This is the first re-issue of Jessica Lea Mayfield's breakthrough album Tell Me that was produced by Dan Auerbach in 2011, she was backed by Scott Hartlaub, David Mayfield, Ritchie Kirkpatrick and Dan Auerbach.
The album opens with the dark western guitar intro to I'll Be The One You Want Someday full of yearning, want and the hope that one day you will make her yours, while the slow blues inflected guitar help to woo you to her cause.
Our Hearts Are Wrong is sparse imprecations trying to make sure your hearts align and the feelings are shared, the cool organ injections trying to correct the things that have made their hearts wrong.
Blue Skies Again has a slow loping beat and feelings full of regret, hoping things will soon improve and get better. Somewhere In Your Heart has a hushed reverence for the late-night wishes and dreams she is spilling out in one splintering crazy horse style guitar solo.
Grown man is a message to another man child who needs to grow up and get real, the minimal keyboards and guitar backing add to the careful way Jessica is delivering her message. Trouble always ends in tears in country folk songs like this one, a late-night plea for less heartbreak and more love.
Nervous Lonely Night you are sitting alone drinking red wine and tequila trying to drown those sorrows, she has gone crazy thinking about why you are no longer friends, the organ accentuates her feelings of falling in love, with someone new on an almost daily basis, how did it come to this.
Sometimes At Night she falls into the arms of the wrong person, how can she forgive herself this trespass, bitter regrets are wrung out, while not wanting you to be able to see so deeply into her eyes and all that you can read in them.
The title tune Tell Me almost goes synth pop but with a country twist, for all the confessions she wants and needs to hear, she asks you to Tell Me Everything you would want her to do, to make things right once more, the percussion pattern is achingly familiar but recontextualized making this rather poignant plea for another chance at love with you.
Run Myself Into The Ground has a gospel tinge to the slow reflective blues similar to Brigitte Demeyer, while Jessica makes clear what feelings should be locked away before she lays out her truth and what she needs to clear those dark clouds.
The Album closes with Sleepless a thoughtful epistle making clear she's taken her mums advice, that no one can stop her, so go out and buy her album or go and see her US tour and help ease her pain and sorrow.
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