Phantom Limb

A lot of different things come together in this album and while it wasn’t exactly what I expected the final result is rather fine. No, scratch that, extremely fine.

There was a time, back in the early to mid ‘70’s, when music was pumping out of Muscle Shoals and the like and the crossovers and joint ventures were simply staggering. No-one cared about pigeon holes or classifications; truly, if it sounded right then it was right. Little Feat or The Allman Brothers or Delaney & Bonnie would pull in anyone that fitted the bill be it Elton John or Booker T or Eric Clapton.
Listening to Phantom Limb reminds me of that period when soul could mix with country and Blues could go down new Gospel paths that were simply divine.

The production by Marc Ford is superb and the playing throughout is delicate and sensitive but the lead vocals from Yolanda Quartey are simply brilliant. She has a full on style, ever so slightly nasal but she can put in the passion and she carries a note better than most current vocalists. The rest of the band are superb musicians and the album is really a band effort and not just Yolanda and backing musicians.
The title number marries an almost jazzy vocal with a gently plucked banjo that puts it right into Americana territory but the next track, ‘Tumbling Down’, has a steady and slow beat with a sumptuous organ swelling after a lovely lap steel solo. There are moments that echo great west Coast bands like America or Bread but equally there is a soul and passion the likes of which those bands never managed. ‘Laugh Like You’re Mad’ shows the darkness they can achieve and the final track, ‘High & Dry’, massively intense and exultant shows you don’t need a mass of noise to make a powerful sound.
I would have liked at least some up=tempo material but really that is nitpicking.

If this had been an album from the 70’s mid-south I’d probably mark it up as a lost classic but this is by a band from Bristol so I guess that makes it a now classic – euther way, classic.