Chris Carrabba was the poster child for emo music during its formative years. He single-handedly made the introverted kid lacking self-confidence blessed with a penchant for observational insights cool, and doubly so when that protagonist was armed with an acoustic guitar and an earnest approach to telling his story. This Holden Caulfield from Catcher In The Rye meets Charlie Kelmeckis from Perks of Being a Wallflower aesthetic was unique in that the crowds Carrabba played in front of were largely into overdriven pop punk that featured a full accompanying band. But when Dashboard would hit the stage Carrabba’s energy would quickly win the crowds over, sending the bars and clubs of sweaty teenagers searching for their own direction into a frenzy, with the throng eventually singing along the words at the top of their lungs.
The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most is that rare record which sounds as much at home in the quiet solitude of a bedroom as it does in a crowd of 2,000 people, buoyed by its honesty and the storytelling craft of one of the best to ever do it in the emo genre.
Standout Songs: “Screaming Infidelities”, “The Best Deceptions”, “Saints and Sailors”, “The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most”
