Dashboard Confessional - Don't Wait [single]

August 24, 2006, 12:52 AM

Dashboard Confessional return from their seemingly endless time in the wilderness with the first single from latest album ‘Dusk and Summer.’ As front man Chris Carrabba would have it, the band took a painstakingly long amount of time with the album, ensuring every detail was correct and all the songs were perfect. Sadly, the shiny finish on the latest album cannot directly transfer into everything which follows.

Certainly, Dashboard Confessional are; as ever; flawless on this CD, the 3-track single is very nice to listen to and provides a nice insight for newer fans into what makes them such an enticing prospect. Sadly, the choice of extras could maybe have been reviewed a little better before putting this CD into the world, which wasn’t at all a rushed job following the July release of their album.

In their time away, Dashboard have changed, it’s reflected best of all with live tracks, which now take on the role of being chilled out, stripped down version of full band songs, in some cases it works in others it doesn’t.

To begin at the beginning, first single ‘Don’t Wait’ is one of the best songs Carrabba has ever written, introspective yet carrying an undeniable message of hope, this is a soundtrack for all those people who ever hesitated on anything and lived to rue the day. Lyrically, this is extremely euphoric stuff as the chorus chimes the almost preaching lines of “Don’t wait, the road is now a sudden sea, and suddenly you’re deep enough to lay your armour down” It becomes clear that this is still Chris Carrabba writing and this is still a heart-string tugging DC anthem. Though, blended with some intricate harmonies and it suddenly starts sounding a whole lot more like a band with a purpose, who are on to something.

Where the album continues to shine through from its promising beginning, the single’s additional tracks provided stark contrasts to both Dashboard old and new. Whilst the song ‘Stolen’ (also taken from ‘Dusk and Summer’) is a beautifully chilled out prospect in acoustic, older song ‘Ghost Of A Good Thing’ highlights changing times ahead.

Firstly, ‘Stolen’ is slightly longer than the album version, an extra 30 seconds, it’s accountable in the slower tempo of the song; this live version is played with two acoustics and the violin of new recruit Susan Sherouse. Once again, the harmonies play a key part in this song, it is played beautifully and is such an uplifting song, even in the context that as simple a lyric as “you have stolen my heart” as the main chorus is forgiven, simply because it works so well here. Lyrically, this song is brilliantly subtle, but hard hitting at the same time, as I mentioned previously, once you get passed the gloss and polish of the new songs, they have the same heart as they always have.

For me, the let down of this single is the final track, ‘Ghost Of A Good Thing’, whilst I applaud the band for using their brilliant new single as an opportunity to tune people into some of their older stuff (This track originally appeared on their 2003 album ‘A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar’), it’s disappointing to note that the newfound chilled approach has been made backwards compatible and has applied slightly to an older song. I’m very much a fan of what Dashboard have done in the past, which is the reason I fell in love with this band, but I’m a believer in what’s done is done, it’s nice to add the odd new harmony to a song, but this song sadly seems to have been altered too much. The new violin parts will give it a nice compatibility with the other two songs here, but it’s painting a false image of where Dashboard have come from, and people may be disappointed at how different the older stuff is if they get into this band from the new album (as many will).

Now, don’t be put off from buying this, it’s a nice version of ‘Ghost Of A Good Thing’, but is a little too reflective of intentions of slowing the acoustic performances down and making them stand out from full band performances. Part of Dashboard’s lure was that they could play any song as either solo or full band and it would still have the same heart, this alters things slightly.

Of note here is the inclusion of the video for the single, the video has a very good grasp on the song’s intended message, and shows Chris (not accompanied by other band members) walking through hours and days passing by in seconds. The message of not delaying is quite clear here. The video seems to lose its way a little in the middle but does conclude nicely with a flash back and a scene of it all being done differently, touching stuff indeed.

Overall, the single is a must have for Dashboard fans of old, and certainly will help win over some new listeners. It’s nicely presented and having the live tracks and music video is certainly a perk in a business where too many singles include different versions of the original track as ‘extras’. It’s a bit ironic that Dashboard Confessional as a band have progressed from just Chris Carrabba, yet the appearance of the cover and video would suggest it is just him. But then again, the original “emo poster boy” surely does present a good image for the band.

Kevin Barnes