DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL - ALL THE TRUTH THAT I CAN TELL
After years of releasing consecutive albums throughout the 2000’s, the music project of Chris Carrabba, Dashboard Confessional became a household name in the emo music community. To the surprise of a loyal fanbase, he took a nearly decade-long hiatus. It was unclear if we would ever see Dashboard Confessional grace us with anymore music but here we are.
In an unexpected turn of events, All the Truth That I Can Tell is an entirely acoustic album, yet you could easily imagine any of the 11 tracks finding a comfortable place as the acoustic ballad on any emo album from the mid 2000s.
The album is not tailored to top the charts or entice the older fan base back, it is clear to see this is a gentle labour of love from the artist, explaining the album, written and recorded pre-Covid, he says “Honesty was at the heart of the writing process, at the heart of the recording process, and at the heart of this collection of songs.”
The album begins with ‘Burning Heart’, one of the highlights of the entire album; it is stripped back to the core with just Carrabba’s voice and the melody of an acoustic guitar.
At no point does the tone change, if you are aware of his previous discography, the first listen is full of anticipation, like you are waiting for the loud instrumental to kick in and for the lyrics to take a different direction - but that never comes. You have to listen again to truly experience burning heart the way it was intended. The lyrics are emotionally raw and this is the case for most of the album, the lack of clashing guitar riffs and drums allow his sheer talent in songwriting to shine.
The pace continues to be slow and emotive until the third track, the ‘Better of Me’ which shifts back towards the sound we expect. The introduction of the thudding drums and louder tone of Carrabba’s voice paired with the lyrics detailing ‘a series of battle scars’ makes it feel like an attempt at surviving rather than nostalgic poignancy.
The rest of the album shifts between these two feelings, yet it ends with a track sharing the name of the album, ‘All The Truth That I Can Tell’. It feels intentional that it ends with that his voice seems slightly louder than the acoustic melody, the lyrics appear to document his experience existing backstage ‘Back here I sing it too/And when they're done/I strum some chords.’, before he then enters the light of the stage, ‘I take the stage and I/ Collapse in fractured rhyme/ Surrounded by a crowd of friends.’
Acoustic albums are not for everyone and Dashboard Confessional would have known that. To open and end an album so different from his discography with this knowledge and with such emotional vulnerability is what makes All The Truth That I Can Tell one of his best works and a true act of complete bravery.
Taylor Duffy
★★★★☆