Dashboard Confessional – Alter the Ending
Alter the Ending, the sixth album for Chris Carrabba’s Dashboard Confessional, is a tri-release in plugged, unplugged, and dual formats. The differences between the plugged and unplugged are pretty straightforward as one would assume, the lyrics haven’t changed, nor has the order of the songs, or the tone. You’re just given three options in your Dashboard Confessional listen pleasure when it comes to Alter the Ending, and even then the differences aren’t that phenomenal in songs like “Even Now” that are mostly acoustic to begin with.
Alter the Ending is the follow-up to 2007’s The Shade of Poison Trees, a much more darker album in comparison, but then again, that’s been the general rule of thumb for Carrabba’s career. Dubbed “The Godfather of Emo,” Chris has released some of the most melancholy music this side of Bright Eyes’ spilled bottle of uppers. However, as each album hits shelves and/or harddrives, the sun has shined a little brighter, the clouds have cleared a little more, and her hair is a bit less disheveled. The last two albums, The Shade of Poison Trees and Dusk and Summer were released with similar critical acclaim, but have garnered very little fanfare. Alter the Ending is changing that it seems, as it is everywhere you turn, read, and click.
And that’s probably a good thing. Carrabba has nudged, kicked, and shoved his way into the hearts of teenagers and sullen girls everywhere, and along the way has honed his songwriting into something that ought to be earning him a bit more recognition than that dude that did the Spider-Man song. Alter the Ending should be the album to do what Dusk and Summer wasn’t able to accomplish in that department. The lyrics are tip-top from start to finish, as Chris has shaken loose the study hall cuteness and found the pen of an adult who has seen some shit. And his composing has grown a lot more. There is a five second cringe-worthy moment in the beginning of “The Motions” where a synthesizer goes off on a Bowling for Soup seizure, but then subsides and melts into the rest of the song. Aside from that errant moment, this album is solid from the time it starts until your head comes back from out of the clouds.
Release Date: November 10th, 2009
Order: HERE
Official Website: HERE
Official MySpace Page: HERE
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I agree with this review. I think with each DC album, I am surprised where it goes. I enjoy all of them, but I will always be a fan of The Swiss Army Romance (first and foremost). Currently, I am listening to the acoustic CD for Alter the Ending on repeat in my car and non-acoustic on repeat at work.
Both make me so happy, and I love that I have the option for both. I prefer “Even Now,” “Hell on My Throat,” “Get Me Right,” and “No News is Bad New” on the acoustic CD the most and “Until Morning,” “I Know About You,” “Everybody Learns from Disaster,” and “Blame It On the Changes.” What am I saying? I JUST LOVE ALTER THE ENDING! Nuff said.
This review is pretty poorly written. First off, something can’t be “more darker”- darker suffices; more is excessive and grammatically incorrect,
I’m not sure why people, especially reviewers, have to keep attaching emo to Dashboard Confessional. They have been around long enough to establish themselves as a serious and emotionally-cathartic band. This does NOT equate to being “emo”. It is actually a degradation of the work that all of DC’s members have done since their beginning over 9 years ago.
The same misconception relates to DC’s fan base. I know quite a few older fans, one of which happens to be Ms. Misura, an almost fifty year old professional woman. “Teenagers and sullen girls” aren’t the only audience to which Chris appeals.
Also, Dashboard is too unique to be compared to any band, including those like Bowling for Soup or Bright Eyes. Get over trying to relate Chris to something or someone else when he was a pioneer of a modern musical movement.
The acoustic disk does come off stronger to the hard-core die hard fans. However, this album does have more variety than the first ones. Dashboard is ever-evolving and grows alongside it’s fans.
I agree with Em, I don’t get the ‘emo’ thing either! Dashboard has a totally unique sound, and they definitely shouldn’t be compared to ‘emo’ bands and the like.
With that said, I’d just like to say that I absolutely love the album! It hs so many different sounds and feelings put into it, it’s absolutely lovely. You can really tell that Chris put a lot of work into this one!
I third the ‘emo’ thing! But about the review, it’s okay. I agree that Alter The Ending is a solid album. All of Dashboard Confessional’s albums have been great, and this is one of the best.
I always have and always will enjoy the music of DC. I love how there is much variety, yet always that one specific sound that defines the music as DC. The new album is phenomenal, and I love the options of plugged in vs. unplugged! I suggest everyone give this album a listen, for sure on my top ten list of great albums of 2009!