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Dashboard Confessional
The Shade Of Poison Trees
While there’s an obvious disparity between being labeled “King of Pop” or “Godfather of Soul” versus something like “Father of Emo,” at least Chris Carabba still holds a title of some sort. With his band Dashboard Confessional, Carabba has pioneered a trail of musical sorrows that countless other whiny boys in girls jeans have followed for the last decade or more. There’s no doubt that Carabba is the best at his craft, spinning simple three-minute acoustic yarns while crying foul over love won and lost. Dashboard’s latest, The Shade of Poison Trees, features that and only that on a one item musical menu that might taste good but leaves you wanting more. “Little Bombs,” “These Bones” and “Thick As Thieves” all bear Carabba’s signature earnest delivery and, in some ways, he’s never sounded better. It’s the voice of maturity returning to the same style and sound from his musical youth, thus describing both the promise and problems with Poison Trees. It’s the grown-up son still living in his parents’ basement – sure he is better than ever at respecting their property and cleaning up, but it’s still time to leave. Carabba tried to do just that on 2006’s Dusk and Summer, a beautiful departure from typical Dashboard fare, but album sales hit an all-time low. It’s a shame, then, that Carabba chose comfort over challenge. [Vagrant] Matt Conner
This album review was originally published in the January/February Issue (#129) of HM Magazine. Order the Print Version to read tons more reviews. You can order the Print Version of this issue online or find this issue on newsstands. You can NOW read this entire feature in the online edition of HM Magazine. If you're a subscriber, you get a free online/digital subscription with your print subscription. You can purchase a single online/digital edition (which includes access to back issues) for only $1.99. A one-year digital-only subscription can be had for only $6.
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