FULL REVIEW HERE

Yolanda Quartey has a fantastic soul voice and the restraint to avoid the diva-tricks she could do with it. It soars, tugs and soothes, all with a light ragged edge of emotion. The band is a laid-back and soulful jazz-soul band, tied to the loping speed of the double bass. The bass' rich pulse defines the long-legged stroll of the music and the keyboard and guitar weave textures on top, Yolanda topping it all with her polished and aeons-deep voice. Some songs move out of that vein into a big and loud Mavis Staples-style production number, like the epic Waiting Around To Fall ("everything you know is about to change").

We loved the debut Phantom Limb album, with its relaxed but detailed sound. This has a few tracks from that album, a few new ones and a country-gospel Hank Williams cover. It's a very similar mix and full of heart. Phantom Limb are on Naim, the bleeding edge British Hi-Fi manufacturer, meaning that the recording and production values are amazing, rich, smooth and clear. Where it falls down is, surprisingly, in the sound. Songs end with the audience clapping, fade out to silence, then the next track starts. It ruins the atmosphere and sense of place. It should either have no audience sound or be a continuous performance, without the fading to silence. I'm surprised that detail has been missed. That said, you can go and get the debut: I recommend it. This new set is only available by Amazon and you might want to consider it a stop-gap till the next studio album (or maybe a proper live album).