SubtleDagger
04-01-2004, 07:32 AM
<img src=http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/16/1f/406556-music-resized200.JPG></img>
Dashboard Confessional is, for the most part, one man: Christopher Ender Carraba. I say this because he writes the lyrics, sings, and usually plays acoustic by himself for the studio versions of his songs. This record (his second LP) was a departure for DC... in many of these songs, there is an entire band: a bass guitar, a second acoustic and drums. Thus, DC is no longer one man on this record, it's now a band (sans distortion, of course). For the record, Mike Marsh plays drums, Dan Bonebrake plays bass, while Chris plays the secondary guitar parts. Additional backing female vocals by Jolie Lindholm should also be mentioned, as they are an integral part of the title track.
Since this record came out (or more appropriately, after its single "Screaming Infidelities" made it big), I found that there occured a simultaneous backlash and fan following for DC. My brother, in particular, could not fathom Chris's music. I find that with most people who dislike this music ("emo" as some call it, though I shudder at the implications of the term) dislike it because at the heart of it all, this is Chris baring his emotions to the world. They may be immature emotions, and they may be sad a lot of the time, but the fact is that Chris Carraba has a lot of balls to be able to produce and perform any of these songs. They're emotionally raw. Chris's vocals are heartfelt and belted out as if they need to come out, and he often plays his guitar as not only a guitar but a percussion instrument; he strums about as hard as he can at some points just to create rhythm for the songs. Many people dislike the whole thing. I think it's genuine and exactly what music should be. Song-by-song:
1. The Brilliant Dance - A taste of things to come. Regardless of his oft-called sophomoric lyrics, he can pull out some great lines about situational irony, especially here. The song is revealing and actually quite beautiful. 5/5
2. Screaming Infidelities - You've probably heard this one before. What gets me about this song is the structure and rhythm... it has a very nice off-kilter feel to it until he gets to the bridge, which balances the whole thing. The lyrics are definitely not my favorites, but it's a well-arranged song with great guitar melodies and structure. 4.5/5
3. The Best Deceptions - This one has soft, quiet verses that are quite beautiful, and then breaks into Chris pounding his acoustic for choruses as he belts out his vocals. It's a bit repetitive, but the ending makes up for it. There are also very good backing vocals from whoever does them (I would guess Bonebrake). 4.5/5
4. This Ruined Puzzle - A fantastic song, and probably the best one I've seen written by Chris, lyrically. This one is real soft, but it has some great chords that I couldn't have ever used in a song, and a great ending as well. 5/5
5. Saints And Sailors - This as their second single, if you heard it. I personally tend to dislike it because I think the lyrical quality isn't quite as good as it should be, though I love the interlude. 3.5/5
6. The Good Fight - This song grows on you. It's one of the faster ones, with drums and bass. After a while, I really started to like this one because I was still getting used to Chris having a backing band. A nice ending here as well. 4.5/5
7. Standard Lines - I can't fault this one for the cool intro, but it can be repetitive. It does have amazing acoustic melodies throughout the entire thing, though, and that's the big thing I like about it. 4/5
8. Again I Go Unnoticed - This song is the coolest and fastest backing band song on here. The drums and bass do a great job, and this one pretty much feels like a rocker, even with the acoutsic and the emotional vocals. The interlude is fantastic, and proves that Chris can structure songs very well. A bit simple, but great for it. 5/5
9. The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most - The best song here. It has amazing guitar work (one guitar creating a wall of sound), and beautiful female backing vocals. Chris does some extremely emotional singing during the end (which sets the stage for the next song), but I tend to like that. 5/5
10. This Bitter Pill - Well, this one is odd. This is by far the most emotional song here, and as such is quite offputting and inaccessable. At points, Chris is pretty much crying out in a dissonant, painful voice. I must admit I couldn't stand this song when I first got the record, but I actually kind of like it now... for some reason, I find it comforting. Steer clear if you can't handle it, though. 3.5/5
Overall, Chris does a great job of getting his emotions across, which I find refreshing in a musical world of unfeeling and boring music. This is a band that many people either love or hate, so it's really up to personal preference. I'd give it a low 4/5.
