I think Carraba has changed enough to gain new fans, but stayed the same enough to keep the original fans. While a lot of the material on "A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar" is definitely about girls, my first impression is that it is a little more dynamic and playful. Carraba takes full advantage of the band he has playing with him. Mike Marsh from the band The Agency plays drums on the album and really helps solidify many of the songs into true rock songs instead of just converted acoustic songs. A prime example would be "Bend and Not Break." This song is a full-out rock song with a really poppy two-part chorus. "Won't you hold me now, I will not bend I will not break." I can already hear the kids singing along at the top of their EMO voices.

If you really miss the all-acoustic Dashboard of yesteryear, there are a few songs that might appease your tastes, like "Ghost of a Good Thing" and "Carry this Picture." But, I think the strength of this album is its commitment to rocking a little more than previously. "Hands Down" starts it off at a quick pace, "Bend Not Break," "Hey Girl," and "If You Can't Leave it Be" keep it going for the whole album. These are a welcome relief in my eyes, but being the sensitive-type, they are not my favorites. My favorite songs on this album are "Ghost of a Good Thing," with it's falsetto chorus, the aforementioned "Bend not Break," and the emotional album closer, "Several Ways to Die Trying."

So, I think anyone who is looking for the same old Dashboard will be slightly disappointed by this album. It is similar in a lot of respects, but musically it is a lot more refined and dynamic from a band perspective, which is a lot different than being dynamic from "a guy with his acoustic guitar" standpoint. The results are mixed. I like a lot of the songs, but I am not sure if I hear any singles other than "Hands Down" and "Bend Not Break," but then again, I never would have picked this band to become a commercial success in the first place.