Dashboard Confessional became the emo darlings of the TRL generation after the release of "Screaming Infidelities" in 2001. Lead singer Christopher Carrabba is at the heart of the band. He is joined by bassist Scott Schoenbeck, guitarist/pianist Johnny Lefler, and drummer Mike Marsh. It was the band's contribution of the hit single "Vindication" to 2004's Spiderman 2 Soundtrack that introduced them to a wider audience. The song peaked on the charts at number two.

One of the main characteristics of Chris Carrabba's music is his commitment to chronicling young love and its inevitable end. He seems to give his heart to the worst woman available each and every time. However, there are occasions on Dusk and Summmer when Carrabba and producer Don Gilmore seem to try and change the musical style by adding a loud acoustic guitar and yelling vocals to a track.

The song "Don't Wait" is one such track where Carrabba sings over all of the noise and distortion. "Don't wait/ The road is now a sudden sea/ And suddenly you're deep enough to lay your armor down." Unfortunately, the lack of vocal variety on each of the tracks makes it difficult to point out differences from song to song. Regardless, when Carrabba is able to connect with the listener, he does so in a memorable and powerful way – either through his gut-wrenching delivery or his deep emotive angst.

It is the quieter tracks that allow Carrabba to express himself without worrying about making the sound bigger. The title track, "Dusk and Summer," enables Chris to utilize his clear vocal style without being drowned out by heavy guitars or overblown instrumentation. Unlike many of the album's other tracks, "Dusk and Summer" replaces the usual theme of romantic failure with one of regret and nostalgia. With lyrics like, "Some things tie your life together/ In slender threads of things to treasure/ Days like that should last and last and last," the emo feel Dashboard fans expect is present, but in a more mature form.

"So Long, So Long" appears to be Dashboard Confessional's attempt at showing a more musically driven side of the band's music. Counting Crows' Adam Duritz provides great guest vocals on the track. Duritz' vocals, along with violin strings, and circular piano lines all combine to give the song a rock feel not typical of Dashboard Confessional's previous offerings. The emotional ambiguity offered by Chris Carrabba's spare vocal delivery is also a nice change of pace.

Dashboard Confessional also prove they can rock out a little bit on tracks like "Reason to Believe" and "Rooftops and Invitations." The strongest track on Dusk and Summer, "Heaven Here," is the album's last one. Carrabba uses an organ, tinkling chimes, synth-violins, and a desperate vocal style to separate this track from all others. He screams, "Heaven is here/ Heaven is here."

I found myself wondering why more of the album's tracks weren't put together like the last song. If Chris had let his angst flow throughout the record, it may have produced a stronger piece of work. However, it is good to see Dashboard Confessional attempting to expand their musical horizons. Current fans should be pleased with Dusk and Summer and the album will probably attract new listeners with its romantic lyrics and catchy bass lines.