Let’s go ahead and be candid with one another – I’m going to bet that at least once you have listened to a Dashboard Confessional song and either liked it or cried while listening to it. Or both. Am I right? When I was in high school, I adored this band. I have one of their old shirts hanging in my closet with holes in it from the many times I’ve worn it. I’m not even ashamed to admit it. Chris Carrabba (lead singer of DC and of Further Seems Forever) recently released a record on his own that was full of wonderful covers, Covered in the Flood, and I knew I had to jump on it.
The first track in and Carrabba is making it apparent that this is a completely separate music venture than either of his bands that people will be used to. Listeners will hear the familiar voice over instruments that have more of a blues and folk sound to them instead of his well known traits. I’m In Love With a Girl starts off and is a beautiful song that makes me miss listening to his voice.
Mama’s Eyes peeps in and it sounds even more like a folk/country song with the guitar picking at the beginning. If you can believe it, Carrabba’s voice even works over this type of instrumentation. Who would’ve thought?
Carrabba’s familiar grainy vocals come through in Web in Front. This is the voice I’m used to hearing in my ears.
The Commander Thinks Aloud is sure to become one of my favorite tracks on the album. Carraba’s voice comes through the slow moving music like a hot knife cutting into butter. This is a slow moving track that sounds like magic.
Skyway, originally by Replacements, is nothing but beautiful vocals and some soft guitar playing. Sometimes I’m floored at how great this man’s voice is.
It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) wraps up the album with a different tone. Carrabba’s scratchy voice is back in this one, belting out lyrics originally by R.E.M. Carrabba does a nice job with a song by a band such as R.E.M.
Though it is a cover album, it’s nice to hear Carrabba’s voice again – and in a setting so different from what I’m used to makes it even more fun. This album is a must-hear for all Dashboard and Further Seems Forever fans.
Key Tracks:
The Commander Thinks Aloud (track 5)
Skyway (track 8)
I’m In Love With A Girl (track 1)
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