Serena Maneesh (album)

Serena-Maneesh
Studio album by Serena-Maneesh
Released	August 29, 2005
Recorded	April – October 2004
Genre	Shoegazing, indie rock, noise pop
Length	58:16
Label	HoneyMilk Records
Producer	Emil Nikolaisen, Daniel Smith
Serena-Maneesh chronology
Zurück (2005) Serena-Maneesh (2005) Serena Maneesh 2: Abyss in B Minor (2010)
Singles from Serena Maneesh
"Drain Cosmetics" Released: June 12, 2006 "Sapphire Eyes" Released: October 2, 2006

Serena Maneesh (or Serena-Maneesh) is the debut album by Serena Maneesh. The album was partly recorded in Steve Albini's respected Electrical Audio Recordings studio in Chicago as well as in various facilities in New York City and Oslo. Contributors to the album include Sufjan Stevens, Martin Bisi (who worked with Sonic Youth and Iggy Pop) and co-producer Daniel Smith of Danielson Famile.

The album yielded two singles: "Drain Cosmetics" in June 2006, and "Sapphire Eyes" in October 2006. "Beehiver II" is an alternative version of the song "Beehiver," first released on the band's 2002 EP Fixxations . An alternate version of "Sapphire Eyes," subtitled Serena-Maneesh Refix, was released as a digital single, as a B-side on the "Drain Cosmetics" single, and on the split single with American band Blood on the Wall.

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	84/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Alternative Press	[3]
Drowned in Sound	9/10 [4]
Entertainment Weekly	B+ [5]
The Guardian	[6]
NME	8/10 [7]
Pitchfork	8.6/10 [8]
PopMatters	8/10 [9]
Uncut	8/10 [10]
Under the Radar	8/10 [11]

Critical reception to the album was positive. Pitchfork Media graded the album 8.6 out of 10 and rated the album as one of the Top 50 Albums of 2005. ^[12] Norway's national newspaper Dagbladet rated it Norwegian Album of the Year, ^[13] and Allmusic awarded the album 4 stars out of 5. ^[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Emil Nikolaisen..

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Drain Cosmetics"	3:41
2.	"Selina's Melodie Fountain"	5:39
3.	"Un-Deux"	1:56
4.	"Candlelighted"	6:36
5.	"Beehiver II"	4:44
6.	"Her Name Is Suicide"	3:44
7.	"Sapphire Eyes"	7:09
8.	"Don't Come Down Here"	7:20
9.	"Chorale Lick"	3:16
10.	"Simplicity"	1:56
11.	"Your Blood in Mine"	12:09
Total length:		58:16

Personnel

• Emil Nikolaisen – vocals, guitar, bass, samples, organ, vibes, drums, piano, harmonium, mellotron, mandolin
• Anders Møller – percussion
• David Wallumrød – organ
• Anders Salomon Lidal – flute, analog synth
• Sondre Tristan Midttun – guitar
• Lina Holmström – vocals
• Eivind Schou – violin
• Hilma Nikolaisen – vocals
• Håvard Krogedal – cello, organ
• Harald Frøland – guitar
• Sufjan Stevens – flute, marimba
• Inge Svege – harmonica
• Hilde Bialach – cello
• Samuel Durling – Indian vibes
• Dag Stiberg – sax
• Daniel Smith – backing vocals
• Asle Eikrem – tamburin

Production

• Christian Engfelt – mixing
• Marius Bodin – mixing
• Morten Lund – mastering
• Ingar Hunskaar – pre-mastering
• Tommy Akerholdt – drums, co-arranger
• Björn Engelmann – mastering
• Martin Bisi – samples, mixing
• Espen Høydalsvik – percussion, engineer
• Greg Norman – sound engineer

Release history

Country	Date	Label	Format	Catalogue #
Norway	29 August 2005	HoneyMilk Records	CD	HONEY020
	20 December 2005	Hype City Recordings	2LP	HCR-011
North America	9 May 2006	Playlouder Recordings/Beggars Group	CD	PLAYR4CD
	23 May 2006		2LP	PLAYR4LP
United Kingdom	26 June 2006		CD	PLAYR4CD
			2LP	PLAYR4LP

References

1. "Reviews for Serena-Maneesh by Serena-Maneesh". Metacritic . Retrieved April 29, 2025.
2. AllMusic review
3. One of the few albums that deserves its Pitchfork-generated hype. [Jul 2006, p.204]
4. Kharas, Kev (August 11, 2005). "Serena Maneesh: Serena Maneesh". Drowned in Sound . Retrieved April 29, 2025.
5. Sure, this speaker-frying style has been done before, but rarely with such confidence. [12 May 2006, p.83]
6. Cooper, Leonie (23 June 2006). "Serena Maneesh, Serena Maneesh". The Guardian . Retrieved 29 April 2025.
7. Shoegazing in origin, barn-storming in conclusion. [24 Jun 2006, p.43]
8. "Serena-Maneesh: Serena Maneesh". Pitchfork .
9. PopMatters review
10. One of the most intriguing walls of sound since My Bloody Valentine circa Isn't Anything. [Jul 2006, p.97]
11. 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]
12. Pitchfork: Top 50 Albums of 2005
13. Dagbladet (6/12/2005)
14. allmusic – Serena Maneesh