Here’s a review of Dusk and Summer from PopMatters’ Ryan McDermott who admits to be a closet DC fan back in high school…

The review echoes the sentiment of some of the long time fans… yeah, I’ll let you read it for yourself.

I have something to admit. Growing up in Jersey as a punk rock kid in the late ‘90s I was a closet Dashboard Confessional fan. And, after talking to some old friends who grew up the same way I did, we all came to realize that we had all been closet Dashboard fans.

I think it is inherent in punk and hardcore kids to like a few select softer bands. A lot of hardcore kids really loved Elliott in high school and it probably helped that that band was signed to Revelation Records, a hardcore label. Of course my love for Dashboard stopped after The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most because I had grown up a bit and also because I felt the band had worn out its heartbreaking welcome.

So now, two albums and five years later Carrabba and Company are still out there making new school emo anthems. But this Dashboard is nothing like what I remember from High School. This Dashboard has rock hooks and not much real emotion. This Dashboard is devoid of the only thing that actually made the band good: sincere heartbreak.

He gives it a 4 out of 10.

click here to read the rest of the article