Robbie Mangiardi is an artist I discovered last month and now he is back with a new single, “Crack Of Light”. It is a soft and gentle listen that gives you time to connect with it. Mangiardi has a rich voice and his delivery is smooth and raw. I liked the way he lets the melody lead, especially because the instrumentation is simple and leaves so much space for his voice. There is something easy about the arrangement, but the songwriting gives the track more to sit with. I kept coming back to the melodies and the atmosphere, which became my favorite part of the song.
There is also more behind the lyrics. The song looks at depression, isolation and pride, especially that habit of telling people you are fine when you are really struggling. I like that Mangiardi does not make the subject feel like a speech. He puts it into a song about trying to admit what is going on and hoping for even a small opening when things get dark.
His Americana and folk side fits this kind of writing well and his performance keeps everything calm without losing the emotion. I enjoyed listening to his rich voice and music here. The melodies are captivating and the atmosphere pulled me in. For me, this is another lovely step from an artist who has so much more to say. It is the kind of song I can easily imagine playing again.
