It’s “New Music Monday” again. I once used to be on top of my game knowing when new releases of my favorite artists were going to drop. It seems as time passes in the hour glass of life, I’ve become more preoccupied by other details and obligations like children and employment. However, my unwavering hunger for new music hasn’t faded. Once again, I missed a vital piece of information that an old favorite, an old friend if you will, released a new album. But again, as fate would have it, I was alerted to its existence only days after the release by the wonders of the internet and all of its glowing informational fruitfulness.


The godfather of emo music, Chris Carrabba, and those ‘three other guys’ of Dashboard Confessional have released their latest studio album “Alter the Ending.” I have adamantly denied the value of mainstream emo in previous posts. Now that ‘emo’ is the whiney, mascara wearing, ‘my parents-don’t-understand-me’ variant. Dashboard Confessional is alternative rock but is absolutely soul-bearing and the pouring of heart felt emotion. And because I am an emotional train wreck, this resonates with me. I was looking for something deeper and wrenching rather than my typical ‘I hate the Man’ music.

Get it here at Lala.com

In a digressional moment, I owe thanks to my cousin and his family for the iTunes gift card which afforded the purchase of “Alter the Ending.” I’m pretty anti-Apple, specifically iTunes and its Gestapo-like DRM. It’s like visiting the Matrix. But with a gift card, I was all about taking advantage of economically risk free music. Unfortunately, iTunes had “Alter the Ending” for $12.49 when it was only $9.49 at my secret love, Lala.com. This further supports my stance against the evils of iTunes.

Onward. If I’m counting correctly, this is the sixth studio release from Carrabba as the front of Dashboard Confessional. In honesty, the record is a little more overproduced than past releases. Now, that could have killed the record, because what makes Dashboard Confessional truly intimate is Carrabba’s songwriting, earnest voice, and minimal acoustic guitar work. This record is almost a polar opposite of that. Lots of echoes, string arrangements and layering. But all of the production suits many of the songs. Let it be known that true purists will blast this level of ‘poppiness’ and yearn for the old days of Dashboard Confessional. In that case, I would recommend buying the Deluxe version which is two discs. The first disc is all of the material in glorious Technicolor and full production sound. The second disc is all of the same tunes in naked acoustic pleasantries. That bares Dashboard Confessional down to the underground emo-heartbreak phenomenon they once were.

“Alter the Ending” is a very deep record emotionally. For me, it is what I needed right now. Less about the music and more about the message. Less about destruction of the institutional constructs of the ‘Man’ and more of about the dive into feelings about the world around me and the struggles inside me. Okay, so I may be a little biased but I will say that the songwriting on this album is truly intimate, and beautiful. Carrabba is a master at capturing hurt and joy in an audible format that you ‘get.’ Despite my favoritism of the band and my connections to the messages swirling around from listening to the album, this is truly a special record of beautiful tunes. Typically, Dashboard Confessional albums were more about darker feelings and retrospective but “Alter the Ending” is much more upbeat and the lyrics lift and are hopeful.

All of the songs are near-epic on this album but there are three marquee songs which make it purchase-worthy:

Belle of the Boulevard – When I first heard this song, I had the vision of sitting in my garage with my sons reflecting on life and passing on advice about persevering through disappointments but knowing they both aren’t listening and would rather draw with sidewalk chalk. The beauty of the song is in the message and how it is delivered. Uplifting and lyrically soaring. In brief, it’s pretty much about rubbing dirt on your emotional wounds and moving on.

Hell on the Throat – If I had to pick one song that typified the sound of early Dashboard Confessional, this song is it. It’s delicate and intimately sung over an acoustic guitar and piano. The tale is an analogy of the harshness of the cold of winter being equated to the long road of life and roadblocks along the journey. This is Dashboard Confessional at its best.

Everybody Learns from Disaster – The title of this song is fairly self explanatory. Lyrically, it wonders through lessons learned through the years of growing up in a highly metaphorical story. It is very vivid and you can almost see the story visually playing out in your mind as you listen. It harkens back to the those long warm summers while you were in high school and felt indestructible but are now old enough the appreciate the lessons.



“Alter the Ending” is a lyrical adventure. The songwriting and musicianship are top shelf but the true beauty of the work is in its message and its delivery. This is what makes Dashboard Confessional a great group. It’s their ability to channel emotional feelings in a way that the listener can relate. Most of the songs are very metaphorical requiring the listener to digest what is being said. The cerebral nature of the lyrics creates a visualization that adds to the ambiance and the experience. Music that makes you see a vignette of a short story of life is what you will hear on “Alter the Ending.”