Local musician Chris Kuskey recently put out a new album titled “Dandelion.” The album is short one, only containing ten songs. However, Kuskey makes every minute of this short project well worth it.
The album starts off slow with “Blue Lite,” which definitely caught my attention after the first listen. This song is actually one of Kuskey’s favorites on the album. “It is a special one for me, since it came to me in order, stream of consciousness, in one sitting.” He said. “This is completely different from how I usually write. Usually it is getting random lines over a period of weeks or months. “Blue Lite” is really vulnerable, and I feel like that comes across in the melodic setting of it. Sonically, it is one of my favorites mixes on the record, if not my favorite.”
My favorite song on “Dandelion” is probably “Last Summer.” It’s just a very fun sounding song and I could definitely see this playing on the radio someday. I got the opportunity to hear this song (as well as the rest of the album) live before the album officially came out, and that’s an experience I’ll never forget. Kuskey is just as amazing live as he is on his records.
The album ends with the title track, “Dandelion.” This song is another one of Kuskey’s favorites from this record. “It is objectively the best song I’ve ever written,” he said. “It took almost two years to complete, but the allegory of the dandelion is very important to me, and I wanted to make sure I did it justice.”
This album has one main premise: it is about the idea of leaving. “I finished up my bachelor’s this past December, so these songs were written over the year leading up to that,” Kuskey stated. “Some of them perceived urgency of “so what are you doing after graduation” and understanding that in order to pursue music, I’d most likely have to leave my hometown at some point. I hoped they’d connect with my friends and other people my age who are more than likely having similar feelings.”
“Dandelion” is available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and YouTube. Kuskey is also giving out free CDs upon request. I highly recommend everyone go support this amazingly talented local artist.
