Peggy Honeywell

Though she’s still terribly underrated and — to the vast majority — regrettably unknown, Philadelphia-born songstress Peggy Honeywell hasn’t let that stop her from moving on to her sophomore effort. It’s been four years since the initial release of her debut Honey for Dinner, and it seems as though Peggy’s taken that time simply to find more inspiration for her songbook. While there was always room to hone her intimately minimal approach with a full-on backing band (which would be next to blasphemous for her fan base), she’s stuck to her guns and relied on the occasional helping hand to permeate her few songs that need more than her usual guitar/voice combo. Her brand of bare country, which teeters on the borderline of bluegrass, gives off a feeling that she is singing her diary entries, and the listener is invading her privacy — but it’s far from uncomfortable listening. "Drama King” could easily be a teenage letter to a boyfriend who can’t keep his emotions in check, while "Face Reader” transcribes more as a dream put to paper where she portrays the title subject. With a truly gifted ability for writing lovely country ballads (think Loretta Lynn and Sally Timms), Peggy Honeywell will hopefully one day find her reward for making this music because it really does need to be heard.