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Serena-Maneesh - 'Drain Cosmetics'Digital Singles | 29 January 2006
In August 2005, a little known Norwegian band going by the name Serena Maneesh, released their eponymous debut album through Honey Milk Records.
Indie tastemakers Pitchfork heard the album, fell in-love and placed it at no. 29 in the years top 50 albums (beating Franz Ferdinand by one). Across the pond, Drowned in Sound rated it at no.32 in their polls. Not bad for a record with zero promotion.
Such critical acclaim grew alongside a healthy live following. An appearance at Oya Festival in August 2005 had Playlouder raving that “(Serena-Maneesh are) the festival’s first and only mindfuck – the one I went several thousand miles hoping I might experience.” Then came a support slot on the Dandy Warhol’s UK tour, followed by a sold-out show at a 1000 capacity venue in Oslo in December and a rock-category nomination for a Norwegian grammy ‘Spellemannsprisen’. At which point Playlouder decided that this is the kind of band they want and need to launch their 2006 digital singles club.
And the sound? Is it clichéd to say like nothing else? Or perhaps more accurately Serena-Maneesh’s strange melodies are strikingly original, yet also somehow comforting and familiar.
‘Drain Cosmetics’ epitomises Serena Maneesh’s sound. Driving guitar rock and Primal Scream-esque drum rythms blend with distorted samples and a whispering ethereal vocal that weaves in and out as if in a dream. It’s as much about exploring as it is creating sound and the result is a noise that transcends music and offers an otherworldly atmosphere, as beautifully paradoxical as it is compelling.
‘Drain Cosmetics’ will be available at playlouder.com on Monday 13th February
