Dandelion Killers - Orphans of the Empire
By Dave Urwin
The intriguingly named Dandelion Killers apparently formed “On a rainy Wednesday evening when there was nothing to watch on television.” Judging by recent weeks maybe the only necessary words in that sentence were ‘On a Wednesday evening,’ but the point is that these guys decided to make music together as a reaction to their perceived mundane existence. This is heart-warming in itself, as many turn to drugs or violence in similar circumstances. Maybe they do those things as well, but I want to choose to believe that they’re happy enough to play their songs and spend the rest of their time having band picnics by the river and engaging in similar wholesome activities, because ‘Orphans of the Empire’ is one charming album. Vocally their sound is often reminiscent of that floating, celestial tone we’d associate with The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev and The Earlies but musically the influences seem unashamedly English. Taking the pop sensibilities of The Beatles and filtering them through a nineties psychedelic rock blender, but still sounding fresh is a thankless task, but for my money (not that I have much of it right now) is one that they’ve achieved with aplomb.
Dandelion Killers are not a band who will shake your understanding of music off its foundations, more one that will remind you how much you love music in the first place. ‘Etiquette Lessons’ is a proper pop song, by which I mean a charming, woozy slice of loveliness rather than “Call me Mr Flintsone, I can make your bed rock.” ‘Long Live the Narcissists’ has a jazzy bassline during the verses and then a glam chorus, along with some harmonies that could almost be lifted directly from the 1930s. ‘Nouveau Lug’ throws a sudden curveball into more sinister waters with a fuzzy bass, distorted vocals and a rather demonic riff. What all of this means is that Dandelion Killers manage to paint with the whole palette of their influences whilst still only ever really sounding like themselves, just like a certain Mr Beck Hansen used to do to great effect back in the day. Overall this album is full of promise, and if they come good Dandelion Killers could become a band with a substantial cult following.
With this album at no time did I get the impression that they were writing songs for anyone but themselves, and this makes them a band one could easily fall for. A number of other bands flashed through my mind at different times including Supergrass, Blood Red Shoes and forgotten 90’s band Stony Sleep but Dandelion Killers cannot be pinned down. Every so often I am sent a CD that stands out from the rest, and on first impressions I’d say that along with The Hysterical Injury, Countryside and Cutnancy here’s a band who are worth keeping an eye on. Come and play The Perfect 5th in Taunton, guys. Please!
