Patience - Dizzy Spells

If we were concerned about complete precision, we might obsess over whether Patience marks a musical rebirth of Roxanne Clifford, or an artistic evolution.  But innate laziness and a lack of editorial standards, buttressed by a suspicion that the answer would only matter to people who are paid to write (which certainly does not include us), prompts us to ignore the point.  However, we can't ignore Dizzy Spells, the debut album from Clifford's new project.  In fact, we can't stop playing it.

Clifford first entered our consciousness about a decade ago via her former band Veronica Falls.  Their music was taut, darkly-shaded guitar pop and was one of our favorite bands of that era.  Since VF's demise Clifford has moved from the UK to Los Angeles, and matched the stark change in scenery and vibe with an equally dramatic change in music.  The Roxanne Clifford of 2019 is a master of danceable synth-pop.  Her skill with melody and hooks in the guitar pop realm has translated seamlessly to the new genre, and her songs reflect sophistication and polish.  There is joy and tears, a fun bit of sass, as well.  We know the market is flooded with synth-pop albums, but trust us -- this is one of the most satisfying, and you'll be happy to have it for a very long time.  Perhaps even until the next Patience album.

Who knows what the future will bring for Clifford, whose life has taken her from Manchester to Glasgow to London to LA, and from guitar noir to bright synth pop.  But the music world will have no complaints if she retains the Patience mantle for a while.

Our favorite songs include "White Of An Eye", "Voices In The Sand", and "Moral Damage".  Dizzy Spells is out on May 5 via Night School Records in digital, vinyl and CD formats in the UK/Eur, and Clifford's on Winona Records in North America.









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Bandcamp for Dizzy Spells
Night School Records page for Dizzy Spells