33. Single Review of Fairy by Kathi Deakin

Originally published August 27th, 2024

About the Artist

Kathi Deakin Is a British/German independent artist who is currently based in Berlin, Germany. She has been writing and performing her own music since she was 12 years old. Her musical performance and ability to emotionally connect with her audience has garnered recognition and she is currently now working with a producer in Berlin.

In addition to pursuing her goals to be a musician, she is studying primary education, focusing on language and special education, and currently works in Berlin. A proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, her music is influenced by her life and the love she feels she receives from her girlfriend. 

Deakin plans to drop a new single in the fall and is currently working on a collection of written songs with plans to release an EP or possibly even an LP in the near future.

About the Song

Fairy is an independent folk song released on July 26th, 2024. It has a runtime of approximately three and a half minutes. It is a ballad that features acoustic guitar, ambient background synth, and layered vocals by Deakin. It is comparable to Feist.

About the Music

Musically, the song features a rhythm guitar strummed and an arpeggiated acoustic part layered over the rhythm. There are additional background synth parts designed to layer sound and ambience, filling the open space of the melody. It is a slower rhythm, definitely falling into the classification of a ballad. 

Vocally, Kathi Deakin gives us a sweet, airy performance, using reverb to absolutely fill the sound space. Her primary vocal part mostly resides in an upper alto-lower soprano range, with backing vocals on either side of that. She showcases an ability to effectively execute both higher and lower ranges very well and her voice blends very well with itself.

About the Lyrics

Lyrically, the author is painting the picture of absolute adoration. Deakin stated, “Fairy is a love song through and through. It’s admiration and appreciation. I tried to do justice to the magic my girlfriend makes me feel just by being around her.” 

Listening to the lyrics, Deakin had definitely conveyed this. The author is speaking in a narrative that seems to be observing their object of affection as “she” moves through life: “She makes her own jewelry. Her fingers dance spell incantation fairy. Her face, like a goddess. Her words take me furthest.” 

Going into the chorus, Deakin states, “She understands. And if she doesn’t wanna stay she’ll simply fly away.” I love this line and here’s why. It is human nature to possess beautiful things. We go to the jungle and cage brilliant animals; stripping them from their homes so we can gawk at them. We groom “beautiful” men and women to become models, and we regulate their diets, their exercise, and their time. We teach them how to walk, talk, and how to physically express themselves. We buy art to display it privately, so we can use it as some talking point to impress our friends. If a politician shows leadership or promise, lobbyists flock to them and promise money and power in exchange for the caveat that they (the lobbyists) can pull their (the politicians) strings on certain narratives and talking points. We control things that are not meant to be controlled. 

Our author ignores this reflex by observing the beauty of her subject and realizing that her freedom to leave is a part of her beauty and her choice to stay is a reflection of her love. It’s an absolutely breathtaking line that is simple enough, yet communicates such a profound understanding that too many people simply do not get.

Final Thoughts

Kathi Deakin is poised to be a household name in indie/folk, alternative, and Americana music. Vocally, she gives a stunning and superior performance with a sweet and subtle control over every note she sings. The production quality of the song is spot on. I’m not able to offer a single note for improvement in this capacity. I wouldn’t tweak a single dial.

The lyrical content of the song was extraordinary in the way she took simple thoughts and turned them into this extravagant witness statement. Taking a simple lyric like “She understands” and putting it into such an emotional context that the author is almost literally sharing her heart with her listeners as I felt how she must feel in the presence of the object of her affection. It reminds me of a line in Hamlet towards the end of the play. After following the protagonist throughout a most complex sequence of events, in a climax that is overwhelmed with emotional reaction, Shakespeare speaks of his departure by simply saying, “then he dies.” Words that, said alone, do not do justice. If they are taken in with the palpable emotion, however, they say it perfectly. 

Kathi Deakin has said it perfectly.