The Dandelion War Vs. Explosions in the Sky

posted in: Features • Rock

In the second week here at Vs., we’re taking a look at indie rockers The Dandelion War to see how they stack up against Texan post-rockers Explosions in the Sky. The Dandelion War are a six-piece outfit hailing from San Francisco, CA. Like Explosions in the Sky, The Dandelion War’s bread and butter lies in their intertwining guitar lines. Their song “South, Like the Summer” begins with just a somber and delicate guitar line. This is followed by a second guitar counter melody and a snare drum rhythm that creates the feel of soldiers marching into battle. The first half of the song continues to build up until the epic, sing-a-long chorus that ends the song. Now, the word “cinematic” gets thrown around a lot when talking about Explosions in the Sky, but it just as easily describes The Dandelion War. Both bands have a knack for creating compositions that build from slow beginnings into emotionally cathartic endings.

What makes The Dandelion War so great is how they meld together the cinematic elements of post-rock with the catchiness of pop music. Unlike Explosions in the Sky, which is an instrumental group consisting of three guitarists and a drummer, The Dandelion War features a lead singer, a piano player and a bassist to help give them a more well rounded pop aesthetic. Frontman Larry’s silky sweet falsetto vocals evoke singers like Chris Martin from Coldplay or Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Bassist Mario and pianist John provide a stable rhythm section that allows the two guitarists to play off of each other and weave different melodies together.

All of the strengths of The Dandelion War are evident on their pop gem “Spectacle.” Beginning with a delicate, reverberated guitar melody, the focus of the song quickly shifts to the vocal melody. The smooth tenor melody guides the song through its slow burning verses, while drummer Julius provides a sparse, less-is-more style accompaniment. Using the classic ‘soft verse, loud chorus’ formula, his drumming propels the song into its massive chorus. The drumming becomes more aggressive, the guitars get louder and the falsetto vocals soar higher, singing “you will become a spectacle, that only I will be able to see into.” Transitioning into the bridge, the song gets stripped down once again with a delicate instrumental section. The lack of vocals in the bridge lets the band members take the spotlight, creating an open and airy sound that evokes the feeling of floating on a cloud. The bridge then moves into a short verse, and ends on a high note with one final chorus. Don’t be surprised if you hear this song soundtracking your favorite medical drama in the near future. The Dandelion War have the perfect combination of cinematic arrangements and pop sensibility that’s tailor made for television and films.

The Dandelion War’s debut album, Geometries and Orchids, is available now on iTunes. Check out the brand new music video for their track “Sui Generis” below.