SENNEN

8/10
Named after a Ride song and prone to ethereal singing over cyclones of ear-splitting guitar, the only way Sennen could be more shoegaze is if they played gigs in Kevin Shields socks. Banished from these shores by Britpop’s grinning idiots the genre has come out of its shell in the US and these Norwich boys are more akin to stateside post shoegaze (Shins gaze?) bands than My Bloody Valentine. 'Here it is' is has the stoner stomp of Dead Meadow or Black Mountain, 'A Lifetime Passed' just is Elliot Smith and the funeral 'Even Now' recalls Arcade Fire. This is an impressive effort which will hopefully coax them from the chill of their own shadows.
- Mark Robinson

8/10
Named after a Ride song and prone to ethereal singing over cyclones of ear-splitting guitar, the only way Sennen could be more shoegaze is if they played gigs in Kevin Shields socks. Banished from these shores by Britpop’s grinning idiots the genre has come out of its shell in the US and these Norwich boys are more akin to stateside post shoegaze (Shins gaze?) bands than My Bloody Valentine. 'Here it is' is has the stoner stomp of Dead Meadow or Black Mountain, 'A Lifetime Passed' just is Elliot Smith and the funeral 'Even Now' recalls Arcade Fire. This is an impressive effort which will hopefully coax them from the chill of their own shadows.
- Mark Robinson

Norfolk shoegaze revivalists hit a nostalgic nerve.

The sound of one's own coming-of-age is a potent thing. For me its Ride, Spacemen 3, Loop and Teanage Fanclub. Churning two- note fuzz-guitar riffs, plaintive melodies, that sense of blissful resignation, fringe over the eyes, pint of snakebite please. And when Norfolk quartet Sennen bring out all those late '80s indie elements-post Byrds harmonies and jangle in Here It Is, Spiratualized smack-gospel in Even Now and Slowdive twinkles in the title track - my Pavlovian reaction is so strong that I couldn’t tell you with hand on heart whether it's actually great or not. Its definitely delivered with conviction, and has all the widescreen sweep of big, bleak Norfolk skies and some very pretty tunes. This may not be for everyone but its turned me into a 14-year-old again, and that'll do me nicely.
- Joe Muggs

Norfolk shoegaze revivalists hit a nostalgic nerve.

The sound of one's own coming-of-age is a potent thing. For me its Ride, Spacemen 3, Loop and Teanage Fanclub. Churning two- note fuzz-guitar riffs, plaintive melodies, that sense of blissful resignation, fringe over the eyes, pint of snakebite please. And when Norfolk quartet Sennen bring out all those late '80s indie elements-post Byrds harmonies and jangle in Here It Is, Spiratualized smack-gospel in Even Now and Slowdive twinkles in the title track - my Pavlovian reaction is so strong that I couldn’t tell you with hand on heart whether it's actually great or not. Its definitely delivered with conviction, and has all the widescreen sweep of big, bleak Norfolk skies and some very pretty tunes. This may not be for everyone but its turned me into a 14-year-old again, and that'll do me nicely.
- Joe Muggs

5/5
A piece of work that is most succinctly and accurately described as beautiful. Sennen have done themselves proud, and all acquainted with them, right proud with their debut album, Where The Light Gets In...
The greatest music cannot be described with words, as much as fools try. Words are the paltry substitute for the artistry of the music itself. It is like trying to measure the height of a chestnut tree with some weighing scales. They are different languages. So at this point I'll give up trying. All you can do to find out more is to listen to this album, and I suggest you do.
- Anna Leach

5/5
A piece of work that is most succinctly and accurately described as beautiful. Sennen have done themselves proud, and all acquainted with them, right proud with their debut album, Where The Light Gets In...
The greatest music cannot be described with words, as much as fools try. Words are the paltry substitute for the artistry of the music itself. It is like trying to measure the height of a chestnut tree with some weighing scales. They are different languages. So at this point I'll give up trying. All you can do to find out more is to listen to this album, and I suggest you do.
- Anna Leach

