Patience is an alias of Roxanne Clifford, a songwriter of repute most recently fronting Veronica Falls. With Patience, Clifford has broken the band-shackles, jettisoned other voices and mainlines a sweetened melodic nous recognisable from her other work, though this time over an impeccable synth pop production. These recordings were waxed with the assistance of Lewis Cook of Glasgow band Happy Meals at Full Ashram Celestial Gardens, Glasgow and Sam Pillay of Virginia Wing at VW House, with Don Pyle on mixing duties.
Clifford’s voice cuts straight to the heart, a tale of late nights, the dance of guilt and ecstasy. Lyrically, we’re rooted at the spot where the church once stood but the Patient heart waits elsewhere, in the dry mists of dreams. B-side My Own Invention is nominally a ballad, a minimal composition that with the sampled vocal harmonies references Laurie Anderson but with a heart-warming melodic line. It’s a simple, nursery-rhyme mini-drama that is effortlessly breezy and a wonderfully sweet partner to dancing with tears in your eyes A-side.
Roxanne Clifford once fronted dingy twee outfit Veronica Falls. If the emergence of her solo project means VF is well and truly over, we’d be rightfully bummed — but who can feel sad when Patience can make it all feel so good? “The Church” wraps Clifford’s glassy vocals and outsize drum hits in a warm blanket of retro synths. The result is precious, disillusioned melancholy, kissing cousins to Frankie Cosmos’ heartfelt bedroom pop or Casket Girls’ sleepy fatalism.
The Fat Angel Sings 