Due to her mature vocals and the heartbreaking sophistry of her lovelorn songs, you would swear that Indie-Folk/Alt-Country newcomer Jessica Lea Mayfield was probably in her late 20's or maybe even 30's. After a couple of bewitching spins of With Blasphemy So Heartfelt I was quite shocked to learn that Mayfield is only 19 and she just had a birthday a little over a month ago. Recession or no recession I'd like to own a few shares of her stock.

A protégée of The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, Mayfield made her debut on The Black Keys' newest record Attack and Release adding those haunting backing vocals that are on their album closer "Things Ain't Like They Used to Be." Auerbach returns the favor here as producer and plays almost all the instruments except for the acoustic guitar that Mayfield plays.

Sounding somewhere between the likes of Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, Mayfield certainly has a voice and a look on life (albeit depressing) well beyond her years. If you're not a fan of being bummed out by songs of other people's misfortunes then you should stay the hell away from this album, because it is a tearjerker. But if you like your tunes laced with some artful melancholy, this is an ideal "tear in your beer" (or whatever beverage of your choosing) masterpiece. With Blasphemy So Heartfelt is an excellent album from a sure-fire talent that I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from in the near future.