Adam Rubenstein has spent the better part of four decades following his gut, from the melodic post-hardcore of Split Lip and Chamberlain to the more measured and introspective songwriting that defines his solo work. On August 14, Rubenstein returns with Firebreak (Spartan), his first solo album in 10 years.
For one of Firebreak’s standout moments, he’s joined by Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba, a guy whose own career owes more than a little to Rubenstein’s influence. The collaboration that led to “Choosing Sides” came about naturally when the two connected during the making of Red Weather, a 2019 Chamberlain reunion album championed by Carrabba.
“I kind of discovered his amazing voice a bit late in the game,” says Rubenstein. “I see myself as more of a songwriter/singer, in that I’m a bit limited as a vocalist.”
After the 2016 solo LP Nightly Waves, Rubenstein began accumulating new material at a slower pace as he dealt with life’s other distractions, including fatherhood, a relocation from New York City to Cincinnati and the realities of middle age. Initial sessions for Firebreak fed off the live-band immediacy of drummer Pete Wilhoit (Fiction Plane), multi-instrumentalist Matt Beck (Matchbox Twenty) and bassist Jeremy Nesse. Rubenstein also brought in longtime collaborator Derik Lee, whose credits span both film and Broadway, including hits like Hamilton. With Lee helping to shape the album’s bipolar sonic personality (think vast one minute, intimate the next), Rubenstein wound of finishing the LP in his basement studio—but not before spicing things up with guest appearances from Carrabba, Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid and Youth Of Today/Into Another vocalist Richie Birkenhead.
As it turns out, the pairing of two foundational emo heavyweights from different decades feels pretty effortless, with Carrabba’s unmistakable tenor nicely offsetting Rubenstein’s weathered delivery.
“Marrying my vocals with Chris’ was a bit intimidating, as he projects so well,” says Rubenstein. “I can only hope our voices mesh here.”
We’re proud to premiere Adam Rubenstein’s “Choosing Sides,” featuring Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba
—Hobart Rowland
