A few years ago I swear people prayed at the church of Chris Carrabba. I saw Dashboard during the ‘Places…’ touring run and it was one of the loudest singalong experiences I have ever witnessed. If you need further proof, watch the MTV Unplugged session the band did. The audience drown Chris out throughout. It’s quite special.
As time has passed the band’s popularity has waned. There’s certainly not the same buzz or anticipation about any of their album releases anymore. And it’s a shame because each of the records that’s come since ‘Places…’ has been good in their own way. Some haven’t been consistently great, but there have been some pretty special songs. I think the major issue has been whether the band are better stripped back, acoustically, or whether they’re better in a full band style. The two sounds have split fans slightly with old-skool supporters preferring the former. ‘Alter The Ending’ suggests Chris has recognised that fact as the songs on this album are a lot less polished. Sure, there’s still layers of instrumentation, but it does sound a bit more organic. ‘I Know About You’, for instance, is a great little song that would probably sound equally as good whether it’s toned down or in full band mode.
I’ve enjoyed this album a lot. It’s not a record that will rival any of the early stuff for pure passion and emotion, but it can’t be a surprise to anyone for me to say that. It does take elements of those albums and mixes them up well with the newer material. Chris does sound a bit more believable – if you were put off by the polish and slickness of the last two albums this should restore some faith. ‘Get Me Right’ is a good start and ‘Even Now’ strips it all right back to Chris and his acoustic in fine style. There’s a good tempo to this record too. The slower songs sit well in the order and the faster songs sound great.
I don’t ever think Dashboard will be as culturally relevant as they were in 2002 when ‘Screaming Infidelities’ was on every radio station everywhere. Chris is no longer the emo poster boy for a generation. But I don’t think that phases him. He’s in a good writing space and this album, while not really a return to form (they never really lost it), shows the band haven’t forgotten where they came from or where they are going. DC fans will like this, I’m pretty sure of that.