This Is Our Jam: Caveman, “Thankful”

Caveman’s “Thankful” is the type of quiet, resigned pop song that leads you to quiet, resigned thoughts. The buzzing electronics, wistful harmonies, and plinking keys push the song forward with the same energy it takes to get out of bed at 3 p.m. on a Sunday, which is to say, just enough. If it’s a breakup song, it’s past the point where either party is particularly invested; If it’s about the loss of a loved one, the pain has long-since dulled and faded. Even the chorus, “Thankful, are my friends with remorse,” seems a particularly remote expression of regret or grief. For Caveman, it’s just an acknowledgement that someone, at some point, felt something. A bleak concept, beautifully executed.