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From humble beginnings Dashboard Confessional has
grown to a monster. What was once the side project
of Further Seems Forever frontman Chris Carrabba has
grown to be not only his sole musical endeavor, but
much more than one man’s solo project. Each
album has shown a progressive growth, and this second
full length album featuring DC as a band rather than
simply Mr. Carrabba and a guitar (not counting the
MTV unplugged disc) is no exception.
Dashboard’s first full band release of new
material “A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar”
was just what fans wanted. The songs could have easily
fit on “The Places You Have Come To Fear The
Most” in solo form. For their first full length
as a unit Dashboard Confessional wowed fans with what
was a logical progression on Carrabba’s teen
angsty emo pop. “Dusk And Summer” showed
a mature Dashboard Confessional. With this release
Dashboard is all grown up, and sounding great.
Opening with “Don’t Wait” the new,
mature DC sounds like a mix between U2 and Sixpence
None the Richer. I have to admit when I first listened
to this album I nearly snapped my neck checking to
see if I had put the right CD in. Carrabba’s
unique voice graces this album that really doesn’t
sound a lot like what I’ve come to expect from
Dashboard Confessional. Is that bad? Not in the least.
One listen to “Stolen” and you will immediately
hear DC’s heart-rending lyrics.
The big difference is that Carrabba and Co no longer
sound like brooding teens. “The Secret’s
In the Telling” and “Slow Decay”
show that Dashboard Confessional is ready to bring
a new musical challenge, and a new grown up vision.
While “Dusk And Summer” may be more reminiscent
of albums by emo standards like Armor For Sleep, there
is an accuracy in the execution that few can match.
The deluxe version of “Dusk And Summer”
contains three tracks unavailable on the original
release. A reworked version of the mega hit “Vindicated”
from the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack is a great addition
that will bring both fans and the curious to check
this album out. There are also live versions of fan
favorites “Ghost of a Good Thing” and
“Best Deceptions” as performed on the
Henry Rollins Show.
Key Tracks: “Don’t Wait”, “Vindicated”
Reviewed by Jim McDonald
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