Dashboard Confessional Try to Turn Back the Clock on “KindaYeahSorta”

Young audiences first flocked to Dashboard Confessional for the emotional and sentimental lyrics singer Chris Carrabba brought to the table. The emo stalwarts infused just enough poppy angst into tracks like “Hands Down” to make teenagers everywhere connect with their sound. In February, the band released their first album after an eight-year hiatus, and let’s just say it relied more heavily on the nostalgia aspect versus actual stand-out songwriting.

Friday, ahead of their tour with fellow emo-rockers All Time Low, they came out with a new single, “KindaYeahSorta.” The song is in the same vein as those of Crooked Shadows in that Carrabba is trying a little too hard to turn back the clock, resulting in a song that’s almost unrecognizable as a Dashboard Confessional track. But hey, in Carrabba’s defense, it’s still summer for another month and change, and “KindaYeahSorta” is the kind of song best played on a beach boombox.

You can watch a lyric video for “KindaYeahSorta” below and decide for yourself whether Carrabba’s new direction is the right one. While you’re at it, watch his 2017 performance of “Hands Down” in the Paste Studio.