So slick and authentic is this band's country soul sound that it comes as a surprise to learn that they are from South-West England rather than the American South.
They comprise of five white male musicians from Bristol but it is the single black female singer that dominates their sound. The remarkable Yolanda Quartey has the kind of voice that immediately makes you sit up and take notice.
Her natural talent has not gone unnoticed as evidenced by the fact that she has performed lead vocal spots with Nitin Sawney and Massive Attack; backed Adele and Dizzie Rascal and, a little incongruously, written for Will Young.
This is her second time around with Phantom Limb whose self-titled debut was released in 2009.
The band temporarily relocated to the States to record the album in Signal Hill, California with Marc Ford (The Black Crowes) as producer and the highly experienced Greg Leisz guesting on steel guitar.
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A great singer does not a great album make and The Pines is not classic it could have been.
It has an impressive mix of white man's country music and gospel-tinged R'n'B but they seem to satisfied simply with recreating a traditional sound.
So, while the twelve songs say it once more for the broken-hearted, I can't help feeling that adding a slightly more contemporary flavour would have made it even more memorable.
That said, Phantom Limb's commercial potential is enormous and they strike you as a band with such an organic, unforced style that you can only see them going from strength to strength.
Phantom Limb's Website
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