Album Review – Emily Ann Roberts – “Can’t Hide Country”
The younger, more blonde, and more bombshell that a woman is in country music, the more pop their country music leans. This is the unfortunate stereotype that country music fans have been conditioned to believe over the last 15 years or so. But Emily Ann Roberts is here to dispel that misconception with her debut album Can’t Hide Country.
No, this is not a super traditional record. It’s not full of Western Swing reels or sad bastard drinking songs. It’s representative and autobiographical of a young woman in the Southern United States (Knoxville, specifically) telling stories of the hopes, joys, and tribulations of her life. But it’s undoubtedly country, heartfelt, and delightfully simple and true. In an ideal world, this would be what popular country sounds like.
It would be super easy for Emily Ann Roberts to allow others to write the songs for her, have some hot shot producer assigned to her from a major label, and watch her singles shoot up the charts. She’s got the image and the voice to be as big as she wants. But if Emily Ann Roberts is going to hit it big, it’s going to be her way, with songs she wrote, and with the sound and messages that appeal to her, which is a mix of traditional country with modern sensibility.
The album starts off with the up-tempo fiddle-driven tune “Whole Lotta Little” that sets the table for what Can’t Hide Country has in store. In an era of envy and spite, Emily Ann portrays a refreshing perspective of appreciating what you have and not needing any more. The song is also emblematic of the enthusiasm and vigor she brings to true country music, turning something that can sometimes come across as stuffy into an exuberant experience. “Whole Lotta Little” has also won her a wide audience of country fans both young and old.
There is a wholesomeness to Can’t Hide Country that is refreshing. There are a couple of heartbreak and “done me wrong” songs, and songs about searching for love. But the lion’s share of songs are about being in love as opposed to being a victim of it. “Infinity” and “Loves Me For My Heart” are sweet little tracks, if maybe a little too conventional, similar to multiple songs from the album. The final song called “The Building” is about Emily’s faith that she shares fearlessly.
But don’t worry, Roberts does spice things up too like with the song “Chickens.” She may be more traditional with her perspective on life, but she’s no prude. When she finds her man, she’s not afraid to sing about what happens when the lights go out and they hit the sack, at least through allusion and innuendo. Emily evokes Shania in the song “Find Me A Man.” But instead of turning in a cliché about female empowerment, she flips the script and decides a man is what she’s after.
’90s country is definitely the foundation for Can’t Hide Country. It was produced by Trent Willmon who is known for working with more traditional-leaning artists with more mainstream sounds such as Cody Johnson and Chancey Williams. Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill appear on the song “Still Searching,” which adds a little ’90s star powers to the album as well.
Having now appeared on the Grand Ole Opry stage nearly 20 times—and with a foundation of fans from competing on The Voice previously singing songs from the likes of Patty Loveless, The Judds, Patsy Cline, and Dolly Parton—Emily Ann Roberts has an opportunity in the current environment to catch a wave of interest in more country-sounding country music like we’ve seen work well for Megan Moroney, Lainey Wilson, and others.
Can’t Hide Country isn’t a world-beater as much as it’s a really good sign that country music is moving in the right direction, and across a broad section of the genre. It’s also a great foundation for the career of Emily Ann Roberts, and a fun record overall. Young women and the men that love them deserve good country music too, and that’s what Roberts delivers here.
7.8/10
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Purchase from Emily Ann Roberts
September 30, 2023 @ 10:50 am
Seems like she may be ok. I kind of agree. This really should be about what popular country music should be. If this was the mean, I think country would be in a good place. My taste lean a little older style generally and I have a hard time being a fan of country women unless they have a unique voice like patty loveless or Loretta Lynn but she still sounds good.
September 30, 2023 @ 12:54 pm
Hopefully unlike Marin Morris she remembers country has the letter “O” in it and is a seven letter word instead of six. Recently Morris decided that her music would be the six letter spelling without the o
October 3, 2023 @ 3:26 am
…the cave can read, spell and count, awesome.
September 30, 2023 @ 2:59 pm
Thanks for this review. Have loved this kid ever since I saw her perform with Ricky Skaggs on the Voice. Wish her the best.
