Laura Cantrell
Tues July 12, Triple Door, 7:30 pm, $12.

Aside from the odd holiday bonus, office managers rarely receive special recognition. So when New York singer-songwriter Laura Cantrell found the demands of her art and day job (as an administrator for a Wall Street firm) increasingly at odds, she knew which one would win out. Tour in support of her new album, or open a field office in Texas? No contest. If nothing else, it seemed more romantic to be remembered by even a few people for singing songs, not composing all-staff e-mails.

Consequently, Cantrell's new album, Humming by the Flowered Vine, is the first to which she could devote her undivided attention, which she says helped her focus on "the creative process in a very different way than when you're scheduling vocal sessions on Sunday afternoon, after a whole week's work." The result is her best disc yet, confident yet unpretentious, filled with low-key vocal performances and fleshed-out arrangements, including contributions from Calexico.

Hopefully, with the support of a bigger label (Matador) and more free time, Cantrell will garner wider recognition, à la the kind she's spent years helping other artists achieve. As the host of Radio Thrift Shop on New York station WFMU, she has provided a platform for emerging talents like Seattle's own Jesse Sykes, Laura Viers, and Danny Barnes. Her own repertoire mixes originals with interpretations of other artists; two of the best cuts on Humming... are the mid-tempo, dream-pop opener, "14th Street," by Portland native Emily Spray, and a gently rolling take on Lucinda Williams's "Letters." Cantrell has also composed several songs about female country pioneers; her latest, "California Rose," honors Rose Maddox.

But Cantrell doesn't consider herself alt-country, per se. If she feels a part of any community, it's that of New York–based singer-songwriters like Amy Rigby (whom she also covers on Humming...) and Dave Schramm (who plays guitar on two cuts). "Those were the people who inspired me, and made me realize you could write original music with a country influence, and play it with a modern perspective," she admits. "Without them, I might have just become a Kitty Wells cover act." Or an administrative professional in Houston. ■

kurt@thestranger.com