Dashboard Confessional

As far as recent Dashboard Confessional albums go, The Shade of Poison Trees is a pretty slight offering. Recorded in a short burst, Chris Carrabba's latest is a return to the undressed balladry of 2003's Swiss Army Romance or 2001's The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most—a pair of touchstone records that helped re-imagine the term "emo" as a catch-all for heartfelt music written by dudes with tatoos. So, after a momentary detour into "proper rock band" territory on the almost-brawny Dusk and Summer or A Mark, A Mission…, Shade comes as a sort of familiar surprise, a reminder of the age before Carrabba (reluctantly?) stepped into his role as nu-emo poster boy and spokesperson for teen angst.

But it's this role of voice-for-the-teens that has grown increasingly problematic as Carrabba has developed his catalog—or, more accurately, failed to develop. The spinning wheels are far more pronounced on an album like Shade, a sonic retread that reminds us just how long it's been since an uber-sensitive 22-year-old turned the phrase "your hair is everywhere" into a cathartic battle cry for lovesick indie boys. Yes, this is another 12 songs about relationships, with plenty of Chris' classic teenaged melodrama. From the album-opening "Where There's Gold…" (a couplet the eternally wary Carrabba finishes with "…there's a golddigger") to the slinky "Keep Watch for the Mines" (hint: they're a metaphor for untrustworthy friends), this is vintage Dashboard Confessional. And, at least in this case, that's both good and bad.

—Robbie Mackey
10.03.07

As the initial frontman of Further Seems Forever, Chris Carrabba had already established his bona fide rock credentials by the time Dashboard Confessional took off in the early 2000s. He was an authentic rocker who felt enough confidence not to rock, who didn't cry when tattoo needles pierced his skin but openly wept during cathartic performances. Those live shows were the crux of Carrabba's manic appeal; while spinning tales of heartbreak and mistrust, he would invariably call upon the support of his audience, asking them to sing along with his tremulous voice. Dashboard Confessional didn't spawn a scene as much as it did a support group -- a gathering of loyal fans who, like their emocore demigod, were unafraid to make their misery known. But time moves on, tastes change, and acoustic-fueled solo albums can't sustain an artist forever. Dashboard Confessional steadily grew in size and sound, with Carrabba assembling a permanent band and adding electric guitars to the group's repertoire. By the time Dusk and Summer arrived in 2006, pianos and violins had also been thrown into the mix, with Carrabba working alongside famed producers Don Gilmore and Daniel Lanois to fashion a summery brand of adult contemporary pop/rock. It made for an engaging listen, but Dusk and Summer still seemed like the product of someone other than Carrabba.

Perhaps that's why The Shade of Poison Trees follows so closely on Summer's heels and marks a return to Dashboard's earlier material, with nary a violin in sight. Carrabba may be reclaiming his old sound in an attempt to reclaim his old audience, and while such intentions would be a far cry from the D.I.Y. spirit that fueled Dashboard's humble beginnings, the songs are good enough to make the change worthwhile. It's been awhile since Carrabba last ditched a wide, expansive sound in favor of something smaller; he's grown up since then, and Poison Trees takes strength in the maturity of its 30-something songwriter. While his emotions still run rampant, they're smartly controlled and constructed into concise pop songs -- only one of which exceeds the three-minute mark. If a track like "The Rush" had appeared on the band's debut album, its life-affirming chorus would have been shouted by Carrabba's rickety tenor. Here, however, the singer flips into a stylish falsetto to hit the high notes, with harmonies and cyclical guitar riffs anchoring the passion below. That's exactly what has been missing from Dashboard Confessional's catalog thus far -- an anchor -- and The Shade of Poison Trees is tastefully grounded by such pop sensibilities. "Thick as Thieves" is as catchy as anything Carrabba has ever written, with minimalist electric guitars leaving an uncluttered path for a genuinely irresistible melody. The song is flanked by two of the album's best acoustic numbers -- "Where There's Gold..." and "Keep Watch for the Mines" -- both of which relocate arena rock to the cozy confines of a coffeehouse. Those highlights comprise the first quarter of the album, and even though Poison Trees loses some steam toward its conclusion, its maturity sets Dashboard Confessional back on track. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide