Sam Tompkins Body to Body Single Review

Words: Tom Gensler

Photo by Will Beach

Postmodernism is rife in the modern media landscape, especially, now more than ever, in

music. We, as humans, love it when something we know is given a new direction, a new

take, a new feel, a new life, even. We constantly seek out reboots and sequels and spin-

offs subconsciously, with nostalgia driving us to love things that sometimes only share

loose connections with what we already like. Sam Tompkins, a British artist making waves

on the UK’s scene with vibey catchy hooks and chill vibes, channels postmodernism on his

new single, Body to Body, which has clear era-driven roots.

Body To Body is a very 80s tinged song with a crisp, modern production. The song leaks

emotion slowly, starting out fairly chill and low-key, before bursting to life with a resounding

beat and vibey background synths. There’s obvious Tears For Fears DNA here, from the

very first listen it shares sonic lineage with their classic hit Everybody Wants to Rule the

World. Sometimes, when artists make music that harks back to a particular time period, it

can come off as a pastiche, but it doesn’t feel that way at all here. Tompkins builds on that

80s feel throughout the song, with vocals and feel that have that 2020s internet indie feel.

It's a sublime combination. It's simultaneously smooth and biting, and it's an earworm. You’ll have issues not singing the song’s final moments after listening. It's infectious in a nostalgic way.

In comparison to the previous single, Beauty Queen, Body to Body is more sonically

expansive and drenched in passion and emotion, giving the human experience of love in a

wide-screen feel. This feel has a cinematic vibe to it, and it would fit many soundtracks,

especially a modern romcom. This would be great montage music.

Body To Body has everything you want in a modern pop song; it's crisp, catchy and romantic. It never overstays its welcome, and after the initial drop keeps a consistent sound and vibe that’s resounding and really rings through. It's very hard to get out of your head, too. Sam Tompkins has done a very good job with this single, and I’m very excited to hear what’s next for him, as he just seems to keep going from strength to strength.

4 rating