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Album Details

• Artist: Serena Maneesh
• Album: Serena Maneesh
• Label: Honeymilk
• Year of Release: 2005
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2006-04-03

Are one of those dreamers that hope and pray Kevin Shields is going to put out another My Bloody Valentine album then you need to check into Serena Maneesh. It actually only took me two listens to get into Emil Nikolaisen's crazy shoegaze-ish band. Is it uncool to be a shoegazer band? Well, I don't think it was EVER cool to be labeled that but in the end it is a genre that was never fully realized. Serena Maneesh takes the template that many bands before them had lain out and moved it ahead enough to make the shoegaze feel relevant again. The opening track, "Drain Cosmetics" sounds like a song that The Dandy Warhols have been trying to write for their entire career. But then it's the hypnotic brilliance of "Selina's Melodie Fountain" that really pushes me over to a believer. It has swirly melodies mixed with crazy distortion and ethereal vocals swirling all around. It's crazy sessions like the end of "Sapphire Eyes" where there is all sorts of strange feedback and electronic noises that I usually hate but for some reason there was something that kept my attention, which is good because the album's best track comes after that - "Don't Come Down Here". It starts out so gentle but then just over half way through you are presented with the most distorted guitars I have heard in years and it gets crazy once again. "Beehiver II" is a crazy frantic track as well. Seek this out and give it at least two listens before you make up your mind. I think this may become a favorite.

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