With “THE CROSSING,” Brian Larney’s first single release and music video since his 2017 album “America Needs The Town Hall,” the enigmatic singer-songwriter tackles some dark social issues within a starkly beautiful song. One can’t help but wonder if the writer isn’t also dealing with some personal demons of his own.
“I wrote the song at a point in my life where I was dealing with some heavy emotional issues-a lot of personal pain. Writing it helped me to cross into a new place.”
“The video came later, and the question became what line is anyone unwilling to cross to get the demons in line? I tried to ask this from a very neutral point of view, but I know the truth is that some people don’t ever see the line.”
The black and white, cinematic video covers a lot of social geography in a short amount of time, touching on issues of religious fanaticism, community violence, depression, and mental illness. A glimpse of both a confederate and American flag, the latter with a rifle laid gently upon it, reveals much without judgement. The episode of violence we witness in the video is without explanation or condemnation, highlighting the song’s neutral tone and poetic poignancy.
With the deep cultural divide facing America in 2018, with equally passionate and fervent Americans lining up on both sides of the chasm, the brooding question on the horizon seems to loom that much larger: “What line are we as Americans unwilling to cross? I can’t help but wonder,” Larney says.
For more Brian Larney
Website: BrianLarney.com
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Twitter: @brianlarney
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Great song! Really enjoying this.