Mannequin Pussy’s “Patience” [Review]

Last month I reviewed Japanese Breakfast’s “Jubilee”. Part of that review resulted in me taking a look at the music video for the song “Be Sweet”. The video’s co-star, Marisa “Missy” Dabice, had her own indie/punk band called Mannequin Pussy and I was immediately thrown by the name. After hearing some of the band’s music and really enjoying it, I’d thought it’d be interesting to look at the band’s most recent album, “Patience”.

Releasing on June 21st, 2019, “Patience” debuted with critical acclaim from several review outlets.

Clocking in at a little over 25 minutes, “Patience” is the band’s longest album. While it was recorded at the same time as the band’s sophomore album “Romantic”, it took a few more years of baking for this project to finally release. Being the go-getter she is, Missy is anything but patient, but she’s working on that. Having to re-record this album was a tough decision for the band, but ultimately the right call as it was one of 2019’s greatest records.

The album’s title track “Patience” is loud, aggressive, in your face, and everything you want a punk song to be. The song revolves around the thoughts of lying down in bed while your mind races. Letting your insecurities get the best of you and as a result, questioning everything, being in a toxic relationship where you’re not the one in control. Patience is used as a concept of the singer reclaiming their strength and power over everything. “Patience” is an excellent opening to the album, with beautiful guitars, and of course, Missy’s wonderful screaming. The best part may not even be the shouting, but instead the melancholic closing words of “I’ve got you in my blood”.

The lead single off of the album “Drunk II” is the classic tale of going through a breakup and drowning yourself in alcohol as a relief. It really shows off the band’s range as a bittersweet breakup anthem. With an amazing guitar solo, and the vicious line “And everyone says to me, ‘Missy, you’re so strong’/But what if I don’t wanna be?”, it might be the band’s strongest song to date.

Right back into the loud and in-your-face music, “Cream” is just 2 minutes of screaming over some really muddy guitars. The song is pure venom in the best way. Yelling and berating yourself into becoming a better person while you’re in the worst place of your life is the harsh reality that this song tackles and something that should only be expressed in cathartic screaming.

After such a loud and fast-paced song, “Fear/+/Desire” slows things down quite a bit. The song is much more in line with an indie rock/pop song from a heartbreak album. One thing I really love about this track is how clean it sounds despite the distorted guitars. The song references a song from the 1960s called “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)” which is a song about domestic abuse. This track is all about abusive and toxic relationships.

“Drunk I” is nothing like its sequel as it’s loud screaming for just a few seconds over the wildest flurry of instrumentation. Reflecting on gender roles, the track describes a specific kind of woman and how Missy is pushing herself way beyond those expectations.

Once again, Patience has a way of giving you musical whiplash. “High Horse” is a very somber-sounding track about toxic relationships. With the very subtle guitars and drums building up over the course of a few minutes and exploding into a vocal cord shredding scream, “High Horse” is a traumatic song. Realizing that you’re in such a toxic place can be hard, but having the strength to know that you’re better than what you’re dealing with and walking away from it is a whole ordeal.

Leaning back into a more rock-feeling sound “Who You Are” is a song about loving yourself. The upbeat track is a letter from Missy to her younger self, telling her that she doesn’t need to conform to the world around her. She doesn’t have to change and can just be herself.

Clocking in at a clean 38 seconds is “Clams”, a vicious hardcore song that’s just screaming over a mess of guitars and drums. The song is a call and response between Missy and bassist, Colins “Bear” Regisford who are screaming about not getting the money they’re owed.

“F.U.C.A.W.” is another hardcore and metal-sounding song that feels like you should be headbanging to it. Between this and “Clams” I couldn’t tell you what’s more metal, but I think this track might win out.

Closing out the album is “In Love Again”, a song with a pretty self-explanatory title. It’s about the feeling of falling in love and how that feeling only gets better and better, wanting to experience that feeling for as long as possible. The track ends with a 2 minute instrumental with guitars and drums that can only make you smile.

Final Thoughts

“Patience” is a whirlwind of emotions, traversing genres from indie pop to hardcore metal, and discussing relationships with their toxicity and delights. It’s a rather quick album, but it’s a must-listen for any punk rock lover out there.

Album Score: 8/10

Favorite Tracks: “Patience, Cream, Who You Are”

Reference:
MTV: How Mannequin Pussy Found The ‘Patience’ To Start All Over

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