Emily Ann Roberts - Can't Hide Country

by Zena Grieg

published: 1 / 1 / 1

Label: Starstruck Records
Format: Select Format

Vibrant mix of traditional and modern country on debut album from promising newcomer Emily Ann Roberts

Review

The debut album by promising newcomer Emily Ann Roberts, who has performed at the Grand Ole Opry sixteen times already, has just been released. 'Can’t Hide Country’ is a vibrant mix of traditional and modern country, reflecting the Tennessee-raised singer’s roots. Co-writing twelve of the thirteen songs, Roberts regards the record as a gamechanger for her in discovering and expressing her own distinctive style: “From celebrating the little things in my life to a love beyond my wildest dreams, to anthems for all the ladies in my life about standing up for what they deserve in a relationship, to songs of encouragement to know you’ve got a reason to keep on going, this album takes you through so many emotions and seasons we face in life”. Highlights of this thirteen-track collection include: the upbeat opener ‘Whole Lotta Little’ with its jaunty fiddle; the raunchy, playful ‘Chickens’ with its bluegrass accompaniment; 'Keep On’ with its lyrics of hope:- “…keep on going/Your wheels were made for rolling/Down the road, keep knowing/There’s better days ahead”; the empowering, raucous revenge song ‘He Set Her Off’ with its hilarious video; the country, blues-tinged ‘Walking Shoes’; the heartbreaking break-up song ‘Out Of Sight’; the romantic, jocular ‘Loves Me For My Heart’:- “My baby loves me for my heart/That’s the only part he’s really after/Says he’s attracted to my sweet Southern charm/To him that’s all that really matters/Ain’t all about the things we might do after dark/It’s more than just the swing I got in my back yard”; the dark ‘Devil In Denim’ about the end of a double-dealer: - “He’s light his last, he’s met his match/I can dance with the devil too”; the collaboration with Ricky Scaggs and Vince Gill on ‘Still Searching’; the catchy paean to country title track; and the closer, a proud and passionate declaration of faith, ‘The Building’. Emotive, vulnerable, infused with a strong sense of resilience, this is a powerful album by a charismatic singer-songwriter, which will appeal to a wide audience.

Track Listing:-

1 Whole Lotta Little
2 Chickens
3 Infinity
4 Keep On
5 He Set Her Off
6 Find Me A Man
7 Walkin' Shoes
8 Out Of Sight
9 Loves Me For My Heart
10 Devil Wears Denim
11 Still Searching
12 Can't Hide Country
13 The Building