Review Summary: It may be a bit cheesy, but it’s not an album that you will fear listen to.
Emo Classics Series: Episode VIII
If you do notice my previous reviews, or even the music in general, most of the Emo album relies heavily the hardcore punk-like sound and melodramatic lyrics. However, some Emo bands took a much different approach in terms of sound, as some may replace the punk guitars with acoustic ones. For example,
Dashboard Confessional’s landmark sophomore effort, The Place You Have Come To Fear The Most, is one of such albums. It may be weird, as many audience of the Emo scene are used to heavier instrumentations, in which they believed it can breathe the angst-ridden lyrics to life, but Chris Carraba and co. proved otherwise with this landmark album, proofing an unplugged sound can be as cathartic and catchy as the punk-influenced electric sound.
There are several brilliance that this album shined, as brainchild Carraba showed himself capable of sculpturing the melancholy within a romantic relationship, especially the fact that the relationship is tearing apart. Whether was it lamenting the pain of a breakup (“The Brilliant Dance”), a crumbling relationship (“This Ruined Puzzle”), a distanced relationship (“Standard Lines” and the highlight “Again I Go Unnoticed”), or the infidelity of your partner (the aptly titled highlight “Screaming Infidelities”), Carraba delivers the themes in a direct yet beautifully poignant way. With the accompaniment of a simple, yet atmospheric acoustic guitar, the sadness in the lyrics came to life. Although the lyrics can be cheesy as times, with lines such as “And thinking’s just too much to ask” (from “The Brilliant Dance”), “Please, tell me you’re just feeling tired” (from “Again I Go Unnoticed”) and “I'm missing your bed, I never sleep” (from “Screaming Infidelities”) are quite cringe-worthy at times, it didn’t stop them enhancing the catharsis, flourishing the album as another third wave Emo classic.
Not every moment is drenched with sadness from a romantic breakdown, though, as there are more confrontational moments as well. With songs such as “The Best Depictions” and “Saints and Sailors”, Carraba isn’t afraid to make give you some bitter words when you are the person who is responsible for the downfall of the relationship. “The Best Depictions” is a spit at his girlfriend for not telling her the truth (“I guess I should have heard of them from you”) and a satire of her winning the “Best Depictions” and the “Clever Cover Story” awards for lying to him; “Saints and Sailors”, meanwhile, is an angrier depiction on the crumbling relationship, moaning about her communicate with him (“And this apartment is starving for an argument /Anything at all to break the silence”) and being a hypocrite, where he jabbed her that when things goes wrong, she smiles to him like a saint, yet curses like a sailor. These just exhibited Carraba’s ability to focuses the depth of the breakup theme, as breakup isn’t just about crying about the romantic lost.
Apart from romantic issues, Carraba showed himself capable of writing songs that is universal as well, evident in the title track. The song focuses on the self-isolation and playing a masquerade game by faking towards others, as the character in the song seems to cover himself with “a perfect shell” and keep himself hidden in the public eye, in order to keep himself in a haven, a.k.a., the place that he has come fear the most, which successfully sculptured the painful life of an outcast.
Despite that, it doesn’t help the fact that this album has a narrow range in terms of lyrical content, as most of them are about relationship issues, which might disappoint some more intellectual listeners, who want a more widely focused album instead of an album full of moaning about dissolution of the romantic relationship. Furthermore, like I mentioned, the lyrics can be cheesy and cringe-worthy at times, as well as the closing track “This Bitter Pill” has the most confounding lyrics among the album, making it as the lesser moment in the album. All of which, unfortunately, reduced the charm of the album itself.
In conclusion, this album may suffer from cheesy lyrics and lack of range in terms of materials, but it is nonetheless a brilliant album. With beautiful acoustic guitar lines and the occasional strings section, poignant and deep lyrical wizardry and the dense, atmospheric production, this album shows that you don’t need a hardcore-punk direction to go Emo in terms of sound. If you are tired of listening punk-edged guitars and heavy riffs, yet you still want to experience a moody Emo experience, this album is for you. Dashboard Confessional may move on to go electric and embark on a more punk-pop direction, evident in Dusk and Summer, but this album still remains as a document that an acoustic-driven song can be as cathartic and emotional as a electric guitar-led song.
