Dashboard Confessional - “All The Truth That I Can Tell” Album Review
Dashboard Confessional is an alternative/indie/emo rock band that just came out with their ninth studio album, “All The Truth That I Can Tell,” which delves into the life of the lead singer, songwriter and founder of the band, Chris Carrabba.
The band’s first recording was back in the year 2000, so they have been releasing music for quite some time.
This album is different from some of their more recent more intense releases, as the album is considered their most old-school collection with instrumentals that mainly feature an acoustic guitar. Paired with this, Carrabba sings about love and a long relationship as well as the way life goes as a middle-aged man.
The first song on the album, “Burning Heart,” is beautiful and full of passion, as Carrabba sings about not giving up on love. This song along with a few others in the album is one ongoing story where Carrabba freely rambles about his feelings and emotions while strumming an acoustic guitar. The guitar riff is extremely catchy and this song is a strong and promising first track to the collection.
The message shifts in the third song, “Here’s to Moving On,” as Carrabba starts to accept the lost love rather than fight for it. He continues to pour his heart and soul into the tracks, shifting again in the fifth song, “Southbound and Sinking” where he wants her to fall back in love with him.
Carrabba also spends the album reminiscing on his relationship, like in “Sleep In” which is about the early and simple days of being in love, and “Sunshine State” which is about his lover being in a better place without him while he still misses her.
“Me and Mine” felt a little out of place with the rest of the tracks, as Carrabba reminisces about being a kid once while having children of his own.
The fourth and ninth tracks in the album are the only ones where the drums kick in and there is more of a rock style. The remainder of the album is rather slow-paced and soft, which eventually gets a little boring and repetitive.
The last track is the longest and has the same name as the album, “All The Truth That I Can Tell.” Again, Carrabba rambles on and about his thoughts on life’s aspects, but he does this especially slow-paced which makes the song hard to get through. As the final track on the album, it misses the mark.
Overall, the album has extremely powerful vocals. Carrabba has a beautiful voice and put it to use in this album, as he sings heartfeltly and profoundly.
There are also powerful messages in the tracks about love, and how it feels after a long relationship ends and where life starts to feel bleak.
Hopefully, Dashboard Confessional changes up the pace in their next album and includes more hardcore drumming and guitar. This soft and acoustic album works, but it fails to show the band’s true potential and falls short of standing out.
Rating: 6/10
Reviewer’s Favorite Tracks: “Burning Heart,” “Everyone Else Is Just Noise"
Reviewer’s Least Favorite Tracks: “Me and Mine,” “All The Truth That I Can Tell”
Rachel Fisher is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email rlf5481@psu.edu
