Dashboard Confessional explores the art of simplicity with its latest release, "The Shade of Poison Trees," the group's newest album since "Dusk and Summer" (2006). Despite their different sounds and styles over the years, Chris Carrabba and the rest of DC still embody the emo genre with their insightful, emotionally driven lyrics and vocals. The band progressed into an electric-driven rock ensemble for its previous two albums, but "The Shade of Poison Trees" revisits its acoustic roots.
The album is predominantly acoustic rhythm guitar combined with Carrabba's vocals. A few tracks feature drums and acoustic bass, but the album certainly moves away from the intense, prophetic tone of "Dusk and Summer." The rhythm guitar is crisp, rich and tight on every track. The instrumental changes do not take away from the music, but the album as a whole lacks a sense of urgent passion that made their early albums so memorable and meaningful.
The new album opens with "Where There's Gold," a soft, sweet tune about an unappreciated mistress that sets the mood for the entire album.
For better or for worse, there is only one song on the entire album that goes over three minutes. This is a complete 180 from the past two albums, which featured songs lasting as long as six minutes. Some may think the album is a bit rushed, but there is a definite art to being sincere and succinct; the music is short and sweet.
"Thick as Thieves," arguably the catchiest track on the album, is the first single and makes use of dual acoustic guitars, bass and drums. Fast, fun and poetic, the chorus, "Keep your mouth shut/ Keep your guard up/ I swear I'll make it right," makes up the most momentous twelve seconds of the album.
While there are few weak tracks on the record, there are several dull pieces that sound like regurgitations from previous albums. "Clean Breaks" is a slow song with some string accompaniment, but it drags a bit and lacks an engaging melody to captivate the listener. The strings elevate the sound, but the song does not offer any significance in terms of musicality or even lyrical creativity. At points, it sounds like Carrabba is just saying the same thing repeatedly. This unfortunate problem reveals itself on several different tracks.
Nevertheless, "These Bones" is a catchy two-minute buzz of a song and one of the album's faster tracks. The vocal melody bounces with a rhythm that compliments the driving music. The chorus, "These bones/ Are like maps and keys/ Where they took their hits/ And they felt those teeth/ There's a story hidden/ Underneath/ If you dig in deep/ Will you find relief?" shows some of the skill in Carrabba's word choice.
The album shines in that one can listen to it in its entirety without skipping any tracks. It is peaceful and melodious music that's perfect to play in the background while doing homework or riding in a car on a cold night.
Unfortunately, what it has in reliability, it lacks in replay value. The songs on "Shade" aren't as catchy, making the album only entertaining for a while and detracting from the value of a live show. This decline makes sense; Dashboard Confessional was much younger when it first emerged as a serious rock act, and its youthful, passionate voice is what made kids want to learn every word and replay every song.
The new album demonstrates a clear distinction from the Dashboard Confessional of the past, especially in terms of lyrics. It may not be the same band, but it can still make good music.
