Anywhere But Here

On his third album, Anywhere But Here, Chris Cagle's rock influences shine stronger than ever. Not only does he cover Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" and name-drop Lynyrd Skynyrd, but "Hey Ya'll" has a defiant, hard-rocking swagger and he favors anthemic mid-tempo tunes built on classic rock to honky tonk ravers. But in a time where Big & Rich and their Muzik Mafia cohorts are rewriting contemporary country music as a flashy, ironic lark, this devotion to classic and Southern rock makes Cagle a bit of a traditionalist, and he wears it well on Anywhere But Here. While some of the power ballads veer a little bit toward the generic, there are a bunch of strong songs here, ranging from the opening "You Might Want to Think About It," where Cagle takes a stand for Middle America, to the soaring "Maria," which may be his best fusion of modern country and AOR. Throughout it all, Cagle remains an appealing singer — his voice may be a little thin, but it's friendly, and it can help sell his tales of love, loss, and living. Anywhere But Here may not be a knockout, but it's a thoroughly likeable, engaging record that proves Chris Cagle is something of a country everyman for 2005, which not only makes him endearing, but a little refreshing next to such oversize personalities as Big & Rich and Toby Keith.