Dashboard impresses with new album

Quintessential emo rocker Chris Carrabba and his band Dashboard Confessional return for their sixth full length album with Alter the Ending. While the band’s earlier albums have made Carrabba the king of acoustic heartbreak anthems, Alter the Ending shows the band’s growth as a viable musical force.

Unlike the casual sound of Dashboard’s 2007 release of The Shade of Poison Trees, Alter the Ending bridges the gap between pop and the melodious emo rock for which they have been known.

Don’t worry though; there is still plenty of confessional angst to go around on this album. The album single, “Belle of the Boulevard,” blends towering and effectual pop-rock with profound, emotional lyrics and striking vocal resonance while songs like “Alter the Ending” showcase the bands potential as a pop-rock powerhouse. 

Released on Interscope records, Alter the Ending offers a level of musical maturity not found on many other Dashboard albums. However, it often approaches an over-produced sound, due largely to the fact that the band landed producer Butch Walker, who was also responsible for the sounds of Pink’s “Funhouse.”

However, Carrabba and his group of talented musicians are still able to pull off some impressive accomplishments with this album. 

While Dashboard’s divergence from their normal refined, acoustic emo-ballad sound and their move into a full rock-band mentality is disappointing to some, Carrabba’s passionate, powerful, and cathartic vocals are at their best on Alter the Ending.

Coupled with stellar writing and impressive musical prowess, the album does not fail to impress.  And any die-hard Dashboard fans who find themselves missing the early, emo-acoustic Dashboard sound will want to be sure and check out the deluxe version of the album, which includes acoustic versions of all 12 of the album’s songs.