Approaching songwriting like the master craftsman that he is, Robbie Mangiardi‘s style has come from years of paying close attention to everything around him. His new single, ‘Crack Of Light’, is the culmination of these observations.
‘Crack Of Light’, selected by Bill Bentley at Americana Highways as “Song Of The Month” in May, follows on from his previous release, ‘Wayward Wind’, and. while that one was an outward look at the political unease and social fracturing of the world, this new single sees him take an inward look, as it examines depression, isolation, pride, and how difficult it is to say something is wrong when the temptation is to say everything is just fine.
‘Crack Of Light’ was produced by Martin Flores, who did double duty on drums, while Rene Camacho played bass and Neil Rosengarden was on keyboards. It’s a track that moves with a certain patience; Mangiardi refers to it as “a five minute meditation”, and as the track moves, slowly, surely, the lyrics take their own time.
Opening with a man who’s only half inclined to look at himself, while the other half is intent on avoiding what he sees, he sings, “Got my eyes in the mirror / Got my head in the sand”. He recalls being “a blues boy on that bandstand”, and hearing “bee-bop on the radio too”, and his friends asking him how he’s doing, and he automatically answers with the reply they’re expecting – “Yeah – I’m cool!”. He’s not prepared to tell the truth.
‘Crack Of Light’ examines mental health, and how it doesn’t always look like the person is on the point of collapse, but rather, with strength, awareness, a body that keeps moving, and friends who still care, there’s still a crack of light to stop the darkness – from fully consuming them.
The music video for ‘Crack Of Light’ centres on Mangiardi, starting out with the focus on him playing his acoustic guitar, and then following the song’s ups and downs, acknowledging the feelings behind it. There’s a sadness to it, but it’s not overwhelming – and in the end, the curtain is pulled back to show there is light in the darkness.
Watch the music video for ‘Crack Of Light’ below, and find out more about Robbie Mangiardi and his music online on his officialwebsite,YouTube,Facebook,Instagram, andTikTok.
