Dashboard Confessional Album: “Shade of Poison Trees”

So, I have all the CDs in the Dashboard catalog, and I readily admit that I like them all. Equally. There seem to be two types of DC fans out there: those who wish every single song, album, or DVD should be exactly the same as Chris' very first musical efforts- depressed, emotionally involved and 100% acoustic. Then there are those who think that all of his musical output should be mostly acoustic, but a couple of drums here and there are tolerable- as long as the songs are depressing and reminiscent of failed high school crushes. I can deal with either. Personally, I like the "depressing" aspect of his work; it's easy to feel emotionally close and identify with his music and lyrics because everyone feels pretty crappy about the opposite sex at times. The danger lies in the expectation that ONLY acoustic strumming and raw, heartfelt singing can possibly capture those feelings. I think that sometimes, a slow, sad and acoustic song is the way to go, but I also can appreciate the heavy drums and bass work coming along with it. So, while I actually really like "Dusk and Summer," I also really like this CD. It does have more drums and bass than earlier CDs, and Chris does sing differently than his first few albums, but it works. Obviously, he is older, and hopefully a little less depressed about life, and the resulting mix is good.

It all comes down to expectations- if you expect Chris to remain perpetually depressed and pining over the same heartbreaking crush from around 1989, then "Dusk and Summer" probably shattered your delicate and frail heart, and this new CD may not satisfy you; but if you expect that all musicians do, or at least should, grow and explore new things, then this CD may suit you. Really, he can only make one "Swiss Army Romance," and to expect every CD to follow in that same exact pattern is unfair and sad.

The story of Dashboard Confessional so far has been a dizzying ascent into pop culture following the timid but heartfelt debut release "Swiss Army Romance" in 2000 and 2001's "The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most" (which was a partial re-recording of the debut release), and then punctuated by 2003's "A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar" album, which perfectly summarized the band's acoustic sound, yet expanded it nicely into a bigger (and sometimes electric) sound. "A Mark" is a highlight among the emo-releases of that era. Expectations for the next album were huge and when finally "Dusk and Summer" cames out in 2006, it was a commwercial letdown for whatever reason, sending the band's singer-songwriter back to the drawing boards. Now comes Dashboard Confessional's 5th studio album.

On "The Shade of Poison Trees" (12 tracks, 33 min.), Carrebba abandons the electric guitar entirely, and tries to rekindle the energy of "The Places You Have Come To Fear the Most". On the opener "Where There's Gold" the sound feels refreshing, as does "These Bones", but as the album carries on (in a flash, with only about a half hour of music), it becomes clear that the songs are missing the hooks from the earlier albums, in particular when you compare this to "The Places" and "A Mark", where it sounded like just about every song could be a hit. After playing "The Shade" a number of times, it is hard to recall any of the individual songs on the album.

Success (or the lack of it) is a curious thing. After the commercial disappointment of "Dusk and Summer", Carrebba felt compelled to retreat to the band's earlier sound, rather than continuing to evolve to whatever would be next. As a result, this album sounds uninspired, even contrived, and "The Shade of Poison Trees" simply does not live up to the band's earlier material, inviting the question where Chris Carrabba and Dashboard Confessional will go from here.

I like this CD but Dusk and Summer is way better... The Widow's Peak - THAT'S a great song.

Most reviewers who are being hard on this record all note that they have been fans of DC since the early acoustic records. I actually discovered DC with Mission, Mark... and worked my way backwards. Music fans, especially indie rock fans, are so attached to the bands they discover that they seem to want to stifle their progression as musicians. Listening to Carraba's evolution from solo guitar to full-band was great to hear when I went back. I am not sure why there does not seem to be the same love for his more recent work. He can't crank out the same songs in the same style for decades without getting bored with himself as an artist.

If anything, I am actually a little disappointed that he has stripped down "to his roots," especially if it is to appease a certain base of fans. I thought Dusk and Summer lacked the dynamics of Mission... (in terms of both tempo and volume) and was looking for more development as a full band.

All that said, I think the album sounds pretty good, the free wheeling flavor of the early records with a tighter, more mature sound. I imagine it will grow on me more as I listen, as just about all his records do.

When I heard that Dashboard Confessional was "going back to its roots" I was very excited. A big fan of the early work, I could not get into the last two albums. The sound was too different, the lyrics weren't as catchy, and the raw emotion was just not there. There were always a couple really good songs (Vindicated, Stolen, Hands Down) but listening to the entire album straight through was out of the question. The Shade of Poison Trees is the best album since Places That Your Fear with very few clunkers.

The acoustic guitar is back. Most songs feature just the guitar, however they do mix in some drums and piano, which sounds great. Some of the songs can almost pass for early Dashboard work: Thick as Thieves, Where There's Gold, and The Shade of Poison Trees all offer up heavy acoustics and superb lyrics, though they still lack the emotion of previous releases. The tempo of the album is upbeat, which is a big improvement over the last two albums. The vocals are, as always, quite good. The music is simple, so if the lyrics aren't very interesting and catchy the songs falter.

Luckily, most of the tracks are fast-paced with good lyrics. I've been mostly listening to the album straight through, only skipping over The Rush and Matters of Blood and Connection (why write a bitter song about rich people?...I mean he's got to be wealthy himself now). Dashboard fans will appreciate this as their best work in a long time. New fans should start with Swiss Army Romance and Places That You Fear The Most before moving on to their later works. Definitely a must own for all long-time Dashboard Confessional fans.