Having started life as a generic (by their own admission)post rock band, Sennen made a very wise move and began ripping off Teanage Fanclub instead. Here, on their full length debut, they find are remarkable compromise between the two. The record sparkles with life from start to finish, something so seldom achieved by anyone who's post-anything. The merest whiff of keyboards (as distinct sythns) normally makes me dive for the 'off' button (or just out of a window) but here they shimmer and underscore the guitars perfectly. Wonderful, joyous harmonies risk becoming over saccharine at some points but more often work to round off a great fresh-sounding record. - Niall Harden

What took Sennen so long? It’s been three years and they didn’t call, they barely even wrote, with just a few singles acting as fleeting postcards since 2005 when their mini-album Widows (review) set our souls afire and made a small dent in the end-of-year staff poll, though they were probably too busy shoegazing to notice.
We can forgive this delay on the strength of Where The Light Gets In, their long-overdue debut album proper smelling like Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai, taking in their expansive, multi-instrumental nature and filtering in tunefully tender vocal melodies. A mixture of the instrumental and the conventionally vocal, here post-rock moments are bolted onto pop songs and, for good measure, mixed with the occasional interesting twist, from ‘Blackout’ and a chorus that seems to loop forever, to the swaggering, fuzzy, almost Ian Brown-recalling breakdown of ‘Just Wanted To Know’ suddenly reinventing itself for two minutes of steadily-accelerating breakneck rock in its instrumental finale.
Rarely is a lonesome voice heard, for the most part the vocals either altogether absent or arranged into wistful, soft-focus harmonies. At the album’s summit lies the crossover point between the mix of styles, where shoegazing rock slopes out in order for the stargazing, Godspeed-y twinkle of the instrumental title track to seamlessly fade in, before its sweeping strings and stirring piano too depart in favour of the uplifting melody of ‘Falling For You’ and its two-part harmonies so stunningly pretty it could be forgiven for dropping jaws on first listen.
Naturally, the beauty of these high points does relegate anything lesser to the status of merely adequate, though these points are still few and generally arise from problems with Sennen’s chosen sound. After a while the pillow-soft vocals and snail’s pace tend to become a little sickly or gushing; ‘Here It Is’ suffers particularly, whilst even the touches of Seafood can’t save ‘Fear Home’ from being one of the album’s main offenders. There’s also the small, pedantic yet still irritating issue of some overly-vigorous compression settings meaning that in the rare moments where the album explodes into top gear, occasionally a beat of the kick drum will munch bits out of the rest of the track like some volume-activated hungry-hungry hippo.
No massive problem though; once the obstacles are forgotten the only real task is trying to identify exactly what’s so special about this album. Maybe it’s that Where The Light Gets In seems so considered, like every point was precisely plotted, its relaxed tempo standing testament to how Sennen just won’t be rushed. Even ‘Sennen Enjoy Life’, taken on its own just a minute of cymbal rolls like thunder in the distance and some bashing of the guitars, finds some context when heard in its proper place on this album. Effortlessly graceful, it all seems to have been worth the wait
- Ben Marwood

Having started life as a generic (by their own admission)post rock band, Sennen made a very wise move and began ripping off Teanage Fanclub instead. Here, on their full length debut, they find are remarkable compromise between the two. The record sparkles with life from start to finish, something so seldom achieved by anyone who's post-anything. The merest whiff of keyboards (as distinct sythns) normally makes me dive for the 'off' button (or just out of a window) but here they shimmer and underscore the guitars perfectly. Wonderful, joyous harmonies risk becoming over saccharine at some points but more often work to round off a great fresh-sounding record. - Niall Harden

First lines are always the hardest, especially with a band like Sennen. Devoid of any gimmick and flowing freely between two contrasting genres (pop and post-rock) Sennen's sound can be bewildering. Luckily it can also be enticing, invigorating and most importantly extremely enjoyable.

The first two tracks set the tone perfectly. Opener 'I couldnt Tell You' is an eight minute opus, the song that Explosions in the Sky might create if they raised their heads from their shoes long enough to sing. 'Opened up my arms' on the other hand is a shave under five minutes and sounds like early Snow Patrol meditating on 'Love will tear us apart'.

Other notable moments are the final few minutes of 'Its not like it used to be', the sort of heavenly drone that Godspeed would give two violinists for, which seques perfectly into the next track. Title track and closer 'Widows' is probably the defining moment, building on the sound of the rest album and ended in a tantric climax rarely seen this side of a chinstrokers wet dream.

Sennen could have gone in the direction of radio friendly pop and become the next Feeder or gone into full-on post-rock territory and overshadowed each band in the vague category with their heart wrenching walls of sound but instead they have chosen the middle ground. And for once that is the most exilarating option. A remarkably assured debut.
- Jordon Dowling

First lines are always the hardest, especially with a band like Sennen. Devoid of any gimmick and flowing freely between two contrasting genres (pop and post-rock) Sennen's sound can be bewildering. Luckily it can also be enticing, invigorating and most importantly extremely enjoyable.

The first two tracks set the tone perfectly. Opener 'I couldnt Tell You' is an eight minute opus, the song that Explosions in the Sky might create if they raised their heads from their shoes long enough to sing. 'Opened up my arms' on the other hand is a shave under five minutes and sounds like early Snow Patrol meditating on 'Love will tear us apart'.

Other notable moments are the final few minutes of 'Its not like it used to be', the sort of heavenly drone that Godspeed would give two violinists for, which seques perfectly into the next track. Title track and closer 'Widows' is probably the defining moment, building on the sound of the rest album and ended in a tantric climax rarely seen this side of a chinstrokers wet dream.

Sennen could have gone in the direction of radio friendly pop and become the next Feeder or gone into full-on post-rock territory and overshadowed each band in the vague category with their heart wrenching walls of sound but instead they have chosen the middle ground. And for once that is the most exilarating option. A remarkably assured debut.
- Jordon Dowling

Incredible second album from Norwich's finest noise-monger. Includes plenty of those things most post rockers forget about - tunes. - NME

Incredible second album from Norwich's finest noise-monger. Includes plenty of those things most post rockers forget about - tunes. - NME

We enjoy Sennen - Clash

We enjoy Sennen - Clash

Many bands' press releases claim that they are part of a divine rock lineage due to their wide range of musical influences (which usually include "everything from the Beach Boys to Slayer!"), but few bands actually live up to these lofty comparisons. Sennen, however, become an immediate exception to the rule, as the sounds they create on their second album certainly do a good job of paying homage to the obvious influences of post-rock gods like Mogwai.
However, the sonic maturity displayed on Where The Light Gets In indicates that Sennen have come a long way from aping Mogwai. The quartet weaves between psychedelic rock, soft balladry, and uncompromising noise rock to create a varied, enjoyable listening experience. The instruments combine in a seemingly endless aural space with a production value that's through the roof.

It all starts off with the band's strong lead single, Blackout, a tune that features noisy drones, pounding drums, and distorted vocal harmonies that sound like the chants of a religious rite. The cult-like elements are reinforced by a dramatic repetition of the phrase "We'll make a sacrifice" as Interpol-like dark guitars drenched with delay and reverb puncture the track with nervous intensity.

Following, Sennen display some more refined sounds on the beautiful Everybody's Loss and Your Hand In Mine. These tracks prove to be a wonderful respite from the noise, showcasing some gorgeous instrumentation. A simple, touching violin solo on Your Heart In Mine dances over esmerising cymbal splashes, pulsating guitars, and soft, sweetly sung vocals. More strings appear later on the album's title track, which provides a delicate, extended instrumental outro. Sennen have without a doubt mastered opposite ends of the dynamic spectrum, from the noisiest rock to the softest ballads.

