The second release in MTV's revived
Unplugged series of TV shows and albums (following
Lauryn Hill's head-scratcher of a public therapy session) is very much in the laid-back, casual, chatty spirit of the original
Jules Shear-hosted TV show of the late '80s. (In a nod to the times, however, this was released as a CD/DVD double-disc, with the DVD containing the televised concert.) Of course,
Dashboard Confessional MTV Unplugged is a little redundant, considering how many of singer/songwriter/mainstay
Chris Carrabba's songs are simple voice and acoustic guitar numbers anyway, but this 52-minute selection is a well-chosen parade of hits and relative obscurities from throughout the band's career. Those who have been to a
Dashboard Confessional concert know that one of the audience tics that has grown up around
Carrabba is that the audience often sings along to the songs, often louder than
Carrabba himself; that tendency is kept somewhat in check here, but it's still present, which might make
MTV Unplugged a rather annoying listen for some. ~ Stewart Mason