Dashboard Confessional

Contrary to popular belief, Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba is one of the ballsiest men in music. That statement might seem absurd, considering that...well, he's Chris Carrabba, for chrissake. But during the first part of the decade, when critics and other musicians were busy distancing themselves from emo's fallout, the breathy-voiced singer-songwriter was still proudly waving his angst flag. Now, almost three years after the release of his last album, the prince of heartbreak is back with Dusk and Summer, a ten-song effort that forgoes the acoustic touches and break-up themes of his early work in favor of jangly, U2-esque guitars and warm, fuzzy odes to romance. With a slew of mid-tempo ballads and lyrics such as "And if this is ever meant to end/Then I hope it ends where it began/So hot with love/We burned our hands," it's a safe bet that teenage girls everywhere are swooning for him behind closed bedroom doors, while every self-respecting male within earshot just wants to punch him in the face.