I have a crippling fear
A crippling fear of seeing you again
And really, that’s all Matthew Mayfield needs to say. When he does sing those lines, you feel the paranoia, like in the moment you look over your shoulder before you say something secretive to your friend in a public place. Perhaps that’s why Mayfield’s voice is rough and mostly hushed — because these words are so painful that they barely escape his body.
His wonderful new album is titled Banquet For Ghosts, and you can see him tonight with Matthew Perryman Jones at Off Broadway in St. Louis.