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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Serena-Maneesh
by Serena-Maneesh


7.5

based on 18 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 37 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

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.

LABEL:	Playlouder
RELEASE DATE:	09 May 2006
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Indie, Rock

NOTES: Originally released in Norway in 2005.

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...

100

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.

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.

Pitchfork

These aren't 11 songs so much as 12 blood-riling arguments.

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.

PopMatters

What truly makes this album stand out is the group’s sense of control.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Billboard

Sure, there's a formula at work here, but it doesn't feel forced.

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.

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]

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!!!!

Serena-Maneesh by Serena-Maneesh

Serena-Maneesh
by Serena-Maneesh