Heroine

The moody rock on Peabody’s second album has echoes of L.A. hipsters Downy Mildew, who pioneered the blend of jangle pop, tough rock guitar, and sultry female vocals. Karen Protti’s sweetly toned but powerful voice has a wide expressive range, and she suits her delivery to the songs exquisitely. The band backs her superbly, and this album sounds like a group on their way to stardom. Unfortunately, personnel changes and other problems sabotaged Peabodys career, and it was several years before a follow-up emerged. Review copies of Heroine were sent to critics nationwide and received positive reviews, but distribution was nonexistent, the band wasn’t touring, and a fine album didn’t get the public attention it deserved. – Richard Foss