September 30, 2023 @ 3:14 pm
It’s a deservedly positive review for a promising young artist. She is also in the group High Road, which often plays at churches.
September 30, 2023 @ 6:07 pm
My playlists these days could use some more blonde and more bombshell and wholesomeness.
September 30, 2023 @ 6:36 pm
“CHICKENS” definitely sounds like 90’s country. We could sure use a lot more songs like that.
September 30, 2023 @ 7:58 pm
She’s great!! Still Searching is AMAZING.
September 30, 2023 @ 8:22 pm
As a married father of a toddler and another baby on the way, it’s a relief to find newer artists who aren’t existentialists (Zach Bryan) or otherwise endlessly self-absorbed. It’s no surprise that the worst tracks on this album are the handful of “done me wrong” songs, with the notable exception of “He Set Her Off,” which is more playful than serious. Emily Ann Roberts is at her best when she’s her happy authentic self.
September 30, 2023 @ 9:17 pm
Sounds like the 90s country that Hank3 trashed. Which if I recall correctly was the genesis of this website. Now its acceptable to sound like this.
October 1, 2023 @ 7:35 am
I don’t know that Hank3 ever trashed 90s country. His ire was more towards 2000’s country when I think there’s a consensus stuff really took a turn for the worse. From the very beginning this website has said that it’s important to draw distinctions between good and bad in popular country. I don’t take marching orders from Hank3, and if I did, I would’ve had to shut down eight years ago when he virtually disappeared.
October 4, 2023 @ 2:06 pm
Who cares what Hank3 has to say?
The dude would be working at the Speedway if he didn’t have Daddy’s name to open the doors for his first contract.
September 30, 2023 @ 10:03 pm
I am definitely going to be adding her music to my collection. Reminds me of the music that was played on country radio when I was a teen in the 90s.
October 1, 2023 @ 5:21 am
I like this, though it’s probably not something that would be in my regular rotation. It will be interesting to see what type of success Roberts has since she is a little too twangy 90s sounding for radio, but not really a fit in the Americana / Independent Country scene either. There does seem to be a bit of 90s Country comeback movement, so we’ll see.
October 3, 2023 @ 7:47 am
It’s a lot tougher for a new female artist to break through — and even harder for one to avoid one hit wonderhood — on country radio today than it was in the ’90s. Lainey Wilson is plenty twangy, Carly Pearce sufficiently so, but Megan Moroney, who hit big with her debut single (and album that was roundly praised by Trig), now has a bland collab with Old Dominion out, and country radio could very well latch on to that track rather than Moroney’s own “I’m Not Pretty.”
In the ’90s, at least the first half, country radio was open to all sorts of women, from twangy hillbilly throwbacks like Patty Loveless, to warm altos like Kathy Mattea to countrified folkies like Suzy Bogguss to barely countrified folkies like Mary Chapin Carpenter, all of whom enjoyed years of chart and airplay success. Today, with songs by women making up less than 30 percent of mainstream playlists, I’m not sure there’s room for Roberts or any other new female voice on radio. Look at the difficulty Ashley McBryde keeps having. Big things were expected and even predicted for “Light On in the Kitchen,” but it’s sputtered out at No. 15 nationally. Meanwhile, Bailey Zimmerman, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, etc. can send anything they want to radio and be assured of a big chart run.
October 3, 2023 @ 9:24 am
I agree, it is tough for women to find that right niche to fit in country music these days. Many seem to just go straight to pop country, or switch to it after not receiving success with a more country sound. Or they move to a retro rock sound and call it Americana. I think artists like Wilson are starting to break through with a kind of contemporary country mixed with pop and rock. Others are doing well in the Texas country scene.
But Roberts here sounds straight out of the 90s. And again, it’s enjoyable music. I’m just wondering what the reception will be outside of older fans of the generation open to new music from that period. Is radio open to it?
For me, I prefer the women who kinda stick to a traditional country and honky tonk type sound, or the Texas Country sound. But I’m not paying their bills.
October 1, 2023 @ 7:37 am
In the first song, “Whole Lotta Little,” her voice is really hard to listen to– kind of an Alvin and the Chipmunks quality. The second song is much better, but I have little to no nostalgia for the 90’s.
