Carissa's Wierd
They'll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003
Hardly Art/Sub Pop / Tuba!

Carrisa's Wierd was a indie rock band from Seattle. Mat Brook and Jenn Ghetto formed the band in1995. The line-up changed during the years before they split in 2003, but mainly Carissa's Wierd were Sera Cahoone (drums), Sarah Standard (violin), Ben Bridwell (drums/bass), Jeff Hellis (keyboard/accordion). After the break-up Ghetto and Cahoone went solo, while Brook and Bridwell formed the more famed Band of Horses, which Brook later left to form Grand Archives. They'll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003 is the first collection taken from the 3 albums that Carissa's Wierd made. And it also precedes the probably forthcoming re-release of those albums.

Being the mother band of the likes of Band of Horses and Grand Archives it is hard to listen to Carissa's Wierd today, and not hearing their quiet chamber rock as a promise of the stunning sounds to come. Still, that is pretty unfair. Because, Carissa's Wierd is so much more than a half dressed ghost of it's musical children's beauty.

They'll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003 offers a collection of seemingly nice, soft an fragile rock tunes. Yet, there is a core of strength and unpolished feelings, most visible in the likes of "Die", "So You Wanna Be A Superhero" and "Ignorant Piece of Shit". But also in the enchanting ballads "Phantom Fireworks" and "September Come Take This Hearth Away". This is much done by the sober, low tuned vocals of Brook/Gehtto, that lingers dreamlike in the tunes, often barely audible over the heavy strings.

So, this collection from Carissa's Weird is a must-have treasure for all that like their succeeding bands. And for everyone else, for that matter.

Copyright © 2010 Aslaug O Klausen