CD Review: Dashboard Confessional – “Covered And Taped”

There’s a pretty damn good chance that Dashboard Confessional and Justin Bieber have never been mentioned in the same sentence. Well, until now that is, as the emo kings have lent their acoustic leanings to the Biebs’ smash hit “Love Yourself” on their surprise new EP Covered And Taped, managing to strip down the already stripped down track even further, tearing it all the way down to the studs thanks to Chris Carrabba’s delicate plucking and gentle vocals. Covered And Taped also finds Carrabba delivering a soft, vulnerable performance on “Sex,” the lead single off of The 1975’s eponymous debut, before delivering all the feels on his haunting rendition of Julien Baker’s “Sprained Ankle,” a track that will leave you with goosebumps. To round things out on Covered And Taped, Carrabba simply goes all Dashboard Confessional on Sorority Noise’s “Using,” effortlessly transitioning from breathless whispers to full-on emotional outbursts. Not that anyone really needed to be reminded of just how good Carrabba and Dashboard Confessional can be, but Covered And Taped pretty much runs the gambit.

Grade: A-

Go Download: “Love Yourself”