Kalyn Fay
ᎠᏫᏒᏅ (Garden)
Horton Records
Oklahoma-based songwriter, musician, and interdisciplinary artist Kalyn Fay (Cherokee Nation, Muscogee descent) releases their third long player, ᎠᏫᏒᏅ (Garden). The songs on the album form what Fay describes as a map back to self and community.
Raised across Cherokee, Muscogee, and Osage territories, Fay operates at the intersection of folk, Americana, and Indigenous storytelling, but ᎠᏫᏒᏅ feels especially grounded. Their voice—warm, steady, and quietly commanding—highlights songs that meditate on place, identity, and belonging without slipping into abstraction.
An accomplished, in-demand performer, Kalyn has appeared on national and international stages, including SXSW, FreshGrass Festival, Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Folk Alliance International, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Produced by Scott Bel, ᎠᏫᏒᏅ (Garden)</em> follows Fay’s previous albums: Bible Belt (2016) and Good Company (2019). ᎠᏫᏒᏅ (Garden) was mixed and mastered by D. James Goodwin and features the talents of Fay (guitar, vocals), Matt Magerkurth (cello), Mike Cameron (saxophone), Stephen Schultz (upright bass), Jake Lynn (drums, percussion), and Penny Pitchlynn (backing vocals).
Fay’s work as Assistant Curator of Native Art at the Philbrook Museum of Art offers a lens for understanding the album: ᎠᏫᏒᏅ is less about reinvention than stewardship. It pays tribute to continuity, care, and connection.
Entry points on the album include “More,” which rolls out on loose, crunching percussion and a fat, spherical bassline. Low-slung yet wonderfully gorgeous, the melody provides a luscious seesawing motion topped by Fay’s strong, evocative voice.
The folk-rock depth and resonance of “Family” make it a personal favorite. Silhouetted by Pitchlynn’s gorgeous harmonies on the chorus, Fay’s vocals elevate and soar on rich, creamy textures, imbuing the lyrics with hints of a dreamscape.
“Seven,” co-written with Diné/Filipino songwriter Sage Nizhoni, reveals an almost mystical feeling, evoked by darker, cavernous tones that take on psychedelic residue. For some reason, this track summons up memories of Jim Morrison and even Godsmack’s “Voodoo.”
Vaguely reminiscent of CSNY, “Grandmother” flows and shimmers and drifts on cashmere colors, while layered harmonies give the lyrics soft, radiant surfaces. “Tsudadatla Tsisqua (Spotted Bird),” sung in Cherokee, conjures up suggestions of Stevie Nicks because of its gentle, melodic textures and Fay’s beautiful timbres and phrasing.
Perhaps the best song on the album, “Cherokee County” travels on a tight rhythm as the wistful, country-flavored melody unfolds. Fay’s voice offers charm, warmth, and velvety textures, giving the tune an alluring power.
Ooh la la! Marvelously gratifying and oh-so approachable, ᎠᏫᏒᏅ (Garden) establishes Kalyn Fay as a tour de force of folk and Americana music. This is an excellent album.
