The simple album artwork of The Shade of Poison Trees, Chris Carrabba's newest edition to his chronicles of teenage anguish, depicts a bleeding apple, no doubt just plucked from the branches of a poison tree. As autumn deepens, the shades of its leaves redden as they fall, and the tree boasts nothing but branches and roots. Just as the poison tree becomes bare, Dashboard Confessional's sound has become stripped-down and reveals the old roots of his past works.
Abandoning the full-band approach of last year's Dusk and Summer, Dashboard Confessional has found hope in familiar places, and Carrabba has once again won us over by pouring his heart out with only the aid of his well-worn acoustic guitar. This album is less-produced and more genuine in both lyrical content and instrumentation. The Shade of Poison Tree''s opener titled "Where There's Gold…" brings with it a sense of relief that Carrabba has not given up on the sound that has consoled many desolate teenage hearts.
The vocal contexts of Carrabba's songs echo his band name as they all seem to be "confessional." In songs such as "Fever Dreams" and "Clean Breaks," Carrabba utilizes his impressive vocal range which reveals his unmistakable upper register and falsetto skills.
The personal and strong emotive lyrics are important to Dashboard Confessional's voice, as many have found comfort in the sheer honesty of his songs. Though his songs are faithfully and intimately passionate, they are meant to be shared. With lyrics such as "Dress your wounds/ Test your strength/ Face the night" from the album's title track, Carrabba's valor throughout The Shade of Poison Trees resolves any loneliness a listener may experience.
Dashboard Confessional's acoustic guitar lines prevail as the cores of most songs on The Shade of Poison Trees are built on forceful strumming and melodic guitar riffs. The two slow-tempo songs, including the title track "The Shade of Poison Trees," and the album closer, "The Widows Peak," recall the languishing songs found on Dashboard Confessional's first two albums, Swiss Army Romance and The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most. On this album, Carrabba finds ease in the sole use of his acoustic guitar as in the past, only occasionally throwing in drum beats, electric piano riffs, or mild synth lines. For the most part, the album is a tribute to Dashboard Confessional's successful past.
Though Dashboard Confessional chooses to leave out a bold new element for this album, it proves to be a wise decision. The Shade of Poison Trees reflects the energetic yet heart-wrenching sounds of Dashboard Confessional's past experiences of intense young love, holding on to something lost and the painful task of persevering. This is Chris Carrabba bone-bare, abandoning thick shades of unnecessary noise. He is stripping it all away, right down to the last brittle leaf.
4 stars out of 5