There is something about The Attic Movement’s songs that connect with me on a deeply personal and emotional level. ‘Truth Be Told’ has left me emotionally wrung out every time I’ve listened to it. Like ‘Leave The Car’ this song brings back memories of a particular time in my life. A time that, while it may have been decades ago, has left a deep and virtually indelible mark on me.
I’ll leave it to Matt to explain what the song is about ‘If you’ve ever wanted to just up and leave then you’ll relate to the tragedy of the song’s lyrics. A voice of desperation, longing for new pastures and experiences. The song is both melancholy and uplifting in the same breath and, much like the emotional turbulence of its lyrics, is something of a rollercoaster’. The thing that this leaves unsaid is that it’s when you want to leave, you know you have to leave, but just can’t.
So while I connect with it because of my own personal experience, that experience is not unique to me, and that makes the song universally true. And even if you’ve not had the experiences the song describes, the situation it describes, the words and music communicate it so clearly you’ll relate to it on a human level.
As with all of The Attic Movement’s songs this a perfect combination of words and music, the words fit the music and the music reflects the words. The two work together to convey the story, the emotions perfectly.
The song starts with simply plucked guitar, quiet tired sounding vocals that reflect the words, a wash of atmospheric sound. It builds, strangely fairground organ comes in, it builds again to a soaring yet desperately desperate level, there is anguish, there is frankly beautiful piano. And finally there is quiet realisation that there just isn’t anything there, and it’s time to move on.
Matt’s vocals are a thing of beauty – he conveys the story, the emotions, without reaching for anything overblown, and they are all the better for that.
Musically this song is huge, there is a richness in the sounds, the layers of instruments, the vocals but the music never overwhelms the words, and this is a good thing, a very good thing, because the words are important.
This song is beautiful on many levels – lyrically, musically, and finally. but most importantly, on an emotional level.
