"Thumbs" — a narrative song that takes the listener through a night where Lucy Dacus accompanies a friend to see her estranged father for the first time in years — is an untraditional love song. When it was first released earlier this year, the song had intentionally barebones production, described by Dacus as "acapella plus": vocals, pad, bass synth and an occasional sound of the blowing wind. Now, she has re-released the song, aptly titled "Thumbs Again," with additional instrumentation that doesn't overwhelm Dacus' story, but complements it.
This is especially notable when the chorus hits with the lyrics "I would kill him / If you let me / I would kill him / Quick and easy." The various sonic layers that Dacus and her band have been building up leading up to those lines are immediately stripped, hitting you in a way that feels like having the wind knocked out of you. The song's message of both incredible selflessness and selfishness, of affection and raw, utter disdain is accentuated by the new version's supplementary and finely intentional instrumentation.
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