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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Serena-Maneesh
Universal acclaim
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 37 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Playlouder
Release Date: 09 May 2006
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Summary
This debut album from the Norwegian shoegaze six-piece marks the inaugural release by the new record label from UK website Playlouder. Sufjan Stevens guests.
Also By This Artist: S-M Backwards
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site Serena-Maneesh @ MySpace
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Alternative Press
One of the few albums that deserves its Pitchfork-generated hype. [Jul 2006, p.204]
All Music Guide
It should not take the seasoned listener too long to grasp that Serena Maneesh transcend the narrow boundaries of shoegaze.
Read Full Review >Drowned In Sound
By marrying the subtle ethereality of bands like MBV with the swashbuckling pomp of a modern-day Iggy, they are a band at once single-minded and confused.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Sure, this speaker-frying style has been done before, but rarely with such confidence. [12 May 2006, p.83]
cokemachineglow
Serena Maneesh injects the Warhols' toothy, cocksure swagger [into] the lush, narcotic insularity of My Bloody Valentine and Ride.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
What truly makes this album stand out is the group’s sense of control.
Read Full Review >Urb
The group maintains its own modern, unique sound while capturing and reimagining the familiar. [May 2006, p.95]
NOW Magazine
The Oslo five-piece flirt with overindulging their feedback fetish... but avoid wankery by reining in the songs just before boredom sets in.
Read Full Review >Uncut
One of the most intriguing walls of sound since My Bloody Valentine circa Isn't Anything. [Jul 2006, p.97]
Under The Radar
It's remarkable that it should all feel so cohesive, given the album's roller-coaster tendencies and overall messiness, but Serena Maneesh manage to put considerable craft behind their mess. [#12, p.93]
The Guardian
Just don't dip into the album fleetingly - it's music that's hard to appreciate in snippets, but more than satisfactory when devoured as a whole.
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
Shoegazing in origin, barn-storming in conclusion. [24 Jun 2006, p.43]
Prefix Magazine
Serena-Maneesh sounds like the kind of record many bands spend their entire careers trying to create.
Read Full Review >Lost At Sea
Unfortunately, the opener is really the musical peak of this self-titled disc and as the album slowly slumps toward its egotistically long final track, listeners will probably have already tuned-out.
Read Full Review >Dusted Magazine
At the end, S-M is still a silly tribute band, years away from hoeing a unique row. But when musicians crank out such a joyously chaotic mess of someone else’s forced nostalgia, it’s hard to be mad at them.
Read Full Review >Spin
There are interesting moments... but too often they're smothered in a formless buzz of guitar, samples, voilin, harmonica--you name it. [Jul 2006, p.87]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 37 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
R G gave it an8:
my first impression of this record was that its just another shoegaze act, but after a couple of listen, this groups really has a sound of their own even though they will never get away from the mbv comparisons. the album really has a very rock anthem feeling and its simply grand in some parts. these guys push things and just when u think they cant push anything futher they do. Candelighted is an unbelievable track with gorgeous arangements followed by a crash rockout of beehiver II. dont come down here is elegant dream pop and the 12 minute ender is a good closer that highlights the bands range. great first record for a group.
Garrett gave it an8:
Sounds like more upbeat, energetic MBV. I like this album a lot, it's not amazing but it's definitely good :D
Mihai V gave it a10:
Excellent. Very close to a masterpiece. It's true that classifying it as shoegaze is debateable. It's so much more.
Jason gave it a2:
Wow, guess I missed something b/c I couldn't stand this album.
[Anonymous] gave it a5:
Horribly overrated. To call it shoegaze is also highly misleading. Their are elements of shoegaze in some of the songs but most of it isn't. It's largely pretentious and self-indulgent crap. The good moments are few and far between.
Eivind gave it a10:
Best norwegian album of this century so far
anaximander t gave it a10:
Great!!!!
