The band Dashboard Confessional demands an acquired taste to be enjoyed. We've all heard the jokes that the only people who want to listen to the band are teenage girls with a box of tissues. On Nov. 10, Dashboard Confessional's new album, "Alter the Ending," was released, proving the emo jokes to be true.
"Belle of the Boulevard" is the first single that Dashboard Confessional released from "Alter the Ending." The song has become quite popular, but it really does not offer the same appeal that came with some of the earlier songs this band produced. It's disappointing to think that the band, which is known for songs like "Screaming Infidelities" and "Vindicated" from the "Spiderman 2" soundtrack, could possibly consider "Belle of the Boulevard" as one of the best songs from the album.
There are two songs from "Alter the Ending" that are worth noting. The first is "Until Morning," a song about someone begging their love to stay just one more night for a new beginning. The second "Even Now," is about missing someone once they are out of your life. Both of these songs are the only ones from the album that are close to the more successful Dashboard Confessional songs. On an album of songs that make you want to press fast forward, these are the two saving graces.
The lyrics on this album are somewhat more complex than past Dashboard Confessional songs. While it seems that lead singer and song writer Chris Carabba wanted to produce something more mature, it makes this CD harder to relate to. Since the ability to relate to its music is what earned Dashboard Confessional so many fans in the first place, this is troublesome.
Chris Carabba still has a good voice, but the lack of vocal range makes causes the listener to be bored halfway through the album. Every song begins to sound the same and, unfortunately, they're not songs that you'd have on repeat. "Alter the Ending" does not even begin to live up to the first two albums released by Dashboard Confessional, "The Swiss Army Romance" and "The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most." It is a shame to see a band with so much potential fail to even begin to compare to what they once were.
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