B-Side Guys

The Transference’s “Ramone Says I’m the Devil” pulses with the kind of spiritual confusion that makes for compelling indie rock. Laura Hollingsworth’s latest vehicle trades the introspective folk leanings of her previous projects for something more urgent—a power pop framework that can barely contain her protagonist’s existential crisis.

Mike Przygoda’s pedal steel guitar provides an unexpected anchor throughout, its country-tinged sustain creating tension against the driving rhythm section. The production maintains a deliberate lo-fi warmth that recalls early Pavement recordings at Electrical Audio, though Hollingsworth’s vocal clarity cuts through the haze with precision. Justin Wheeler’s guitar work weaves around the clavinet lines, creating a textural density that mirrors the song’s thematic complexity.

The narrative centers on a tarot reading gone awry, where the mysterious Ramone delivers unsettling interpretations of celestial identity. Hollingsworth’s lyrics examine the exhaustion of performing goodness—”I’ve been feeling like a fool / Waiting ’round just to be loved”—while questioning whether rebellion might be more authentic than compliance. The repeated mantra about being a “good girl” whose love is “so strong” suggests someone discovering that their capacity for feeling exceeds societal expectations.

What makes this track particularly compelling is how it uses astrological imagery to explore deeper questions about authenticity versus performance. The Capricorn devil card becomes a symbol of earthly ambition clashing with angelic duty, while the narrator grapples with whether her intensity makes her unsuitable for conventional virtue. Andrea Santiago’s backing vocals create an almost gospel-like call-and-response that amplifies the spiritual undertones.

The song’s power lies in its refusal to provide easy answers. Hollingsworth leaves her protagonist suspended between heaven and hell, questioning whether the place that feels like home might be the one she’s been taught to fear. In a landscape of indie rock often concerned with ironic detachment, “Ramone Says I’m the Devil” dares to take spiritual questioning seriously, wrapped in melodies that stick long after the final chord fades.