A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar

A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar
Studio album by Dashboard Confessional
Released	August 12, 2003 (U.S.) February 26, 2004 (Japan)
Recorded	2003
Genre	Emo, alternative rock
Length	51:15
Label	Vagrant
Producer	Gil Norton
Dashboard Confessional chronology
MTV Unplugged 2.0 (2002) A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar (2003) Dusk and Summer (2006)
Singles from A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar
"Hands Down" Released: August 12, 2003 "Rapid Hope Loss" Released: May 4, 2004

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(77/100)[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Blender	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[3]
PopMatters	[1][4]
Robert Christgau	[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]
Slant Magazine	[7]
Spin	(7/10)[8]
Uncut	[1][9]
Yahoo! Music UK	[10]

A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar is the third studio album recorded by the band Dashboard Confessional. The album was released on August 19, 2003 and has been certified gold by RIAA, meaning it has shipped over 500,000 copies in the United States. "Hands Down" was released to radio on July 15, 2003.^[11] "Rapid Hope Loss" was released to radio on December 9, 2003.^[11]

"As Lovers Go" was featured on the Shrek 2: Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Track listing

1. "Hands Down" – 3:06
2. "Rapid Hope Loss" – 3:40
3. "As Lovers Go" – 3:31
4. "Carry This Picture" – 2:54
5. "Bend and Not Break" – 5:06
6. "Ghost of a Good Thing" – 3:44
7. "Am I Missing" – 4:05
8. "Morning Calls" – 4:19
9. "Carve Your Heart Out Yourself" – 3:44
10. "So Beautiful" – 3:28
11. "Hey Girl" – 3:33
12. "If You Can't Leave It Be, Might as Well Make It Bleed" – 3:37
13. "Several Ways to Die Trying" – 6:08
14. "This Old Wound" [*] – 4:02
15. "The End of an Anchor" [*] – 5:26
16. "Nightswimming" (R.E.M. Cover) [*]

*Bonus tracks found on non-US editions

Personnel

• Chris Carrabba - lead vocals, guitar
• John Lefler - guitar, backing vocals, organ, piano
• Scott Schoenbeck - bass
• Mike Marsh - drums, backing vocals, percussion

Reception

Chart performance

A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 122,000 copies in its first week.^[12]

Chart	Peak position
US Billboard 200[13]	2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[14]	1

References

1. Critic reviews at Metacritic
2. Allmusic review
3. Greer, Jim (2003-08-15). "A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar Review". Entertainment Weekly: 77. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
4. PopMatters review
5. Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
6. "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
7. Slant Magazine review
8. Spin review
9. Uncut review
10. "Yahoo! Music UK review". Archived from the original on 2004-08-20. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
11. "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
12. "India.Arie's 'Testimony' Debuts At No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
13. "Dashboard Confessional – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Dashboard Confessional.
14. "Dashboard Confessional – Chart history" Billboard Independent Albums for Dashboard Confessional.

External links

• Listen to samples of the album
• A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar at Metacritic