on this record - it’s a bunch of bland slick pop, and five years in a subway station doesn’t equate to musical credibility or originality. Using rain clouds as metaphors for bad moods and spring as a metaphor for new love makes Hallmark cards seem poetic by comparison.
April 16th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Ms. C. is SUCH an incredible, pure artist…within a week of buying her CD, I found myself whistling half the tunes. I’ve seen her 4 times live, both on & off the subway, and she has the same energy coming off her that I felt when I got within 4 feet of Melissa Etheridge…as I told her, you WILL see her at the Grammys! That previous comment is obviously from someone who only likes to cast negatvity on something beautiful and talented. I was awed to be in her musical presence, and I suggest catching her if you can in NYC before she takes to the road. Go Susan! Can’t wait for the new album…
May 2nd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
i saw her by accident… my life is a playlist… every song i hear makes me remember something… manhattan cowboy is now part of my personal soundtrack…
June 12th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
if ya’ll can post all of her lyrics…. i reall, really like her songs!!! please post her lyrics,,please