A British singer with an incredibly natural soulfulness and range, Beth Rowley gigged around London for a few years, developing a reputation for insanely beautiful pipes and a stage presence that can command in a quiet, unassuming way. Needless to say we were equally disappointed when her solo album Little Dreamer came and went in the U.S. last year without making the slightest ripple. Dreamer was something of a mixed bag stylistically and creatively, but when it was good it was very, very good (like her haunting versions of "Nobody's Fault But Mine" and "Almost Persuaded").

We were reminded of Ms. Rowley again this week when Duffy took the Brit Award for Best Female Performer, beating out Adele, MIA, Estelle AND Beth Rowley. We assumed that simply having a last name would have put her over the top, but, it looks like other forces were at work. So in a "Friday Reprise" kind of way, when we revisit those recently overlooked and underplayed gems, we'll take another look at Beth's "Sweet Hours":

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