Customer Reviews

A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar

5 star:		(180)
4 star:		(71)
3 star:		(33)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

For the first time, I took it upon myself to read some reviews from Amazon users on some albums in my collection, and upon getting to A Mark A Mission A Brand A Scar, i realized why I never read reviews in the first place. Mostly because everyone has a n opinion and they all believe theres is correct. So if that's the way the game is played, I will give you mine... I'm just curious to see how many people I make angry. Here it goes..
This album differs from older DC albums that we all have become accustomed to. I embraced the change with open arms, and decided that I would have an open mind and judge this album for what it was. Just another new album. Imagine if Prince or Madonna sounded the same every album they put out. What would that be like? They obviously wouldn't be the great artists that they are today. They weren't afraid to go against the grain and buck the "conventional" side of the music industry. Which brings me to the next point. DC aren't conventional at all. Why do you think that they are still relatively unknown, with a huge cult following of underground fans, that will follow them like lambs to the slaughter? With the exception of the moderately successful single for SpiderMan2 "Vindicated" they are purely unconventional, and that's whats so delightful. To know that there is a mainstay that no one necessarily knows about. And for anyone who has seen them live can tell you that it's a very intimate thing to feel like you are the only one who knows who they are.
SO this most recent album just pushes the true fan to come along with them on a new journey, filled with amplifiers and heavy percussion beats. Dont be scared of it, just let it be. You can gripe all you want about how it's so different from who DC is, but obviously it seems like you never really knew who they were to begin with.

Okay, I'll admit it -- when I first heard Dashboard Confessional's Screaming Infidelities, I hated it. I didn't know what all the fuss was about. But then, all these years later, the song started to grow on me, so when Hands Down came out, I gave it a listen. And I loved it.

I was hesitant to buy this cd because of what I'd heard previously, but I decided to take a chance and dive in. And I have never been sorry. This disk was in my cd player nonstop for about three weeks (which is a bunch for me, since I tend to buy about 5 cds a week). The lyrics are amazing, and the music is that good kind of catchy where you don't want it out of your head.

I know a lot of long time DC fans are saying that this isn't a great effort, that the raw emotion is gone, etc., and after going back and buying All the Places You've Come To Fear the Most, I don't entirely disagree. You won't find something like Best Deceptions on this disk, but I think the reason for that is that Chris has said his piece on pain and the hurt that comes from putting your heart in the hands of others, and now he wants to remind everyone that there's some good stuff to it, too.

Overall, I think this is a very romantic album, one that will remind you not to take the small stuff for granted. If you've never been a DC fan before, this is a very good place to start.

This is the album that defined Dashboard Confessional as a "band." I loved the other DC albums, where it was just an acoustic guitar (sometimes drums and bass) and Chris Carabba, wearing his heart on his sleeve on every song. So this album made me a little nervous, wondering if I could still feel that passion with a full band. The answer...of course! This album is breathtaking, and the drums are excellent, guitar work of John Lefler is amazing, and the harmony vocals are perfect. Lefler has a style that sounds so lush and beautiful and compliments perfectly with Carabba's. The feeling of this album is less raw than the previous, but even with all of the extra instrumentation, it is still Carabba's voice and lyrics that make this album truly great. From "Hands Down" to "Several Ways To Die Trying," DC has entered into a list of great bands such as Jimmy Eat World and Counting Crows that feature great music, vocals, and better-than-most-band's lyrics. My favorite songs are: Hands Down, As Lovers Go, Carry This Picture, Bend and Not Break (my favorite song on this album), Ghost of a Good Thing (a raw, acoustic song that is very heartfelt), and Carve Your Heart Out Yourself. Each song has a different sound to it and there is no song on here that you will want to skip. Because of this album, the sky is the limit for Dashboard. Also, what makes this album truly worth buying is that is has an enhanced limited edition DVD of DC playing R.E.M. covers from their album "Automatic For The People." It's so good that I immediately bought that REM album. DC is here to stay, so sit back and enjoy!

With this, Dashboard Confessional's newest album, this band's success in describing the pains and sorrow of the lives of their listeners continues to attract attention. With twelve new tracks and one old favorite, Dashboard leaves listeners content in their long wait for this album.

Starting with the underground favorite "Hands Down," this album introduces both the tradition "bleeding heart emo" that made Dashboard Confessional so famous among teens and college kids everywhere AND even a look at a new hopeful addition to the band's lyrical content. With its last album "The Places That You've Come to Fear the Most," Dashboard captured a reputation for capturing raw emotion as Chris Carrabba "wailed" about lose, hate, hopelessness, and pain. This album simply ellaborates on this side of life, the painful side, with such emotional songs as "Rapid Hope Loss" (which is about as happy as the title implies) and "Carve Your Heart Out Yourself" (which makes the surgical procedure of suturing cool!) If you've ever felt sad or hurt or anything that made you down, these songs will be your best friends.

However, the most 'touching' songs on this CD, the ones that stand out to ME, are the unlikely love songs. These aren't exactly Barry White or Barry Manilow type love song, but for today's youth, lets just say, they're sweet and cool. "Hands Down" is already well known among long time fans, but "Hey Girl" and "Carry This Picture" will give SO many college goers even more songs to memorize and love...

Personally, the most powerful song on this album to me is "Bend and Not Break." Acting as a sort of 'confession,' this song speaks so true to me. With such lines as "I am fairly agile. I can bend and not break, Or I can break and take it with a smile," the heart-ache of past relationships (or the lack) are generalized and expressed so beautifully in this song. A damaged person explaining the mistakes they have made and are likely to make again soon, this song finds its way to my Top Five Dashboard Confessional songs.

