Following the ‘Attic Space’ EP (released by Fox Food Records earlier this year), Alyssa Thomas’ Fairy Godmother project makes a return with ‘Spit It Out’. Based around the pain of a break-up and the comfort that comes with moving on, the EP is full of darkly melodic bedroom pop songs in the vein of Rilo Kiley. It was recorded in three houses: Nick Tate and John Heywood recorded with Alyssa in Philly, while Conor Ryan sent his track stems from Connecticut…
The EP opens with the sad pop of ‘Invited’, a song that combines surf-rock guitars with chiming hooks and Alyssa’s examination of whether she actually is better off alone than being in a relationship that is coming to its natural conclusion. Following the sad statement of ‘I’m not invited to things you do’, she talks about how she’s out of choices before delivering poignant wails of ‘I’m hearing a ghost, I’m hearing voices’. The dreamy anti-folk of ‘Happy Man’ follows this and is an altogether more spiky affair with words like: ‘Happy man as you walk out the door. I understand that you don’t love me anymore and ‘Don’t talk to me. I don’t wanna know’ leaving an impression over swirling Wavves-esque sounds and synth-effect drums.
‘Rockstar’ is the midway point of the EP and this potent observation of a rock star’s unfulfilled life combines a Deerhunter-style build up with slacker pop moments and a faultless faltering ending. The shoegaze sound of the short and sweet ‘Take Me’ follows and finds Alyssa delivering hushed vocals with soft menace: ‘I don’t lie for you ’cause you want me to’. Closing the EP is the appropriately titled ‘Goodbye’; a sunshine-infused song with twinkling guitars and honest lyrics about moving on: ‘It’s not hard for you to say goodbye’.
You’ll want to fall under the spell of Fairy Godmother once again with the ‘Spit It Out’ EP