For standout track Just Wanted To Know, it's back to the glorious noise - this time summoning the dreamy quality of My Bloody Valentine. Loveless might have been the noise-rock masterpiece that launched a thousand shoegazer bands, but Sennen have definitely picked up the torch from where Kevin Shields left off. The rousing Just Wanted To Know turns the overly distorted guitars up to 11, eventually progressing into an epic, unwieldy jam in the second half of the song.

The final three offerings on Where The Light Gets In reflect even more of the band's influences. Sennen present a trio of longer songs that have numerous buildups and falls, resembling the epic creations of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions In The Sky. At over seven minutes long, A Lifetime Passed and Even Now both push the playing time of the album closer to the unsettling Mars Volta end of the spectrum; but none of it feels like filler, so it'll be up to the listeners to see how much they can handle.

Sennen have managed to bring their influences into their music in a way many other bands fail at. Rather than feeling derivative, the band reference its idols in a way that brings a refreshing blend of innovation and legacy to their creations.

- Justin De La Cruz

Many bands' press releases claim that they are part of a divine rock lineage due to their wide range of musical influences (which usually include "everything from the Beach Boys to Slayer!"), but few bands actually live up to these lofty comparisons. Sennen, however, become an immediate exception to the rule, as the sounds they create on their second album certainly do a good job of paying homage to the obvious influences of post-rock gods like Mogwai.
However, the sonic maturity displayed on Where The Light Gets In indicates that Sennen have come a long way from aping Mogwai. The quartet weaves between psychedelic rock, soft balladry, and uncompromising noise rock to create a varied, enjoyable listening experience. The instruments combine in a seemingly endless aural space with a production value that's through the roof.

It all starts off with the band's strong lead single, Blackout, a tune that features noisy drones, pounding drums, and distorted vocal harmonies that sound like the chants of a religious rite. The cult-like elements are reinforced by a dramatic repetition of the phrase "We'll make a sacrifice" as Interpol-like dark guitars drenched with delay and reverb puncture the track with nervous intensity.

Following, Sennen display some more refined sounds on the beautiful Everybody's Loss and Your Hand In Mine. These tracks prove to be a wonderful respite from the noise, showcasing some gorgeous instrumentation. A simple, touching violin solo on Your Heart In Mine dances over esmerising cymbal splashes, pulsating guitars, and soft, sweetly sung vocals. More strings appear later on the album's title track, which provides a delicate, extended instrumental outro. Sennen have without a doubt mastered opposite ends of the dynamic spectrum, from the noisiest rock to the softest ballads.

For standout track Just Wanted To Know, it's back to the glorious noise - this time summoning the dreamy quality of My Bloody Valentine. Loveless might have been the noise-rock masterpiece that launched a thousand shoegazer bands, but Sennen have definitely picked up the torch from where Kevin Shields left off. The rousing Just Wanted To Know turns the overly distorted guitars up to 11, eventually progressing into an epic, unwieldy jam in the second half of the song.

The final three offerings on Where The Light Gets In reflect even more of the band's influences. Sennen present a trio of longer songs that have numerous buildups and falls, resembling the epic creations of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions In The Sky. At over seven minutes long, A Lifetime Passed and Even Now both push the playing time of the album closer to the unsettling Mars Volta end of the spectrum; but none of it feels like filler, so it'll be up to the listeners to see how much they can handle.

Sennen have managed to bring their influences into their music in a way many other bands fail at. Rather than feeling derivative, the band reference its idols in a way that brings a refreshing blend of innovation and legacy to their creations.

- Justin De La Cruz

Most reviews describe Sennen as a hybrid cross of Teenage Fanclub's harmonies and Mogwai's sonic force, so let's get that out of the way quickly. Yes, the vocal delivery, shimmering harmonies et al, does evoke memories of the Scottish power-poppers. And yes, there are some pretty loud parts too. But 'Where The Light Gets In', Sennen's debut full-length release, is so much more than that. At times, stately and beautiful, like the title track, and at others, monstrous guitar-based maelstroms, like the opening track, 'Blackout', variety is the name of the game for this group from Norwich.

