In Dashboard Confessionals fourth album “A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar,” lead vocalist Chris Carraba welcomes listeners to his emotionally detached world. His songwriting abilities are phenomenal but his voice is not as strong as his lyrics.
The band is without a doubt talented but, come on, change up the beat some.
A little changing of guitar chords would make the album a little more exciting. Each beat is the same over and over again.
On track four, “Carry this picture,” the lyrics “Your smile is the most genuine thing I’ve ever seen,” make sense to those in love but the acoustic guitar sounds repetitive throughout the entire song.
Dashboard Confessional’s fan base is hard-core and devoted to their band. Their catchy lyrics have positively influenced their fans. In the DVD, included with the CD, fans sing along to every tune. It almost looks rehearsed; they know every word like they were singing in choir class.
The DVD is amusing to watch if you are a fan of Carraba because the whole thing is practically a documentary on him.
The DVD is a home video friends of the band recorded before their spring tour in 2003. Shots on the DVD are smart and creative but when the band has their next big break maybe they can pay a professional to record.
The fourth album shows some improvement from their other CD’s and they are following the right path or some of the members are. Give credit to drummer Mike Marsh, guitarist John Leffler and bassist Scott Schoenbeck, but they need to find a new lead vocalist.