Transmissions – Light the Sky (2022)
Transmissions is introducing us to the story of their upcoming concept album with the single ‘Light the Sky’. While the album tells the story of a man obsessed with leaving the world via alien abduction, he sits and reflects on his life, dipping into thoughts of isolation and loneliness. As part of a larger conceptual whole, this song is a single chapter in the story that looks at a transcendental encounter with a spacecraft.
Through the alternative rock tones of the single, the band brings this encounter to sonic life. This conceptual story comes from the brains and musical talents of Joshua Joyner (vocals, guitar), Matthew Humpage (vocals, guitar), Tristan Apperley (bass), Dominic Sanderson (guitar) and Daniel Ratcliffe (drums). Formed at the University of Liverpool, the band swirls pop tones with rock sensibilities.
‘Light the Sky’ has a light, almost folk, opening that has you relaxing into the gentle plucked tones. You can almost feel yourself resting against a tree while a light breeze rustles the leaves. The gentle tones get a gentle sway from the drums before the slightly ominous tones rise from the depths of the soundscape. The soaring tones that enter are like a light breaking through the tree canopy. Combined with the vocals, the movement of the music turns into the awed feeling of seeing an alien spacecraft. When the acoustic guitar comes back, there is a slight Ziggy Stardust vibe to it, while a cosmic touch of space and futurism sweeps through the veins. The bridge really brings the close encounter to sonic glory and you can easily see it playing out in your mind.
As you relax to the opening tones of the melody, the vocals turn your attention to something strange. There is such an easy flow to the performance as the vocals draw you into the story of the track. Through the lyrics, you can easily imagine the spacecraft moving over the tree line. There is a lulling feeling to the performance that pulls you under the band’s spell. After introducing you to the awesome sight of the spacecraft, there is a plea to be taken away from the isolation and loneliness of life. This is an amazing introduction to the concept of the album and makes you eager to find out what else happens.
Transmissions draws you into a sonic encounter with a spacecraft and introduce the sounds of their upcoming album in ‘Light the Sky’. The melody has a lightly retro touch with sprinklings of Ziggy Stardust laying over a dynamic roll of melodic elements. The vocals effortlessly draw you into the story and get you excited about where they will go next.
Find out more about Transmissions on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
