The Confessions of Chris Carrabba (Dusk And Summer - Dashboard Confessional)

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	Dusk And Summer - Dashboard Confessional
Date:	06/11/07 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great music to kick back and relax to

Disadvantages: Most of the tracks here are fairly forgettable

Forming in 1999, Dashboard Confessional was originally a basis for Chris Carrabba to release acoustic solo releases as a side project away from his main band of the time, Further Seems Forever. Dashboard Confessional have come a long way since then, with a million selling album under their belts in the form of ‘A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar’, and this album itself having sold over half a million copies in fact since its release in July of 2006. It could quite fairly be argued however that it is the bands first album ‘The Swiss Army Romance’ released back in 2000 which is the album that embodies the true spirit of Dashboard Confessional, and that the band have never since managed to match this album in terms of quality – something that I would be inclined to agree with. Having said this, ‘Dusk and Summer’ is not a bad album, and with it’s bitter sweet pop harmonies – any of the eleven tracks here would be absolutely perfect for a cheesy teen comedy film.

This is a decent album in that there are eleven tracks on display here that could easily be released as singles to critical acclaim, and indeed several were. I feel that the albums centrepiece ‘So Long, So Long’ is probably one of the finest moments on the album – a collaboration with Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz which is an incredible piano led track that really works well in it’s place at the centre of the album. It is a great collaboration where much time and effort has obviously gone into this track in order to make it the best it possibly could have been. If it wasn’t for the amazing ‘Slow Decay’ then I no doubt would have been saying that ‘So Long, So Long’ was the bands finest moment on this CD, however I feel that ‘Slow Decay’ should definitely win this award. This is probably the most angst you’ll ever find on a Dashboard Confessional record, with the band really tearing through this one and making it a stand out track for me.

‘Don’t Wait’ was the first single released from this album, on August 21st 2006. This is a strong track which is simple yet extremely effective. It’s one of those deja vu tracks where the first time you hear it, you’ll feel like you’ve already heard it somewhere before. I think it is this that makes this track so strong as it’s instantly recognisable and definitely made for a good single. It is therefore obvious to see why this track was picked to be the first single taken from the album, and although it was not a success in the UK – it was the bands first single to hit the Billboard Hot 100 Stateside.

Although when you come to the end of listening to this album you'll most probably forget the majority of tracks you’ve just heard almost instantaneously – for what it’s worth, this is not a bad album. If you want an album that you can sit back and relax to, then this is the ticket. Sure, the originality isn’t exactly ground breaking and the lyrics aren’t particularly genius – but this Dashboard Confessional release definitely deserves a place in your CD collection. It probably won’t ever become your favourite album, but you’re bound to find yourself giving it a spin from time to time. There are many moments on this album where the band actually sound like a continuation of the aforementioned Further Seems Forever, so if you were a fan of that band but have never really given Dashboard Confessional a chance then it may be worth you're while listening to this album. Once you get past the fact that this album is predominantly targeted at 14 year old girls, you’ll probably find yourself quite enjoying 'Dusk and Summer'.


Label: Vagrant
Release Date: 10th July 2006
Price: £8.95 (Play.com)

Originally posted by me on my website Alt-UK.com
Source: http://www.alt-uk.com/modules.php?name=Reviews

Summary: Although not their best album to date, 'Dusk & Summer' is still well worth a listen.