Serenity
In his short introduction to the film director Joss Whedon calls this a “film that should not exist.” That is to say, he never originally intended to make Serenity: had the sci-fi TV show Firefly not been cancelled after one series, had the fans not signed a petition to see the story continue, it would never had happened. With all this taken in consideration though, what is Serenity like as a film?Fans of the Firefly TV series will know all about the United Alliance, the colonisation of a distant solar system and the escape of a young psychic River Tam and her brother Simon from an Alliance research facility. We know how, on the run from the Alliance, River and Simon seek refuge on the humble transport ship Serenity while the Alliance hunt down their escaped human guinea-pig. We are familiar with the Serenity’s misfit crew and their colourful histories, and their constant struggle to make a living on the fringes of space. Serenity kicks off with a breathtaking portrayal of River and Simon’s flight from the Alliance, but then picks up from where the TV show left off.
Hailing from the city of Norwich and combining the shoegazing atmospherics of the likes of Mogwai and My Bloody Valentine with catchy indie melodies, Sennen are a distinctive and very promising new band who have recorded their first full-length album after spending several years playing live to audiences in the local area. Although their live shows have always consisted of compelling melodies wrapped up in walls of tuneful noise their recorded sound brings the vocals to the fore: the energy and power of the songs is not lost but they have taken on a lot more focus, making Widows a surprisingly self-assured and accessible debut.
Of the ‘alternative’ bands that made up many of the most successful rock acts of the 1990s the Smashing Pumpkins are one of the most experimental and unusual. Famous for their ambitious musical arrangements, Billy Corgan’s distinctively nasal vocal delivery and range of styles from tender ballads to all-out metal with everything in between, their debut Gish is a surprisingly modest affair that has the promise of what was to come without pushing the boundaries too far.