Dashboard Confessional has been an evolving project for lead singer and guitarist Chris Carrabba. The band’s first two albums consisted only of Carrabba and his guitar, but transformed into a full-band effort on 2003’s A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar. Dashboard followed A Mark, which was mostly upbeat, with two albums perfecting its mix of acoustic and soft alternative rock with the occasional fast song.
On Alter the Ending, Dashboard’s latest offering, the band again steps in a new direction, as this is its first full-on rock album. Unfortunately, the new sound isn’t always very becoming.
When Dashboard became a full band, it still excelled at crafting intimate songs, even if those intimate songs were really quite anthemic in scope. Songs such as “Don’t Wait” could be big and arena-rock ready, but the song still felt as personal as “Turpentine Chaser.”
Alter the Ending changes that dynamic and kicks up the instrumentation to decibel levels not usually heard on a Dashboard record. More times than not, Carrabba’s voice is a shadow of what it has been in the past, for the record balances his voice more with the music than has been heard previously. But having a voice like Carrabba’s, why let it settle in with everything else?
Album openers “Get Me Right” and “Until Morning” act as an extremely lackluster one-two punch to kick things off — almost as if the band is unsure of how to embrace its new sound. Like the rest of the album, the instrumentation is nothing special.
The drumming just simply goes through the motions of keeping time. The guitars, again, are quite a bit louder than what has become expected from the band, but they too are nothing out of the ordinary, even when Dashboard slips some solos in the mix.
And the problems with Carrabba’s voice are evident from the LP’s start. Not only has he toned down his vocals, but he has lost most of the passion he exhibited on earlier works. Part of what made Dashboard Confessional so different was the power and emotion that Carrabba’s voice emitted. But the majority of tracks on Alter the Ending suffer because Carrabba does not project as well as he has in the past.
“Everybody Learns From Disaster,” the third track, serves as a low point of the album. But the following song “Belle of the Boulevard,” marks the end of the dull filler of the album’s opening. This is the closest Alter the Ending gets to sounding like the “old” Dashboard, and releasing it first was a terrific marketing move.
From then on out, the album is very touch-and-go. “I Know About You” and “Blame It on the Changes” both have more than a few pluses and are catchy in their own right. But both tracks can also lull a bit, especially when Carrabba’s voice seems to be set on autopilot.
However, there are some gems. “The Motions” is a terrific song that utilizes the band’s new sound in its fullest. Carrabba is on his game here, and the song allows him to be in the spotlight for the verses. But then the band — plus a synth — kick in for the chorus, which is a catchy piece of songwriting.
“Even Now” unexpectedly steals the album by going back to Dashboard’s roots. It’s less than three minutes long and deeply personal, featuring Carrabba and a guitar. It’s slow, softly sung and in a sea of big electric guitar hooks — a welcome change of pace.
Through its extremely beautiful descriptions and focused lyrics, “Even Now” reminds us why Carrabba has enjoyed success and should motivate more than a few listeners to give his hit 2004 single “Screaming Infidelities” a spin. Carrabba is truly at his best when playing acoustically.
This theory is only further confirmed by the bonus disc of the album. The “deluxe” edition is the same record, except in acoustic form. This version is better because it showcases Carrabba in his natural setting: with his acoustic six-string. That version of Alter the Ending also wonderfully displays the roots of some of the songs. The juxtaposition of the records makes for an interesting listen.
But the bonus disc is just that — a bonus — and is not the album being reviewed. Alter the Ending — the electric one — isn’t really a bad record overall; it’s just not Dashboard Confessional at its best. The band’s need to branch out and evolve is only natural, but hopefully the next step it takes will be one in the opposite direction, right into its already established formula.
klucas@umdbk.com
3 out of 5 stars
