Sam Tompkins isn’t just singing with his latest single, “See Me,” he’s confessing. This is an instance of honesty, an instance of frailty, an instance of fearless emotion. “See Me” invites you inside Sam’s mind as thoughts that have gone unvoiced and feelings harbored for far too long are finally given expression. A master of raw, emotional syllables, Sam goes all in on “See Me.” There’s a crackling beauty to the way he stretches some of his notes, as though the words are too heavy to bear but too important to keep behind.
It’s the sort of performance not just about vocal talent, but it requires empathy. But it’s not only the voice that makes this track, the instrumental bed is a thing of hushed magnificence. It’s a setup that reduces just enough to allow the emotion to sparkle, but has enough texture to pull the listener into the same vulnerability Sam is trying to metabolize. What “See Me” has going for it is how distinctly personal it feels while at the same time dipping into something universal. We’ve all sought that, to be seen, truly seen, not just by others but by ourselves.
Sam expresses that desire in lines of sincerity, a burden of feelings that have dogged him for much of his life. It’s hard to unload years’ worth of emotional baggage inside of four minutes, but that’s what Sam does here. “See Me” is a reminder that it’s okay to be vulnerable. If Sam Tompkins’s artistry is anything, it’s connecting, and with “See Me,” he’s built one of his strongest bridges yet. It invites you in, asks you to feel along with it, and returns you a bit more open than it found you.