Review: Ella Langley Lets the Breeze in on ‘Dandelion’

Ella Langley’s Dandelion really paints a picture. It’s a vivid portrait of summertime down south, softened by rose-colored hindsight. As the rising country star puts it, this album is an ode to days gone by when the clock seemed to move more slowly, and everything rolled off your back. Langley thrives within this framework. Her lower register smooths away tension and gives even the most consequential of songs on this record a sense of calm. At a moment when the world feels increasingly heavy, this album breaks through like a screen door blown open. It lets the breeze roll in, reminding us that resonance doesn’t always come from weight.

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The singles Langley released before this record are a strong taste of what listeners will find on the album. Her world-altering hit, “Choosin’ Texas,” represents the level of songwriting she displays on this hit-filled record. Truly, there isn’t a song on Dandelion that doesn’t feel like it could be Langley’s next big success. Moreover, it’s one of many songs on this record that lets heartbreak dance under bright lights, replacing devastation with celebration.

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The title track and “Loving Life Again” represent Langley’s connection to her roots and help set the warm, fuzzy nostalgia scene that’s the backbone of this record. “Be Her” is a testament to the scope of Langley’s songwriting, proving she’s an artist with more to cover than heartbreak or romance. Each of these flavors is abundant on the rest of the tracklist.

This record seems to find Langley at a precipice, which is apt, given how she’s teetering on a new kind of success. She battles life changes in the lush “Butterfly Season” alongside Miranda Lambert, heals from heartbreak in “Most Good Things Do,” and reckons with her newfound fame in “Somethin’ Simple.” This feels like an album befitting an artist in Langley’s situation, both sonically and thematically. She’s got one foot back home in Alabama, but her sights are on the horizon, ready to evolve into the artist she’s proven herself to be with this effort.

‘Dandelion’ Is Breezy, Light, and Brave All at Once

The emotional high point of the record for me is “Speaking Terms.” Langley once again proves she’s not afraid to lead with her authentic heart on this ballad, wrestling with faith. That subject is one that country music typically only has one perspective on. Langley bares her thoughts, admitting the tenuous nature of her relationship with a higher power. It’s a unique point of view for the genre, adding a layer of bravery to this otherwise light and breezy record.

You hate to compare one great work to another, but this record reads like a soon-to-be-classic pop-country album, with the well-paced crossover appeal of Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour. This record is primed to push Langley into another level of stardom. Like that earlier record, Langley let her emotions and personality drive this album. Sure, she’s got superb songwriting instincts, but it’s the earnestness of Dandelion that really makes it what it is.

It seems as though Langley herself needed a reminder of what life was like before she hit her meteoric rise. As it turned out, this is exactly what the country listening world needed as well. Simply put, Dandelion is a breath of fresh air—a long exhale after holding everything in just a little too long. It’s heartfelt hit-making at its finest, acting as the album of right now and likely one for years to come.

(Credit: Caylee Robillard/SonyMusic)