A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar,
Dashboard ConfessionalWant to know what pisses me off right now? Tough, I'm going to tell you anyway. Reviewers who have dismissed anything given the 'emo' tag are getting me all hot under the collar. It's not because I'm fanatical about the genre myself, more because everything is merely dismissed and swept under the carpet with such a huge generalisation and it's annoying. To read a review of a UK ska band and have half of it disect what is wrong with tight t-shirts and wristbands is pathetic as it has nothing to do with said band. People are too concerned with image when it should be the music that counts. All too often it is these very same reviewers that create the scenes and fashion senses that they later hate - we're a fickle bunch but it narks me when people dismiss a band because of a certain genre.
With that in mind you may be pleased to note that I have actually listened to Dashboard's new album and, despite being given the dredded 'emo' tag by all and sundry, I like it. It's an honest record that is carefully put together with a wonderfully warm sound. It's written and recorded by a talented team and whether you care for the hype surrounding DC or not, there's no getting away from the fact that this album will sell a lot of copies on the back of it being a GOOD album - not on the back of a crazy fashion trend. Oh, and from the promo pics accompanying the album there are no mesh caps in sight.
The simple fact is that 'A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar' is a great record. You might not like the mall-punk smear that some people have tainted Chris Carrabba with, you may not like the hype that surrounds him and you may feel that the atmosphere at his gigs is a little contrived, but when you strip it all away and look at the songs themselves they are some of the most carefully crafted and honest tracks you will hear this year. Chris simply writes from the heart and there's no denying he does it well.
Witness the fantastic 'Hands Down' as proof that he is a fantastic songwriter. Although the 'So Impossible' EP version is arguably better, DC are now a band project and because of this everything sounds fuller and fatter and more rounded. There's a warmth and extra dimension here that is missing from his earlier work, making it more accessible to the hordes. Make no mistake, DC will go supernova on the strength of the album's first single alone. Arguably this is the best song on the album but there are many other highlights. 'Rapid Hope Loss' is a far more musically mature effort than the likes of 'Screaming Infidilities', while 'Bend and Not Break' is simply gorgeous. It carries off a swagger of confidence that proves how good DC really are. And that chorus, well, go to a live show and you just know Chris won't have to sing for his legions of fans will drown him out anyway.
'Ghost Of A Good Thing' has that trademark vocal which makes it instantly recognisable and is possibly the first track that stands out as a song that could have fitted on 'The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most'. 'Am I Missing' is another joy, the chorus again will have you singing along and 'So Beautiful' is another favourite for me. Indeed, the only poor tracks, for me, are the two UK bonus efforts which probably should have been left off.
This album is a great record and one of the best so far this year. It takes away some of the cringeworthy parts of other records and makes it smoother and easier to listen to. As a whole it's Chris' best work yet and if reviewers and music mag editors listened to it rather than judging the band on their fans, clothes or live performances, they may just agree that just because music is emotional, it doesn't make it wrong to like it...
www.dashboardconfessional.com
Paul
