Track Listing

1. Hands Down
2. Rapid Hope Loss
3. As Lovers Go
4. Carry This Picture
5. Bend And Not Break
6. Ghost Of A Good Thing
7. Am I Missing
8. Morning Calls
9. Carve Your Heart Out Yourself
10. So Beautiful
11. Hey Girl
12. If You Can't Leave It Be, Might As Well Make It Bleed
13. Several Ways To Die Trying
14. This Old Wound (UK Bonus Track)
15. The End Of An Anchor (UK Bonus Track)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81005 in Music
• Released on: 2003-08-11
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Dimensions: .23 pounds
• Running time: 60 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
On Dashboard Confession's fourth album A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, Christopher Carraba welcomes listeners back into his emotionally claustrophobic world, where relationships are minefields, women are brittle and self-absorbed, and every cloud has a pewter lining. But all this is only fodder for his runaway id, as he deconstructs every encounter, giving us evidence of the pain and betrayal that lurks behind every corner. Finding a home somewhere between the positive punk of Green Day, circa "Time of Your Life" and the stream-of-consciousness poetry of the early Counting Crows, this collection is more musically coherent than Dashboard Confessional's earlier albums. Gil Norton's production has taken the band to new heights, allowing the music to have as much grit, substance, and dynamics as the lyrics.

The anxious expectorated sputum of "Am I Missing" is an existential assault on your very sanity, with its fretful drumming and spectral chorus, but this album doesn't sound just that one apprehensive note; Carraba is equally at home with the sparse, acoustic ballad "Ghost of a Good Thing" and the folksy rocker "Carve Your Heart Out Yourself", which could have been lifted from a Buffalo Springfield album. By giving voice to the thoughts that go bump in the night, Carraba gives vulnerability and sincerity a good name again. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews

Hands Down this is the best.....
I first heard dsahboard confessionals 'vindicated' on the spiderman two soundtrack. I was instantly captivated and neglected the rest of the album for about a week, just listening to that song over and over. I looked them up on yahoo, and finally brought this masterpiece. 'A Mark, A Misson, A Brand,A Scar' is one of the best albums i have ever brought. From 'Hands Down' To 'This Old Wound', every song is a pleasure to listen to. Hands Down is a belter of a song, which makes me want to dance and jump like a loony, 'Carry This Picture' is totally charming and 'Ghost of a Good Thing' keeps me calm.
If you don't have this album, you should at least give it a chance. If this band can draw me in after listening to one song, they must be good.

a jem
Any of u who havn't heard of dashboard confessional, buy this album and make way to be converted to absolute beautiful emo music forever. Chris Carrabba's strong, yet sensitive voice pounds out the most amazing melodies and striking lyrics that will just make u wanna cry. Their previous album 'The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most' is just as fantastic, with much more of Carrabba's acoustic stuff and is just packed with emotion. 'Hands Down' has been updated from one of his earlier EP's and sounds totally massive on this album, a great first track and summer song - the lyrics are the best ive ever seen! The bonus track of 'This Old Wound' is soft with a catchy guitar part that echoes through the song. Altogether an amazing album and being a Dashboard fan for years, i think this is some of Carrabba's best work (in fact, its ALL gud) and will certainly be left in my CD player for a few months at least!

uk dashboard confessional fan / student
being a huge dashboard confessional fan for years now, the thought of the new album was something too look forward to, it hasn't disappointed. its not as much acoustic as the places you've come to fear the most and is a little more upbeat...but this isn't at all a bad thing. there are new songs similar to 'the good fight' and 'saints and sailors'. all of the tracks have chris's amazing lyrical constructions and fab voice e.g. 'am i missing' and 'morning calls', however there is one which i feel could be done better, its too broken down...'a ghost of a good thing'...on the whole a amazing album. a definate for dashboard fans,taking back sunday fans, third eye blind fans...buy it!!! and go c him live...everyone sings along