If you are expecting to relate to the songs, as you have with the past releases of Dashboard Confessionals, you will be more than contented, you will be more than satisfied. You will be entertained. The DVD only adds to the experience, allowing you to enjoy old favorites, like "Age Six Racer" and "The Best Deceptions" performed infront of the small personal shows that this band is famous for AS WELL AS enjoy the studio recording sessions of the new material.

Buy this album, share it with the people you care about! If you have a significant other and you send one of the songs "Carry This Picture," "As Lovers Go," and "Hey Girl" to them, you'll score MAJOR points, plus you'll let them know how much you care about them. If you're without a significant other, don't worry, this album won't be any less unbelievable! (= Enjoy!

If you want to love Dashboard, buy "Places You Have Come to Fear the Most," "Swiss Army Romance," or the "So Impossible EP." Those three CDs are three of my favorites in my collection, but this new CD is just so mainstream and poppy, it's hard to consider it emo. The first few songs are alright, and some of the songs he wrote a while ago (like "Hands Down" and "Ghost of a Good Thing") are great, but Chris Carrabba's newfound MTV-streak is disappointing and gives emo a bad name. If you're into MTV "punk" like Good Charlotte and Simple Plan, go ahead and buy this CD - you'll love it. But if you're an actual emo-kid like myself, this CD will leave you wondering what the hell happened to Dashboard. You're better off buying his older CDs.

dashboard confessional is straight to the point -- they're great. they're the type of band that writes songs that sound better and better everytime you listen to them. True they might not be punk or hard metal rock, but they're one of a kind.. what real music from the soul sounds like. personally, they're my favorite band in the whole world. i mean... there's only so many people that can actually write a song describing with passion the best day of their life. (hands down)

trust me.. if you're open minded and willing, you'll have no regrets in buying this cd.

I have been reading a number of reviews on this album and feel that there are some unfair criticisms being made of it.
First of all, people saying that this does not compare to his old stuff. I have been a fan of DC for a long time and the acoustic emo that we all know and love is fantastic. However - this new album has shown how Chris has completely matured from a guy with his poems and a guitar into a brilliant musician with some really good music to enhance the emotional quality of the lyrics. It results in such a passionate sound - that I find it impossible not to love. Any dashboard fan who doesnt like this album is not giving it a fair chance - wouldn't it be boring if this new album was just another swiss army romance (a great album but who needs two of them?)
What I'm saying is since i bought this album, its barely left my CD player. When i saw him live in London last month these new loud songs were brilliant to sing along to and the music just makes you feel overwhelmingly happy, in the same way that the songs on The Places you've come to fear the most do (screaming infidelities, brilliant dance etc)
Chris has taken a step forward bravely and rightfully and I dont see any reason to criticize him for it. You can notice that the step has been fairly gradual too - "The Places..." actually contained hints of this new sounds if you compare it to swiss army and his EPs. If his new sound attracts more mainstreamers then so what..? We all know who the true fans are - the ones who love Chris Carabba and what his music is all about.
Buy this album - and go and damn well enjoy it. Hands down it is the best one I can ever remember...
(hehe see what i did there?!)

O.K. as a songwriter and record engineer both, this is the best overall record so far, in my opinion. And here's why,

1. I think that the full band arrangements are a good thing. I liked Swiss Army Romance, but it was kinda empty sounding. It pushed outsiders away from learning about this great act.

2. Gil Norton as producer. The guy has The Pixies and The Foo Fighters best records on his resume...nuff said.

3. "Hands Down", I was weary of The Unplugged revamp of this song, but this version is how it should have sounded all along.

4. Chris's lyrics are more progressive this time around, I get a little weary of people who can't move on with their lives.

5. The songs are all solid, not as "hit heavy" as The Places... but still good enough.

6. Electric guitars are good. Don't fear them.

7. The intimacy is still there despite a full band.

I've listened to Dashboard Confessional for a while now- As well as thinking The Swiss Army Romance showed great potential for Chris Carrabba, I thought the So Impossible EP was a stand-out CD. It had poetic yet understandable lyrics, beautiful interweaving acoustic guitar lines, and in particular I loved the last track on the CD, "Hands Down".
Since So Impossible was released, Carrabba has tooled-up his sound from solo acoustic to include percussion, bass and electric guitar. "Hands Down" has been reworked as the first track and single on this album, transformed from whispered secret to a rocking, drum-fuelled song about when Carrabba says "his heart was fit to explode" with happiness.
However, the typical Dashboard sound is still present with this release; "Ghost Of A Good Thing" is acoustic-based with light percussion, as well as other tracks "So Beautiful" "As Lovers Go" and the excellent "Bend And Not Break" which include acoustic guitar as the centerpiece with full band accompaniment.
Lyrically Carrabba is at his peak; "Rapid Hope Loss" has its biting guitars accompanying the even more biting lyrics-"Now that I can see you, I don't think you're worth a second glance".
Vocal strength too is on display- at the climax the epic "Several Ways To Die Trying", Carrabba screams the word 'live' for 14 seconds.
I love the diversity of sound on this album. The sonic range of the full band add so much to the Dashboard experience. Every track is a classic.
And if that wasn't enough you get the Far From Home DVD free- documenting live performances- and harking back to the days of solo acoustic Dashboard Confessional.

A great buy.

i love this album. dashboard has got to be one of my all time favorite bands. thier new album is just as good as the first. the fact that it is not in the usual acoustic style just shows that the band has a wide range and can sound good no matter how they play. the lyrics are still as touching as they've always been. and the vocals couldn't be any more beautiful. this album just showcases their talent with other styles of playing. but no matter what they are still dashboard confessional and they are still great.