The Song and Video of the Day - "Patti Smith" - Barney Cortez

Patti Smith was trending on the holy grail of misunderstood hashtags, Twitter. I took a breath. Please not Patti.  Nah. It's her birthday. It reminded me of Barney’s lush song that rides on nostalgia and retro centric grooves. The native Philadelphia musician is crafting music with late 70s ambiences and alternative bending styles.  He penned a song titled for an artist he admires, the one the only Patti. Barney is a raconteur of the highest order. He pulls you in with swirling lyrics like:
 Do you know I think of you all the time?/Someone wrote a song for me/But I don't love her /Barely know her name/ I want the song to come from you /That cruel game

 

He also finger picks his acoustic Harmony guitar with practiced flair and panache without arrogant swagger. He takes on an almost Charlie Chaplin like humility as he saunters in to the garden area in the finely arranged video soaked in lush colors and a simple arrangement. It caters to my love of retro films that center on 2 characters who tell a story without spoke words. In short, it’s an under the radar gem. The nod to the colorized French New Wave vibe is magnificent. He continues: 
 

I'm looking for a clone of you /Somewhere in New Jersey She could be /Just write another line for me/ Set me free

The deftly shot video (on Super 8) begins with a pretty,barefoot woman sliding into a sparsely decorated space. The intro is grainy yet elegant. The woman regales in her insouciance breeding ennui, dressed in flowing fashion, a rose red neckerchief. Her full lips are painted in doll pink lipstick. He hair is longer than a pixie and highlights her gamine features. She glides across a sparsely decorated room to pluck Patti’s Easter album, released in 1978, off a carpeted floor. She lovingly drops the needle into groove. Let the familiar crackle take over. Barney enters the video in his dapper denim ensemble complete with a bold rose colored neckerchief. He walks through a tree lined area. He picks up a bunch of roses. Then hastily throws them down only to stomp on them to make the petals bleed.

 

The lass still cooly inhales exhales as she opens her window. She is lost in her own thought and does not even look his way even as he waves. She moves to the balcony, smugly flicking ashes. He begins to serenade her with his Harmony. He paces nervously but chivalrously around the small garden area.  The look on his face is one of disappointment. Much like the little tramp, he takes his guitar to exit the garden. He leaves the neckerchief on the ground as a token of affection or apology. She descends the stair to grip it tightly her hands. She has changed into a  effortlessly chic dress, ala Parisian style.. She now paces, looking for a sign of him. But he did not linger.  Oh the wicked games we play to make one feel that way. 

The downbeat tempo playing mixed with the backdrop of shimmering electric guitar is evenly mixed and mastered. The song dissolves in a fading, low scratch of the strings.   

The last frame reads “For Tabitha”.

When we met /We were kids/Just like Patti Smith

The song and the accompanying video are evidence of Barneys’ purity as an artist. His lyric writing puts him in a small group of musicians who can not only let their pain tell a story but also help others with the pacifying alternative rhythms. Much like Patti  who used her experience to become a galvanizing force for many artists who remain devoted to seeking artistic refuge and ultimate release from past pain. PS Happy Birthday and thank you. 

Looking forward to new Barney Cortez in the new decade. Bring it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osQJwtHJaOE
The video shot by Bob Sweeney on Super 8.