Album Rating: 3.0
With the full band sound of Dashboard Confessional's previous 2 albums receiving a mixed response, 5th LP 'The Shade of Poison Trees' attempts to head back towards the acoustic stylings of Chris Carrabba's earlier work. While this will please many loyal fans, the compromise is occasionally awkward, with the front-man's heart-on-sleeve emotion seeming a little blunted by Don Gilmore's slick production. Wisely, things are kept moving with only 1 track crossing 3 minutes, but even then, this solid & consistent LP gets somewhat repetitive & lacks multiple standouts. Recommended Tracks: These Bones, Matters of Blood and Connection & Keep Watch for the Mines.
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