The Wrens' Charles Bissell Announces His New Project Car Colors

10-06-2023

(Chromatic) The Wrens' Charles Bissell today announced his new project Car Colors, a solo endeavor that will shepherd his first new music in two decades-and first since his 2003 masterpiece with The Wrens, The Meadowlands-on November 17th.

Fans can pre-order his debut single "Old Death" beginning today via legendary independent record label Absolutely Kosher, which is newly relaunched around its 25th anniversary after a 12-year hiatus, or just in time for Bandcamp Friday.

The "Old Death" single will be available as a 12-inch on 25th-anniversary silver vinyl, as well as digitally, and features B-sides "It's All Guns and Arrows" and "I'll Bear." "Old Death" and an official version of "It's All Guns and Arrows" (the B-side version is an alternate take) will both be featured on the long-awaited, highly anticipated debut album from Car Colors, due out in early 2024 via Absolutely Kosher.

No advance music will be shared prior to the "Old Death" single's release. Per Absolutely Kosher's Cory "Brownbutter" Brown: "With the world waiting 20 years for this music, we wanted to reflect on how much had changed since 2003 and harken back to a time when people couldn't hear a record until they bought a copy, creating a special kind of anticipation. Surprise drops are neat and instant gratification has understandable appeal, but we really wanted to see who our 'ride-or-die' fans are and reward them for sticking with us by letting them into the inner circle of everything we have planned, with early news, tickets, and other opportunities sure to interrupt the banality of your everyday feed. At 10 years in the making, this moment before the song begins in your ears is once in a lifetime. Lean in and enjoy it." Pre-ordered vinyl will begin shipping early next month and all pre-order customers will automatically be added to a "ride or die" mailing list.

At seven-plus minutes, "Old Death" shows the work of its 10-year gestation and will be instantly recognizable to fans as classic Bissell: deeply melodic, stippled with dissonance, layered with production, and endlessly listenable. It's as heady as ever, too; Bissell describes the song as "my life as The Odyssey disguised as a pop album."