Starting life as an improvisational post-rock group, Sennen have morphed themselves into a group that manages to produce music that can be immediate, restrained, aggressive, reflective, or indeed all four in one song. Take for example, 'Fear Home': starting out as possibly the most Teenage Fanclub-esque track of the album, with the aforementioned shimmering vocals and gradually building melody line, it's like someone in the group flicks a switch, detonating a flurry of roaring guitars that proceeds to overwhelm the song, and drive away the softly-sung vocals.

Elsewhere, 'A Lifetime Passed' sees them pull off achingly beautiful, heartrending melancholy. With soaring vocals, muted guitar arppegios and jangling piano chords, the song is perfect for those late summer evenings, letting the listener kick back and drift away. Another gorgeous track, 'Your Hand In Mine', sees Sennen get orchestral, as layered, ethereal vocals are joined by a soothing, wistful violin melody that gently rocks the listener to sleep, with the touching refrain, 'got your hand in mine/and I won't let go', echoing in your mind as it gently fades into the distance.

The sole instrumental of the album (with the exception of the minute-long interlude, 'Sennen Enjoy Life'), 'Where The Light Gets In' is probably the stand-out track of the album. Starting off with a twinkling keyboard riff that sounds like it was plucked from 'Zelda' or a similar Nintendo game, broken up by crescendoing soft-stick cymbals, the song slowly builds up into an orchestral tapestry, with swooning strings cutting through the ringing melodies of a loose-stringed piano, which sounds like it's on the verge of going out of tune. It's the one song of the album that brings to mind the glacial majesty of Sigur Rós and Explosions In The Sky, but it also had me thinking of the more organic offerings of The Album Leaf, circa-'In A Safe Place'. The understated drumming keeps everything dynamic, and at just over five minutes, it is the perfect marriage of immediacy, intricacy and beauty. Reminiscent of Long-View, 'Falling For You' is another beautifully heartfelt track, incorporating fantastic, marching-band drumming and a lovely sleighbell-like break. It's a very simple track that displays perfectly Sennen's ability to reconcile tuneful pop sensibilities with their post-rock roots. They even throw a classical, Spanish-guitar flavour into the mix for 'Here It Is', a pleasant change to the predominantly electric variety that dominates the album.

That's not to suggest that Sennen forget to bring the noise, though. 'Blackout', as mentioned above, is a brutal, feedback-riven beast of a song, driven by a persistant guitar drone undercurrent that sounds like a the buzz of a few thousand angry bees, churned through a rather large amp. Kicking loose at around the 3.30 mark with an urgent guitar melody, the song is a fuzzy, distorted anthem that will surely leave so-called shoegaze fans salivating and craving the next hit. Similar in mood is the claustrophobic, convulsing rock of 'Just Wanted To Know' which picks up speed, winding itself tighter and tighter like a clockwork toy, until it's released, spinning off wildly before coming to a breathless, screaming halt.

Rounding off the album in fine style, 'Even Now' starts off with exquisite church organ rumblings that remains considered and restrained before erupting into an elegiac denouement, with angelic vocal harmonies swooping in as the song fades to black. Without a doubt, the most grandiloquent of the album, but you can permit a little bit of bombast now and again, particularly when the songs are this good, and like everything on the album, it never overstays its welcome.

'Where The Light Gets In' has been described as another contribution to the burgeoning 'nu-gaze' movement, but to simply throw this album under the shoegaze-a-like tag is to do it, and the band, a great disservice. Embracing the intricacy and imagination of post-rock but without the pompous sense of superiority, this is a beautifully thought-out album that never sacrifices emotion or immediacy in favour of noise or the need to show off. A wonderful listen from start to finish, it goes heartily recommended.

- Hamish Davey Wright

Most reviews describe Sennen as a hybrid cross of Teenage Fanclub's harmonies and Mogwai's sonic force, so let's get that out of the way quickly. Yes, the vocal delivery, shimmering harmonies et al, does evoke memories of the Scottish power-poppers. And yes, there are some pretty loud parts too. But 'Where The Light Gets In', Sennen's debut full-length release, is so much more than that. At times, stately and beautiful, like the title track, and at others, monstrous guitar-based maelstroms, like the opening track, 'Blackout', variety is the name of the game for this group from Norwich.

Starting life as an improvisational post-rock group, Sennen have morphed themselves into a group that manages to produce music that can be immediate, restrained, aggressive, reflective, or indeed all four in one song. Take for example, 'Fear Home': starting out as possibly the most Teenage Fanclub-esque track of the album, with the aforementioned shimmering vocals and gradually building melody line, it's like someone in the group flicks a switch, detonating a flurry of roaring guitars that proceeds to overwhelm the song, and drive away the softly-sung vocals.

Elsewhere, 'A Lifetime Passed' sees them pull off achingly beautiful, heartrending melancholy. With soaring vocals, muted guitar arppegios and jangling piano chords, the song is perfect for those late summer evenings, letting the listener kick back and drift away. Another gorgeous track, 'Your Hand In Mine', sees Sennen get orchestral, as layered, ethereal vocals are joined by a soothing, wistful violin melody that gently rocks the listener to sleep, with the touching refrain, 'got your hand in mine/and I won't let go', echoing in your mind as it gently fades into the distance.

The sole instrumental of the album (with the exception of the minute-long interlude, 'Sennen Enjoy Life'), 'Where The Light Gets In' is probably the stand-out track of the album. Starting off with a twinkling keyboard riff that sounds like it was plucked from 'Zelda' or a similar Nintendo game, broken up by crescendoing soft-stick cymbals, the song slowly builds up into an orchestral tapestry, with swooning strings cutting through the ringing melodies of a loose-stringed piano, which sounds like it's on the verge of going out of tune. It's the one song of the album that brings to mind the glacial majesty of Sigur Rós and Explosions In The Sky, but it also had me thinking of the more organic offerings of The Album Leaf, circa-'In A Safe Place'. The understated drumming keeps everything dynamic, and at just over five minutes, it is the perfect marriage of immediacy, intricacy and beauty. Reminiscent of Long-View, 'Falling For You' is another beautifully heartfelt track, incorporating fantastic, marching-band drumming and a lovely sleighbell-like break. It's a very simple track that displays perfectly Sennen's ability to reconcile tuneful pop sensibilities with their post-rock roots. They even throw a classical, Spanish-guitar flavour into the mix for 'Here It Is', a pleasant change to the predominantly electric variety that dominates the album.

That's not to suggest that Sennen forget to bring the noise, though. 'Blackout', as mentioned above, is a brutal, feedback-riven beast of a song, driven by a persistant guitar drone undercurrent that sounds like a the buzz of a few thousand angry bees, churned through a rather large amp. Kicking loose at around the 3.30 mark with an urgent guitar melody, the song is a fuzzy, distorted anthem that will surely leave so-called shoegaze fans salivating and craving the next hit. Similar in mood is the claustrophobic, convulsing rock of 'Just Wanted To Know' which picks up speed, winding itself tighter and tighter like a clockwork toy, until it's released, spinning off wildly before coming to a breathless, screaming halt.

Rounding off the album in fine style, 'Even Now' starts off with exquisite church organ rumblings that remains considered and restrained before erupting into an elegiac denouement, with angelic vocal harmonies swooping in as the song fades to black. Without a doubt, the most grandiloquent of the album, but you can permit a little bit of bombast now and again, particularly when the songs are this good, and like everything on the album, it never overstays its welcome.

'Where The Light Gets In' has been described as another contribution to the burgeoning 'nu-gaze' movement, but to simply throw this album under the shoegaze-a-like tag is to do it, and the band, a great disservice. Embracing the intricacy and imagination of post-rock but without the pompous sense of superiority, this is a beautifully thought-out album that never sacrifices emotion or immediacy in favour of noise or the need to show off. A wonderful listen from start to finish, it goes heartily recommended.

- Hamish Davey Wright