hanging by a thread
benedict benjamin

Benedict Benjamin is an artist I discovered simply browsing through the folk page on Bandcamp, which can often showcase fairly forgettable and drab music.

His 2019 album Truant was an exception to this, however, proving that the hunt is not always in vain.
Since the release of that album, there has been no new music from Benjamin until now: just the four years later.

Three new singles have been released in anticipation of the new album Furlough Blues, and the first one I listened to was Hanging by a Thread.

Starting with a pleasant synth, acoustic guitar, and the unmistakable sound of a muted bass with flatwound strings, almost emulating the sounds of Mac DeMarco, the vocals detail the continuation of drinking in the day and social isolation.

This is ultimately the essence of the songs message: the universal experience of lockdown.
There is perhaps a deeper meaning to the song I feel, as I interpret a lot of the lyrics to also explore the ideas of failure, and the feelings that often accompany that.

Failure is something I used to fear significantly- and in some ways still do- and the manner in which this topic is presented in this song by Benjamin is something I personally enjoyed.

I’m unable to fully enjoy the production of the song, particularly in the vocals where I feel they cut across as lacking strength at times.

The dynamics of the track are effective, and overall it’s an extremely sweet, pleasant song.