Emily Ann Roberts Stitches Country Charm and Heartfelt Storytelling into Thread
Review by Lauren Page | @LiveWithLP
Emily Ann Roberts has barely stopped this year, and somehow she’s found time to give us even more music to fall in love with. Between collaborations with Drew Baldridge, Ian Munsick, canning fruit with Ella Langley, touring the world and bagging a CMA New Artist of the Year nomination, she’s giving country fans plenty to talk about. Her latest EP, Thread, gives us five more reasons to keep her firmly on our radar.
If you’ve found yourself watching her kitchen antics or becoming invested in the absolute character that is sweet husband on social media, you’ll already know there’s plenty to love about Emily Ann beyond her voice. But it’s the music that keeps you coming back, and Thread brings that warmth and personality into a collection full of love, little details and proper country storytelling.
Opening with the title track, Roberts eases us into the record with a softer moment that lets her vocals do the talking. There’s a lovely tenderness to Thread, and she knows exactly when to hold back and when to let that voice soar.
For all the powerhouse moments she’s capable of, hearing the gentler side of her delivery is just as captivating.
Then comes Lonely Boy, one of the earlier releases and a song that had already made itself quite at home on my playlist. There’s something so easy to fall for in the way Roberts delivers a romantic lyric. She makes it feel personal, as though she’s letting you in on a story rather than simply singing through it.
But Garden Grow? Now, this is the standout for me.
With him bringing home the bacon and her making the bread, we’re firmly in the world of the 'Meemaw' charm her fans know and love. It’s playful, full of personality and picks up the pace after the opening two tracks. There’s a real joy to it, and I can already picture a honky-tonk floor filling up when this one comes on. Someone get a line dance together, please... (and teach me??)
It also captures one of Roberts’ greatest strengths: making a song feel visual. You can picture the life she’s singing about, right down to the everyday details that make it hers. Country music has always had a gift for finding a story in the ordinary, and Emily Ann has a lovely instinct for knowing which moments are worth holding on to.
That carries into When I Do, another reminder of how naturally she sits within traditional country. There’s a sweetness and sincerity to her delivery that brings a young Dolly Parton to mind, particularly in the way she can make a lyric feel conversational without losing any of its emotion. Roberts has her own personality running through these songs, but you can hear why those comparisons follow her.
Closing the EP is Laundry, another familiar favourite from the earlier releases. It brings us back to that country charm that made so many of us fall for her in the first place, with an emotional pull that stays with you once the music stops. Across this collection, it’s often the smallest moments that leave the biggest impression.
Five tracks later, my main complaint is that I wanted more. There’s room here for the big voice, the softer moments and the humour fans have come to love, without any of it feeling squeezed in.
Emily Ann Roberts is a powerhouse vocalist, but Thread shows just how much she can do with a story, too. She can make you smile, put you straight into a scene and have you reaching for the replay button before you’ve even thought about moving on.
If this is the next chapter for Emily Ann Roberts, I’m very happy to keep turning the pages.
Emily Ann Roberts will be joining Cody Johnson on tour across the UK in Ocotber and November, and back over in March for C2C Festival - don't miss this!
Read our chat with Emily Ann Roberts earlier this year at C2C Glasgow here