Chicago-based indie rockers The Transference deliver their debut LP, Floodlights, with an eclectic concoction of dark reflections and playfulness. Born from the ashes of a previous band and sparked by pandemic-era demos, the group, fronted by singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Laura Hollingsworth alongside Alex Karan on drums, MJ Johnson on bass, guitarist Justin Wheeler, and vocalist Andrea Santiago, formalizes a visceral sound. With synths, pedal steel, vibraphone, and harmonium sneaking into the arrangements, thereโs always a little surprise waiting around the corner. Released digitally in July and gearing up for a vinyl launch at Schubaโs on September 9, the record is coming fully geared.
The opener, โCircling the Square,โ brings lighthearted riffs and buoyant drumming that bubble under Hollingsworthโs chirpy, soaring vocals. When she sings, this contentment trails above the instruments, mirroring lyrics about driving, spinning, and breathing freely with someone you love. Itโs catchy and festive, like a road trip anthem with a quirky edge.
But the album doesnโt just play it safe. โAliensโ is a standout with its thumping rhythm and heavy, gritty undercurrent, pairing tenderness with urgency. The lyrics lean cosmic, weaving childhood memories of the open sky with musings on truth and deception. When Hollingsworth insists, โI told you there were aliens,โ it lands less as fantasy and more as a metaphor for unseen truths, carried by a rhythm that keeps you hooked.
Later, โSunsetsโ closes things down with a gentler, soul-soothing palette. Shaking percussion, warm melodies, and layered harmonies give the track a dreamlike halo, while Hollingsworthโs thicker, richer vocal tone grounds the ballad with such warmth. She sings, โYou keep rising in my mind/Like a compass flower/Riding high.โ Itโs reflective and poignant, like dusk settling over a restless city.
Listen to Floodlights by The Transference on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan