#51 Seller of 2005! 8.6 on Pitchfork. SPECIAL IMPORT.

Norwegian Serena Maneesh present their self-titled, full-length debut Serena Maneesh with eleven songs that slide down a razor's edge of distortion and pop whimsy, raucous guitar work and underwater static, angelic voices and primal screams. The strange melodies are strikingly original, yet they strike to the heart of something familiar: a classic rock guitar lick, a wound, a kiss. Inspired by everything from Southern blues via Neu! to Gershwin, Serena Maneesh is as much about exploring sound as crafting song. Working in both horizontal and vertical layers, head musician Emil Nikolaisen creates tuneful paradoxes, infinite yet time-bound. His meticulous compositions balance whispery female vocals and underlying violin with driving guitar rock, distorted samples, and chant-like repetition. Featuring contributions by Sufjan Stevens and Daniel Smith of the Danielson Famile