Photo credit: Tristian Parks
“Baby Come Back”, Thomasina’s latest release, is a true “instant classic”. Between the catchy lyrics and the unforgettably melodic beat it only gets better with each listen. Thomasina expresses a consistent internal debate on old romance and its value. She undeniably misses the subject she sings to, but recognizes the harm they have done to her and will likely do again if she lets them back into her life. Their memory burns in her mind, but as she says “knew you’d burn me down one night” she creates the sense that she would be ablaze regardless. The sentiment she ponders throughout “Baby Come Back” is whether it is better to be in pain with or without them. And as the title alludes to, she decides with. At its core, this is a song for anyone who misses anyone. It’s a general subject, and yet, Thomasina manages to make it feel personal and intimate.
The song begins with a sort of mechanical sound backed by a static version of the music, then a click, before the song picks up. The sounds of tangible music here, a record or cd player for example, are small but incredibly reflective of Thomasina’s message. This is something she holds on to, something she’s said, or heard, a million times and yet it plays again. She’s restless, as expressed by what we hear next. “Dreams of you are the reason I wake up, I try to fall back to sleep but I’m stuck” her voice is crisp and introduces the listener to the high quality found in the remainder of the song. The lyrics that follow are poetically rhythmic, following a structure that is in sync with the beat. It is almost asking for participation, impossible to resist singing along with after one listen, but this is only her introduction. It is her chorus, in which Thomasina’s euphonious, perfect, voice repeats again and again “baby come back” which is truly captivating. After the first chorus, she is lost in her thoughts of her subject. Old photos, their smile, their mind. Though it is clear they hurt her, she offers them nothing but compliments. The song seems to end with the same plea, “baby come back to me”, but as the music disappears the listener can hear one last whisper of “come back”. It is details such as this that make “Baby Come Back” such an endearing and dissectible song, Thomasina’s creative ability in production and songwriting is displayed beautifully in every piece of it.
Thomasina began making music at only ten years old and has been expanding on her prodigal talent ever since. Following every aspect of the songwriting process, she studied audio production at Northern Vermont University, working towards her ability to be a self-sufficient creator. In 2018, she released her first single “You Don’t Deserve This”, opening her up to her current style of pop music. This and her other singles have been largely reflective of her personal experience and emotions. But “Baby Come Back”, which she began producing two years ago, is different. In this single, she explores her storytelling ability by creating a character to narrate the song and focusing it around a convincing, but actually fabricated, breakup. With such new approaches I’ll definitely be coming back to see what else Thomasina has in store for us.
Written By Hailey Schap
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