October 1, 2023 @ 9:33 am
Refreshing!!!!
October 1, 2023 @ 12:35 pm
I think she sounds overly autotuned. I’m not taking a shot at her singing abilities, just the production choices. It’s too heavy handed for my ear.
October 3, 2023 @ 7:55 am
Which female artists do you perceive as being Auto-Tuned and which do you perceive as natural? My ears detect that artificial vocal quality on several male singers — Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean for sure, and obviously Morgan Wallen, although in his case I think he can actually sing and the Auto-Tune effect is a conscious production decision, as it is on modern R&B/hip-hop recordings. But I don’t hear anything suspicious in Roberts’ singing, nor do I in Carly Pearce’s or Miranda Lambert’s or even Maren Morris’. What am I missing?
October 7, 2023 @ 9:56 am
On the song, “Chickens” at about 2:56 there a good example of auto tuned voice manipulation…
October 1, 2023 @ 5:40 pm
I prefer real traditional country over anything else, and to tell you the truth, I loved this album. I found it well within the country realm.
October 2, 2023 @ 7:18 am
Do I love all her songs? No. I really appreciate what she is doing. I could hear this playing & know what genre it is! She isn’t politically enlightened enough & doesn’t have Lil’ Baby or Drake…I doubt this album gets the attention it deserves. I hope I am proven wrong. I support her 110%, if she wants to makes albums like this, every time!
October 3, 2023 @ 3:15 am
…together with brit taylor’s, avery anna’s and kk johnson’s (track 45) the most impressive voice this year, in my book. there hasn’t been a singer more likely to fill carrie underwood’s shoes in all departments. tons of star potential there.
October 3, 2023 @ 5:53 am
Our society is so gyro-centric im tired of these blonde chicks that are sexy then im sure on instagram she will have 20,000 losers fawning over her if she strums an acoustic and plays some crappy song. If she looked like Kathy Mattea in 1989 no one would care. instead its looking like a blonde floozy is all these “country” girls rely on
October 3, 2023 @ 8:02 am
Hey, Kathy was lovely in 1989! I was one of those “losers” and I’m offended! 😉
Seriously, I remember reading an interview with Kathy in the early ’90s in which she talked about the fans she attracted. She said something like they were really into the music and “they don’t want to rip my clothes off.”
October 3, 2023 @ 9:19 am
Well yea Kathy Mattea was an attractive enough gal and a great singer who didn’t need to dress like a skank to get noticed
October 3, 2023 @ 8:09 am
Ya know, I wanted to like this; I really did, but everything looks and sounds so pristine and perfect that it works in reverse. No one would deny she’s very beautiful with a killer voice, but like Paige said above, I think it’s all overproduced. I found myself thinking that if she ever did come and play a show, this would be hard to replicate. I don’t dislike her; I actually enjoy a couple songs, but it’s not knocking The Indy Annies (thanks Rich) or any other of my favorite gals out of the rotation either.
October 4, 2023 @ 10:32 am
Sounds like a thousand other country albums to me, nothing really that stands out.
October 4, 2023 @ 12:48 pm
I like the song Whole Lotta Little. She has her own voice and she doesn’t sound like any other female singer I’ve heard. I’d like to wish her the best. If you can hear the fiddles and steel guitar that’s country. They just need to stay country and not veer off into Pop and Rock. That’s the traditionalist in me coming out. I also see she’s been on the Opry over 20 times. Sounds like she’s following in the footsteps of Elizabeth Cook my dear friend.
October 4, 2023 @ 2:46 pm
Well,Kathy Mattea was a GREAT singer.If Emily Ann Roberts becomes half as good as Kathy (plus Emily Ann’s blonde good looks),she’ll have an excellent career.
December 1, 2023 @ 2:19 pm
Roberts is going on the road as the second supporting act for Blake Shelton. Dustin Lynch is the main supporting act. Not sure this is the greatest tour for her to be hooked up with, but I guess you’ve got to take what Nashville hands you in order to get some kind of buzz going. I just wonder how many of the fans of the top two acts are even going to be in their seats and paying attention during Roberts’ set.