Dashboard Confessional is, for the most part, one man: Christopher Ender Carraba. I say this because he writes the lyrics, sings, and usually plays acoustic by himself for the studio versions of his songs. This record (his second LP) was a departure for DC... in many of these songs, there is an entire band: a bass guitar, a second acoustic and drums. Thus, DC is no longer one man on this record, it's now a band (sans distortion, of course). For the record, Mike Marsh plays drums, Dan Bonebrake plays bass, while Chris plays the secondary guitar parts. Additional backing female vocals by Jolie Lindholm should also be mentioned, as they are an integral part of the title track.
Since this record came out (or more appropriately, after its single "Screaming Infidelities" made it big), I found that there occured a simultaneous backlash and fan following for DC. My brother, in particular, could not fathom Chris's music. I find that with most people who dislike this music ("emo" as some call it, though I shudder at the implications of the term) dislike it because at the heart of it all, this is Chris baring his emotions to the world. They may be immature emotions, and they may be sad a lot of the time, but the fact is that Chris Carraba has a lot of balls to be able to produce and perform any of these songs. They're emotionally raw. Chris's vocals are heartfelt and belted out as if they need to come out, and he often plays his guitar as not only a guitar but a percussion instrument; he strums about as hard as he can at some points just to create rhythm for the songs. Many people dislike the whole thing. I think it's genuine and exactly what music should be. Song-by-song:
1. The Brilliant Dance - A taste of things to come. Regardless of his oft-called sophomoric lyrics, he can pull out some great lines about situational irony, especially here. The song is revealing and actually quite beautiful. 5/5
2. Screaming Infidelities - You've probably heard this one before. What gets me about this song is the structure and rhythm... it has a very nice off-kilter feel to it until he gets to the bridge, which balances the whole thing. The lyrics are definitely not my favorites, but it's a well-arranged song with great guitar melodies and structure. 4.5/5
3. The Best Deceptions - This one has soft, quiet verses that are quite beautiful, and then breaks into Chris pounding his acoustic for choruses as he belts out his vocals. It's a bit repetitive, but the ending makes up for it. There are also very good backing vocals from whoever does them (I would guess Bonebrake). 4.5/5
4. This Ruined Puzzle - A fantastic song, and probably the best one I've seen written by Chris, lyrically. This one is real soft, but it has some great chords that I couldn't have ever used in a song, and a great ending as well. 5/5
5. Saints And Sailors - This as their second single, if you heard it. I personally tend to dislike it because I think the lyrical quality isn't quite as good as it should be, though I love the interlude. 3.5/5
6. The Good Fight - This song grows on you. It's one of the faster ones, with drums and bass. After a while, I really started to like this one because I was still getting used to Chris having a backing band. A nice ending here as well. 4.5/5
7. Standard Lines - I can't fault this one for the cool intro, but it can be repetitive. It does have amazing acoustic melodies throughout the entire thing, though, and that's the big thing I like about it. 4/5
8. Again I Go Unnoticed - This song is the coolest and fastest backing band song on here. The drums and bass do a great job, and this one pretty much feels like a rocker, even with the acoutsic and the emotional vocals. The interlude is fantastic, and proves that Chris can structure songs very well. A bit simple, but great for it. 5/5
9. The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most - The best song here. It has amazing guitar work (one guitar creating a wall of sound), and beautiful female backing vocals. Chris does some extremely emotional singing during the end (which sets the stage for the next song), but I tend to like that. 5/5
10. This Bitter Pill - Well, this one is odd. This is by far the most emotional song here, and as such is quite offputting and inaccessable. At points, Chris is pretty much crying out in a dissonant, painful voice. I must admit I couldn't stand this song when I first got the record, but I actually kind of like it now... for some reason, I find it comforting. Steer clear if you can't handle it, though. 3.5/5
Overall, Chris does a great job of getting his emotions across, which I find refreshing in a musical world of unfeeling and boring music. This is a band that many people either love or hate, so it's really up to personal preference. I'd give it a low 4/5.