Alyssa Thomas | photo courtesy of the artist
Fairy Godmother finds herself on new EP
Alyssa Thomas records as Fairy Godmother, a name that embodies the tone of her music: at once full of maternal wisdom and a childlike faith in magic and mysticism. The first EP from Fairy Godmother, Attic Space, was released with Fox Food Records last spring. Even in that brief interlude of time, her latest effort, Spit It Out marks a budding transformation. This time around, Thomas collaborated with friends Nick Tate, Conor Ryan and John Heywood of (Sandy) Alex G. The 5-track EP presents an aesthetically pleasing symmetry, following typical story structure complete with exposition, climax and denouement.
“Invited” churns up feelings of exclusion and isolation. This is what it’s like to stand in the middle of a room where everyone is talking except you, being alone in a crowd. Thomas invites us to “Let it be, just let it go,” resolving that she’s better off on her own anyway. The strongest element of this track is the layered mesh of guitar work.
“Happy Man” dips into melancholy territory. Someone is leaving, and again comes up the theme of feeling unseen and unheard. The repeated line, “I understand that you don’t love me anymore,” pinpoints the acknowledgement of that secret fear, thinking that someone is better off without you. The despondent lyrics are counter-balanced by cheeky drum kit rolls and a cheery keyboard, notes plunking like water droplets.
In “Take Me,” Thomas nestles into the realm of bedroom pop icons, echoing influencers like Snail Mail. Her voice looses its chirpiness, settling into a lower octave, coaxing forward a smooth, snaking melody. This song is the most sonically perfected on the EP, the instrumentals compact and precise. “Goodbye” is a sweet finale, detailing a wistful resolution. Thomas sings about the growth and reflection that occurs in the absence of someone else, channeling the hurt of being alone into the journey of self-discovery.
Listen to Spit It Out below.