New Dashboard Confessional Album Leaks, Chris Carrabba Now Even Sadder

Dashboard Confessional, The Shade of Poison Trees

Official release date: October 2

We think: Fans put off by the alt-rock aspirations of last year’s Daniel Lanois–produced Dusk and Summer are probably breathing a sigh of relief; Dashboard’s fifth studio album is a return to the emo-y sound of their early acoustic records, but with much better singing — Chris Carrabba’s either undergone intensive vocal training or Trees represents a bold leap into the future of pitch-correction technology. Vulture actually liked Dusk, though, so in spite of immediate tracks like “I Light My Own Fires Now” and “Fever Dreams,” this new one may take a few listens to sink in.