Dashboard Confessional

    Dashboard Confessional

    Boca Raton, Florida13 reviews across 5 releases

    acousticalternative rockemoindie rock
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    Dashboard Confessional was formed in Boca Raton, Florida, in 2000 as Chris Carrabba's acoustic side project while he was fronting Further Seems Forever. The first release, The Swiss Army Romance, was essentially Carrabba's exposed singing over strummed guitar, with occasional keyboard or backing vocal. Its breakup songs gained force from the contrast between plain accompaniment and highly personal lyrics, while Carrabba's voice often sounded close to losing control. The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most expanded the format with bass and drums, but kept the acoustic guitar at its center and retained the recurring movement from quiet passages into louder ones. By A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, the songs were carried by a settled four-piece, with full-band arrangements that reached toward driving rock without removing Carrabba's emphasis on romantic uncertainty.

    Carrabba left Further Seems Forever as Dashboard Confessional became his principal band, and the group moved from small acoustic shows toward television appearances and major touring in 2002. The early lineup solidified around Carrabba, Scott Schoenbeck, John Lefler, and Mike Marsh, while A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar presented the full-band version of songs previously heard in more intimate forms. After a long touring period, Dashboard Confessional entered a hiatus in 2010. Carrabba returned to touring in 2015, revived the band with new players, and released Crooked Shadows in 2018. A twentieth-anniversary tour began in 2020 but was cut short by the pandemic. All The Truth That I Can Tell followed in 2022, and the band continued touring, including dates with the Goo Goo Dolls in 2025.

    5 releases reviewed