Dear millennials, relationships are hard these days, but I may have just found the anthem we all need. And if you're anything like me, you won't be forgetting it in a hurry. ‘Be Patient,' Latvian born but British based singer-songwriter Nora Anna tells us in her new single, aptly released on Valentine's day as the soundtrack to a modern-day relationship. In it, she is the infinitely wiser voice of reason, delivering the reassurance that you need in her sweet, calming melody.
Pulling you in from the start, the warm, sweet piano in the intro instantly puts you at ease. But even as the instrumentation of the song unfolds, it's Nora Anna's honest, sincere vocals that steal the show. In case you were wondering, this is not just another chilled out song – it has the courage of a lion and the wisdom of an owl that stay with you long after the song ends.
With her soothing vocals and calm groove, it's hard not to draw comparisons between Nora and her namesake – her vocal style and song arrangement evoke feelings of a younger, folkier Norah Jones. Yet there’s a melancholy in her voice – as deep and beguiling as that of the great Joni Mitchell’s – tying together all the pieces of the jigsaw. As the song evolves, soothing, layered vocals transform into ethereal harmonies, so comforting you feel like you've known her forever. Like a ten story lift, she glides up and down the scales revealing her vocal range, yet effortlessly keeps them dynamic and engaging throughout the three minutes in which you have the pleasure to listen.
‘Leave her notes and she will hug you in your sleep / Hang his coats and he will know you are to keep / Take her hand and she will put it on your heart ‘
Emotional though the song may be, Nora Anna's writing always feels refreshingly upfront and honest. In a world of muddled metaphors, her lyrics are simple and understated, speaking to you like an old friend who's suffered their own battles. And it's there that those comparisons can be drawn again – imagine the simple prose of Norah Jones' ‘Sunrise' and the poetic pain and experience of Joni Mitchell's ‘Both Sides, Now' and somewhere in the middle lies ‘Be Patient.'
‘Love is just a roller coaster burning in the sea / Never she imagined how relentless it could be / Giving, sharing, caring isn't just the only part / Patiently he waited there for her right from the start‘
However you interpret her words, Nora Anna has a knack for making you feel vulnerable. Her honesty sets Be Patient apart from other writers in her genre – no time for ambiguous analogies here, just beautifully upfront lyrics that will resonate with the masses.
If, like me, you've ever expected a relationship to run itself, Nora Anna‘s lyrics will serve as a timely reminder that they do not (regardless of what Instagram – or the ‘perfect couple photos,' as Nora Anna puts it – might tell us.) ‘Be Patient' is modern-day relationship advice at its purest and most honest; a ‘How To‘ for navigating the minefield that is love in 2020 .
So take this song as it as it is: a reminder that anything worth having takes work (and patience.) But if Nora Anna’s sanguine sound is anything to go by, then boy will it always be worth it. I don't know about you, but it's exactly the reassurance that I often need.
Well written! She has a pretty voice, very soothing.
Thanks a lot Damali! We like her a lot over here!