2014: Beggin For Thread by Banks
Lyrics Video Spotify Released on July 22, 2014 (Harvest Records)
As I reached my beady hand into the song-box this morning (not a euphemism) I just knew the first song I’d grab would be mid as f*ck.
The list of 27s as a whole is pretty good, that is to say there are around 7 songs of absolute knock-out quality and a similar handful that I look forward to denigrating in the future.
Beggin For Thread resides somewhere in the drab middle. It plays to me like a song you’d hear at a venue before the concert: anticipatory in essence yet nowhere near engaging enough to trounce the impending entertainment.
That doesn’t mean it has nothing going for it, it’s actually kind of a vibe. Just a very 2014, neo-hipster, “OMG Lorde and Florence exist—did you guys know?” kind of vibe. And that’s fine; please take my misgivings with a grain of pink Himalayan salt, because there really is plenty here.
“So I got itches that scratch,” sings Californian-native Banks in the opening line of Beggin For Thread, a sentiment my 24 year old self could relate to as patches of juvenile eczema continued to plague my limbs.
Unfortunately, my 24 year old self didn’t really care for this song at the time either—and that’s saying something, because listening to Triple J was literally my life at that point. I tended to justify & defend most of the artists they green-lit, kowtowing my taste (and dignity) to Kingsmill and Kingsmill alone.
Back in 2014, the landscape was different. The Billie Eilish phenom was a year away, Lorde was still fresh-faced, and global female alt-pop was dominated by the likes of Lana Del Ray, Florence + the Machine and Lily Allen. But it was on the silent march—the advent of Lorde and Billie Eilish would establish a new blueprint that would catalyse an army of likeminded artists behind them. The new cohort would feature acts like FKA Twigs, Grimes, Charli XCX, Halsey, and of course Banks.
The song (yes that’s right the song - can you tell I don’t want to write about it?) is rife with sass and adorned with told-you-so sentiments - a growing theme amongst millennial and Gen Z songwriters that Banks helped pioneer.
She commandeers the track with a chilled, apathetic vocal delivery. I particularly love the Grimes-like pre-chorus wails of “whyyyyy?”, but I find the ensuing chorus to be quite underwhelming. It sort of just, plods. I guess it does sum up the track’s themes, so it serves a narrative purpose but not much else.
The real cornerstone of Beggin is in its bridge at around 2:38. While the majority of the song is based in F minor, the bridge introduces a sunnier G# major theme packed with steadfast affirmations and generally fulfils its utility in resolving the remainder of the song.
The production is gorgeous and typical of the day’s alt-pop which was starting to borrow from EDM, enriching mixes with finer details and ear candy. Beggin’s basic form is led by a basic synth bass that somehow manages to tell the fraught story of the lyrics within it’s cycle—the final turn in the phrase so compelling in its own right, it has the seduction of a clue that would interest Sherlock Holmes.
It was the lead single from her modestly titled debut album Goddess that would come out later that same year, ultimately going certified platinum and of course, the fabled #27 spot in Triple J’s Hottest 100.
Do I like this song? Yes. It’s fine. If you asked me if I would add it to any playlist except the one for this blog? The answer would be no. If you asked me if I was surprised that it landed at #27 in the Hottest 100 that year? My answer would be no, because it honestly checks out. It’s well written, well performed music by an artist with something to say. Does it do anything for me?… also no. It strikes me more as piece of mediocre art and not much else, which reminds me of a quote I heard recently from author Mark Manson:
“The best work divides the audience. Ideally, you want to make work that some people love and some people hate.”
Beggin For Thread is so inoffensive in its reticence to go all in that it kind of just comes and goes without too much fuss. While pleasant enough, I have to give this one 54/100. Til next time!
Addendum and Materials…
