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On Dandelion, Ella Langley channels the momentum and confusion of twenty-something life, exploring different sounds as a way of mapping out identity in real time. The result is a set of largely excellent, single-worthy songs that more than manage to feel cohesive, even as they capture a voice still searching for its place.
One of Dandelion’s most reliable strengths is unsurprisingly Langley’s vocal performance, which remains consistently compelling even as the landscape of the album shifts around her. She adapts her delivery to each sound - whether leaning into frank vulnerability, earnest aspiration or swagger-filled flirtation - giving the album an emotional throughline that reinforces its themes of lessons in love and self-discovery.
Langley can capture neo-traditionalism with cheek and sass in “I Gotta Quit,” drift into beach-country romance on “You & Me Time,” and offer a wistful reflection on growth in “Butterfly Season,” all while making each moment feel unmistakably her own - something increasingly rare in the age of playlist-built albums and a single-driven industry.
It’s a cohesion driven not just by stylistic intent, but by the interplay between Ella Langley’s distinct vocal presence and a production approach that prioritises both identity and sharpness, allowing these songs to function as individual standouts without losing sight of the bigger picture.
That cohesion is, in no small part, thanks to the guiding hand of Miranda Lambert, whose production acts as the album’s connective tissue. Even as the record shifts across different textures and influences, there’s a clear sonic identity that prevents it from feeling scattered.
“Low Lights’” orchestral crescendo is handled beautifully, Ella savouring each word as strings swell and burst with a richness that will have Raye and Olivia Dean taking notes for the next James Bond theme. But beyond these climactic moments, there’s a deeper rhythmic sensibility that quietly anchors much of the record—a spacious, jazz-leaning groove that echoes the warmth of Golden Hour and the refinement of Bella Donna. For Ella Langley, this becomes a defining thread of her sound, surfacing in the sultry bounce of “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas,” the airy drift of “Something Simple,” and the neon-lit sway of “Broken” and “We Know Us.”
With those ties firmly in place, Ella is given the freedom to find her place, exploring the push and pull of trying to define yourself while still very much in motion. Whether Langley is observing her relationship with her faith on “Speaking Terms,” putting to bed a fractious relationship on “Last Call For Us,” or subtly referencing growing up and family with “Bottom of Your Boots,” she does so with a simple genuineness, exhibiting her scars, desires, and aspirations in unmuddied couplets and unambiguous statements that hit all the harder for it.
Ultimately, Dandelion succeeds not because it has all the answers, but because it embraces the process of figuring them out. It reflects both Ella Langley’s instinctive sense of self and the sonic architecture that Miranda has built to support it, resulting in a project that feels lived-in, self-assured, and fully realised.
By the end, it’s clear she hasn’t just found her place—she’s carved it out entirely for herself, at the very top.
8.8 / 10
Ross Jones
You can listen to my favourite from the album, 'Broken', below:
Track Ratings:
1. Froggy Went A Courtin' - Intro /
2. Dandelion - 8.3
3. Choosin' Texas - 9.2
4. We Know Us - 8.0
5. Low Lights - 8.2
6. Be Her - 9.0
7. You & Me Time - 8.1
8. Loving Life Again - 7.8
9. Bottom Of Your Boots - 8.8
10. Speaking Terms - 8.7
11. I Gotta Quit - 7.2
12. It Wasn't God That Made Honky Tonk Angels - 8.1
13. Last Call For Us - 8.8
14. Broken - 9.0
15. Somethin' Simple - 8.6
16. Butterfly Season (Feat. Miranda Lambert) - 8.2
17. Most Good Things Do - 8.0
18. Froggy Went A Courtin' - Outro - /
For more on Ella Langley, see below:
