Bex Marshall/Scarlet & the Harlots

A veteran British blues singer-guitarist who starting singing and playing guitar at age 11 after her father gave her a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird, Bex Marshall dabbles in a few different genres on her terrific new album House of Mercy, which just came out last month. The opening title track has a pop/blues sound that draws comparisons to Bonnie Raitt ,and the ballad “Love” is a haunting number that has more in common with Janis Joplin. Marshall has a raspy voice that lends itself perfectly to the tunes here and is equally suited to bluegrass and the blues. She even sounds a bit sultry (and sexy) on “Bite Me,” a narrative about falling for a bad man. (Jeff Niesel)