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Dashboard Confessional

The Shade of Poison Trees  Hear it Now

RS: 3of 5 Stars Average User Rating: 4.5of 5 Stars

2007

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On last year's "Dusk and Summer," Chris Carrabba's band churned out vast anthems buffed to perfection. The record was pretty, but its sales figures weren't, so Carrabba's back to the stripped-down sound that first made him a star. It's a worthwhile exercise, and The Shade of Poison Trees easily demonstrates Carrabba's gifts for writing elegant melodies and plucking teenage heartstrings. "Fever Dreams," a bouncy doodle of a tune, bops to a Postal Service beat, and gentle synths finish off the poppy will-I-still-love-you-tomorrow track "The Rush," but Carrabba mostly sticks to the hard-strummed acoustic guitar, drums and harmonies combo that best showcases his lithe upper register, like the superb opener, "Where There's Gold . . . ." Though he sings about trust-fund preppies and failed careers in addition to aching hearts, Poison Trees shows Carrabba still can't help peeking back at his past. This time, though, emo's dashing hero reaches back for the intimate sounds of his youth, rather than just faded diary pages.

CARYN GANZ

(Posted: Oct 4, 2007)

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mwhips writes:

4of 5 Stars


Chris Carrabba takes a stroll back to the acoustic sound on which his career and fame was built, but somehow it just isn't the same. With gems like Places That You've Come to Fear the Most and Swiss Army Romance, we've all come to expect Carrabba's lyrics to be heartfelt and relevant. Shade of Poison Trees, with lyrics seeming almost forced, seems to be missing the rawness of his earliest works. The melodies are perfect, but it just seems as if he's trying too hard to rekindle what was once had. I give it 3.5 stars because the songs are still emotional and catchy, but something is lacking.

Oct 1, 2007 19:55:45

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