From the moment that huge strum cuts through the silence like the sun breaking through the clouds you’ll immediately get a sense of just how much warmth and breadth comprise “Take on the World”, the second single from Kansas City’s own Dandelions. The phenomenal guitar tone transports you away on upbeat drums and splashy cymbals, and it all sounds so incredibly well put-together that a sudden wave of anxiety hits you as you brace for the vocals; at this point there’s a statistically significant chance that they aren’t going to live up to the hype created by the rich instrumentation. It’s just a fact, it’s where so many bands fall flat, they just oh, there’s the vocals and they’re effing perfect. The Dandelions’ vocal harmonies crash into your cochleae and this whole wall of sound comes together and washes over you like warm sunlight. The production value here is top notch. It’s a welcome reprieve from a long and daunting winter.
If you just listen for yourself then I don’t have to tell you who is influencing these guys. Let’s just say I think this would go over really well in Britain. Driving under open skies through rolling hills and fields of green on a sunny day is the overall mood for me and it’s fantastic. Between the music, the name and the majestic cover art it’s all quite open and inviting. Tim Gutschenritter and Brent Windler have been collaborating on the newest Dandelions tracks for about 2 years but had first loosely formed Dandelions back in 2016. Their recordings feature Ryan Benton on drums and Noel Bond plays bass on “Take on the World”. Their recordings are the culmination of a lot of time and forethought. “Brent and I toured for years with other bands and really waited a long time to build (this) collab”, explains Gutschenritter. “We both knew the outcome would be exactly what we wanted. (We’re) very stoked to finally get something out into the universe. Stay tuned for much more to come.”
Dandelions has one more single yet to be released and a backlog of music they’re itching to take into the studio. Find them on all major streaming platforms and hear them on 90.9 fm The Bridge in Kansas City.
