Taking the stage without banter, Jessica Lea Mayfield played to a clearly adoring crowd of fans at SXSW in Austin, coming across polished yet a bit shy. Absent last night was her brother, David who previously seemed to be a bit of the energizer of the group promoting acrobatic antics. Also missing was their signature pose of Jessica playing guitar standing atop the bass and somebody to address the crowd beyond a few humble thanks, but perhaps she just prefers to speak through her music.
Mayfield's music exudes a sense of heartbreak and emotion before she even opens her mouth. The balance between her steady strumming of dark chords and the full out, embellished electric guitar of Richie Kirkpatrick leaves a lingering sound in the air, fleshing out the honest heart-felt lyrics Mayfield is praised for. Mayfield delivers her smokey vocals with a dark mysterious stare (partially due to the fact her bangs obscure half her face) and the effect only adds to heighten the dark mood. The highlight of the evening for me was "The One That I Love Best" which transitioned seemlessly through a rock jam into "I Can't Lie to You," leaving me glad that I've never had to suffer through the pains of a lover cheating.
