MTV Unplugged 2.0

1	Swiss Army Romance
2	The Best Deceptions
3	Remember To Breathe
4	The Good Fight
5	The Sharp Hint Of New Tears
6	So Impossible
7	The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most
8	Turpentine Chaser
9	Living In Your Letters
10	For You To Notice
11	The Brilliant Dance
12	Screaming Infidelities
13	Saints And Sailors
14	Again I Go Unnoticed
15	Hands Down

Barnes & Noble

Is he a punk rocker with a wide sensitive streak or a singer-songwriter with just enough attitude to curl his lip into a sneer? Either way, Chris Carrabba -- the artist known as Dashboard Confessional -- has touched a nerve with an ever-growing cadre of fans, a group that'll surely salivate at the prospect of dipping deep into this 15-track concert set. Dashboard's tunes, never overly amped to begin with, take to the "unplugged" treatment nicely, with the radio staple "Screaming Infidelities" and the darting, frazzled "Places You Have Come to Fear the Most" getting (if such a thing is possible) an even heftier dose of angst in the process. The fanatic response has its downside, though: While being surrounded by a sea of peers singing along with every song can be invigorating in a club, the charm erodes considerably when put on tape. And, not surprisingly, just about every nook and cranny of MTV Unplugged is, well, plugged with the voice of the fan, which sometimes carries whole segments. This treatment elevates the anthemic "The Good Fight" but curtails Carrabba's punch on "Again I Go Unnoticed." Diehards are unlikely to be deterred, but casual Confessional-ists might prefer sticking to the studio versions. Adding dimension to the package, however, is a bonus DVD containing the original broadcast in its entirety. David Sprague

All Music Guide

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, All Music Guide

Spin Magazine

No matter how far Carrabba has moved from his punk roots creatively or commercially, the performance [on this disc] does what punk is supposed to do: It sizes up the barrier between the "talent" and the paying customers, and then puts a boot through it. (8) Alex Pappademas

Blender

Unlike the usual Unplugged set, many songs actually sound fuller than the studio versions, adding guitar, bass and galloping drums to some formerly solo tunes. Jon Pareles