Oh, Duffy. We get emails about you, dahling… many emails, which is, I suppose, a good thing.

Motown-influenced singer Duffy hails from Wales, but she had no problem charming a stateside crowd during her debut U.S. gig at SXSW. Duffy’s label, Island Records, has issued a press release including the following:

Early critical reactions have been unanimous, starting with Rolling Stone’s “Artists To Watch” recommendation. More:

“‘Mercy’ – This single from the latest British retro-soul sensation has got us tapping our toes to its groovy riffs and ‘Stand by Me’-style bass line.” – (Entertainment Weekly)

“‘Mercy’ – already top of the pops across Europe – has the punch to conquer the globe.” – Billboard.

“Duffy: Female Otis Redding anyone?… Seek out a track called ‘Warwick Avenue.’ Have someone on standby with a mop because you’ll melt down to a puddle on the floor.” – Los Angeles Times.

So, did we call this, or what? Watch Duffy’s brand new “Mercy” video here.

On The Web: iamduffy.com and MySpace.