Reviews

When Dashboard Confessional first emerged into the underground, it consisted of the lonesome Christoper Carrabba, fresh out of Further Seems Forever, sitting on a stool with his precious acoustic guitar in hand. Now Carrabba has a band backing him up. Dashboard Confessional has certainly changed from the entirely acoustic "Swiss Army Romance," released in 2000, to the new "A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar." The change is obvious, there's no arguing it. However, whether it is a positive change, or a negative one, can only be determined by the listener. While I prefer the solely acoustic guitar melodies of his previous years, this album is thought provoking and entirely enjoyable.

It opens with a new rendition of an old favourite, "Hands Down." This version includes the entire band, while the older one did not. For those who haven't heard the other version, this one is great, but I remain parshal to the previous one hands down, no pun intended. Track two, "Rapid Hope Loss" is catchy, and the vocals sound very mature and refined. Carrabba no longer sounds like he's straining to reach those high notes, they come much more naturally for him. However, this one track in particular lacks the deeply personal lyrics that Dashboard fans are used to. Track three, "as Lovers Go" is pretty upbeat, which is unusual for Dashboard Confessional. Moving on, "Carry This Picture" is a beautiful love song, no doubt about that. "Bend and Not Break," and "Ghost of a Good Thing" build up the heartbreak that comes in track seven, "Am I Missing." Song eight, "Morning Calls" reminds me of "Turpentine Chaser," from the album "Swiss Army Romance," probably only because of the reference to turpentine. Note to Dashboard: Don't use the same metaphors over and over again. "Carve Your Heart Out Yourself" is one of my favourite tracks on this album, and definitely the closest yet to the old Dashboard we're all used to. "So Beautiful," and "Hey Girl" are very obviously about what else, but a girl. Track twelve, "If You Can't Leave It Be Might as Well Make It Bleed" is another favourite of mine, as it was produced by Carrabba himself. Finally, the album ends with "Several Ways to Die Trying" which makes a perfect ending.

I'd say all in all, this is a metamorphosis in Dashboard Confessional that I could get used to. A few tracks sound too much like pop songs, but the album as a whole will not disappoint a true Dashboard Confessional fan. Not to mention, the album also contains a Dashboard Confessional DVD, entitled "Far From Home Movies."