Word: dashboard
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Since 2001, Chris Carrabba and his not-so-merry band of pop-punk troubadours have been quietly establishing Dashboard Confessional as one of the decade’s most consistent alternative rock bands. Saddled with the much-overused “emo” stigma, Carrabba’s music—combining the heartfelt, earnest lyrics of U2 and late R.E.M. with the gift for swelling, melodic pop hooks of ’90s bands such as the Goo Goo Dolls and Gin Blossoms—surpasses the restrictions of any disparaging genre classification...
...recent years, Dashboard Confessional has balanced its identity between two disparate sounds: urgent punk—like breakthrough single “Hands Down”—and lovelorn, acoustic balladry, such as the early fan-favorite “Screaming Infidelities.” Carrabba’s newest effort. “Alter the Ending,” strikes a middle ground between these two extremes, but the final product is somewhat inconsistent; “Alter the Ending” excels in the realm of emotional power ballads but also contains a great deal...
...Dashboard Confessional unfortunately elects on “Alter The Ending” to limit the usage of their greater strength: the acoustic, heartbrokenly witty ballads on which they built their early career. Two of the album’s finest tracks, “Even Now” and the moody closer “Hell On the Throat,” excel above the rest due to the naked emotion and simplistic strumming, enhanced only occasionally with a shimmering synth or lonely drum beat. On “Even Now,” Carrabba softly sings...
Still, the lack of mellow moments on the album does not entirely sour the affair, as Dashboard also chooses to indulge their newfound penchant for power ballads. Without the false urgency of the faster numbers, the ballads still retain the melodic prowess of Carrabba’s songwriting...
...Alter the Ending” ultimately proves to be sufficiently satisfying, but on most of the album, Carrabba seems somewhat lazy. “Belle of the Boulevard” and “Hell on the Throat” prove that Dashboard Confessional is clearly capable of greatness, but unfortunately, they failed to harness their skill in order to make “Alter the Ending” a more compelling listen...