Back in the Saddle (Bigger Picture, 2012)

After four years in the on deck circle, Chris Cagle has resurfaced with his aptly titled comeback album, "Back in the Saddle." His debut with Bigger Picture Music Group is aimed at putting him right back into the mainstream. He begins with the raucous radio friendly opener Got My Country On. Now a happily married father of three girls, domesticity provided inspiration for several of the tracks, namely the tender father-daughter ballad Dance Baby Dance, which he co-wrote with perennial hit makers Brad and Brett Warren.

Cagle's collaborations bode well for the album's success. The Warren Brothers also appear onI'll Grow My Own an ode to self-sufficiency and an open condemnation of politics, education and pop culture.
"As long as school keeps washing brains
"I'm out to ride that gravy train
"And teaching kids that there just ain't
"No God up in the sky."

Kim Tribble assisted on two of the highlights Something That Wild and Let There Be Cowgirls.

The label change from Capitol was a welcome one, allowing Cagle more creative freedom and providing stronger support. Noticeably absent are the partying themes from his earlier work. A wiser tone prevails on this album, which seems to run parallel with his life changes and growth as an artist.