Most old-school punk purists will never forgive Penelope Houston for giving up guitar-driven rock & roll for acoustic music (even if she did so several years before the "unplugged" phenomenon made such things fashionable). But anyone who has actually listened to The Whole World will notice that Houston's acoustic music is just as smart, feisty, and uncompromising as her work with the Avengers (it's not hard to imagine her old band cranking up "Glad I'm a Girl" or "On Borrowed Time"). And if her lyrics are less stridently political, they're also more intelligent and mature without sacrificing her opinions in the process (even her love songs reflect a refreshing warts-and-all realism). And while Penelope the Punk Goddess had a habit of wandering off-pitch with annoying frequency, Penelope the Singer/Songwriter is able to convey much of the same intensity with a lot more nuance and accuracy, and her band (anchored by Houston's husband and collaborator, Mel Peppas) makes up in resonance what they lack in volume. The Whole World is a strong and compelling album from a remarkably underrated artist; it's well worth a listen should it cross your path.

(by Mark Deming , AMG)