Track Listing

1. Brilliant Dance
2. Screaming Infidelities
3. Best Deceptions
4. This Ruined Puzzle
5. Saints and Sailors
6. Good Fight
7. Standard Lines
8. Again I Go Unnoticed
9. Places You Have Come to Fear the Most
10. This Bitter Pill

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12845 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
Of all the downtrodden intellectuals turning skate-punk into emo, Dashboard Confessional's Christopher Carrabba is by far the most bruised. With just an acoustic guitar and some choice words, the Ben Folds sound-alike turns the concept of the love song on its head with The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most's torrent of poetic abuse aimed at girls who've taken advantage of his good nature. From "Saints and Sailors" ("This apartment is starving for an argument / Anything at all to break the silence") to "The Good Fight" ("I claimed you as my only hope and watched the floor as you retreated") to "Screaming Infidelities" ("So kiss me hard because this will be the last time I let you"), Carrabba is unapologetically bitter. Yet while his love life may be a tragic mess, the pure cathartic joy he derives from putting the ladies in question back in their place--evident from his venomous acoustic attacks--is unmistakable, infectious, and fantastically liberating. Wallowing in self-pity has seldom been so much fun. --Dan Gennoe

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly mellow and completely remarkable
I borrowed this CD before I bought it because I wanted to hear what the buzz was about. I was completely and pleasantly surprised by the style. Most tracks are unaccompanied acoustic guitar, and those that have background instruments use them to good effect. The harmonies are tight and a little unusual, almost like classic Jon Anderson (Yes). The lyrics, while all unrelenting teen angst and boy-loses-girl, are really quite raw in their emotion. Thanks to his emo background, Chris Carraba isn't timid about hanging his hurt out on his sleeve. I suppose it rubs some people the wrong way (my sister said it made her want to slit her wrists), but I guess if you've been there perhaps, it makes you feel better to hear someone else put your thoughts into verse, and Carraba does that quite well. I recommend you give it a listen. If you like it at all, you're bound to be mesmerized by it. I ordered my copy before the third track had finished playing, and it's one of the few CDs I'll listen to more than once in the same day.

My Favorite CD Ever...
Okay, I've seen a lot of "Too whiney" comments. Those people probably haven't listened to the whole album. Chris's lyrics are so poetic and beautiful. You can hear his emotion through his chords, his whispers, and his screams.

It's the only CD I can listen through the whole album without skipping certain songs. It has to be one of the best albums ever made. It is definitely Dashboard's best album to date.

1. Brilliant Dance 9/10
2. Screaming Infidelities 9/10
3. Best Deceptions 10/10
4. This Ruined Puzzle 9/10
5. Saints and Sailors 10/10
6. Good Fight 12/10
7. Standard Lines 9/10
8. Again I Go Unnoticed 20/10
9. Places You Have Come to Fear the Most 100000/10 My favorite Dashboard song over. That song is probably one of the most passionate I've ever heard.
10. This Bitter Pill 9/10

Chris Carrabba is a genius!
This cd follows the same formula as "The Swiss Army Romance" however is much better for variety of reasons. As a whole the songs are much more catchy and deeper. These songs showcase Carrabba's amazing voice by showing more vocal range and emotion. The songs are even better written and Carrabba uses beautiful metaphors for loss, love and redemption. Although the cd is not as long, it is a more quality recording. The music is really benefitted by the addition of drums, more stringed instruments and more back up vocals. The songs from the Swiss Army Romance, "Screaming Infidelities" and "Again I Go Unoticed" sound great with the added instruments. The cd is not your average acoustic cd. If you want emo, this is as emotional as it gets. The two final songs "The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most" and "This Bitter Pill" are some of the deepest and painfullest songs I have ever heard. Carrabba is a really ambitious and mature songwriter to attempt and pull off something like that. This cd is a million miles away from his former band Further Seems Forever. Despite the cd's intensely personal lyrics, it still is accessible to everyone. Everyone can relate to the songs lyrics. Each new listen discovers something new in the music. The cd is definitely worth buying.