Serpentine Prison

Serpentine Prison
Serpentine Prison
Studio album by Matt Berninger
Released	October 16, 2020
Studio	Earthstar Creation Center (Venice, California); Knobworld (Los Angeles, CA); Silent Partner (Philadelphia, PA); Cecelia's (Brooklyn, NY); Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY);
Length	41:33
Label	Book Records
Producer	Booker T. Jones
Matt Berninger chronology
Singles from Serpentine Prison
	"Serpentine Prison"; Released: May 20, 2020; "Distant Axis"; Released: July 17, 2020; "One More Second"; Released: September 10, 2020;

Serpentine Prison is the debut solo studio album by Matt Berninger, lead singer and co-songwriter of The National, released on October 16, 2020.^[1] It was produced by Booker T. Jones and released on Book Records, a new imprint of Concord Records formed by Berninger and Jones.^[2]

Serpentine Prison was nominated for Best Recording Package at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.^[3] The album was designed and art directed by Dale Doyle at Holotype, and painted by Michael Carson.^[4]

Background and recording

Berninger initially planned to release a covers album. Inspired by Willie Nelson's 1978 covers album Stardust, which was produced by Booker T. Jones, Berninger contacted Jones for assistance in making his own covers album. Berninger provided Jones with demos of covers and original songs, and eventually decided on an originals album.^[5]^[6] Four of the covers they recorded were released on the album's deluxe edition.^[7]

Serpentine Prison was recorded at Earthstar Creation Center in Venice, California. Additional recording was completed at Knobworld in Los Angeles; Silent Partner in Philadelphia; Cecelia's in Brooklyn; and Long Pond in the Hudson Valley, New York. The album is dedicated to Berninger's grandmother Elaine and to his college professor Gordon Salchow.^[8]

Release and promotion

Serpentine Prison was first announced by Berninger on Instagram on October 18, 2019, the day after he released his song "Walking on a String" featuring Phoebe Bridgers.^[9] The album was officially announced on May 20, 2020, with a scheduled release date for October 2, 2020.^[10] The album's title track was released the same day as a single.^[11] "Distant Axis" was released as a single on July 17, 2020.^[12] A third single, "One More Second", was released on September 10, 2020.^[13] The album's release date was pushed back to October 16, 2020.^[14] Berninger performed "One More Second" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on October 22, 2020.^[15]

A deluxe edition of the album, featuring four cover versions and two new original songs, was released digitally on March 12, 2021. The bonus tracks were previously only available on the limited-edition double vinyl issue of the album, which was released the same day as the standard edition. The four covers include The Velvet Underground's "European Son", Bettye Swann's "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye", Morphine's "In Spite of Me", and Eddie Floyd's "Big Bird".^[16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.4/10^[17]
Metacritic	77/100^[18]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[19]
Consequence of Sound	B^[20]
Exclaim!	7/10^[21]
The Independent	^[22]
The Irish Times	^[23]
NME	^[24]
Paste	8.7/10^[25]
Pitchfork	6.7/10^[26]
Record Collector	^[27]
Rolling Stone	^[28]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Serpentine Prison received an average score of 77 based on 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[18] Candace McDuffie of Paste wrote, "Serpentine Prison displays infinite promise from an artist who has already given us a catalogue that has made a lasting impact on rock music as we know it."^[25]

Track listing

*Serpentine Prison* – Standard edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"My Eyes Are T-Shirts"	Matt Berninger Scott Devendorf	2:40
2.	"Distant Axis"	Berninger Walter Martin	4:25
3.	"One More Second"	Berninger Matt Sheehy	5:22
4.	"Loved So Little"	Berninger Mike Brewer	4:55
5.	"Silver Springs" (featuring Gail Ann Dorsey)	Berninger Sean O'Brien Harrison Whitford	3:53
6.	"Oh Dearie"	Berninger O'Brien Whitford	3:16
7.	"Take Me Out of Town"	Berninger Hayden Desser	4:11
8.	"Collar of Your Shirt"	Berninger Martin	5:14
9.	"All for Nothing"	Berninger Brent Knopf	3:05
10.	"Serpentine Prison"	Berninger O'Brien Whitford	4:32
Total length:			41:33

*Serpentine Prison* – Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"European Son"	John Cale Sterling Morrison Lou Reed Maureen Tucker	5:26
12.	"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"	John D. Loudermilk	3:27
13.	"In Spite of Me"	Mark Sandman	2:20
14.	"Big Bird"	Eddie Floyd Booker T. Jones	3:15
15.	"Let It Be"	Berninger Brewer	3:42
16.	"The End"	Ben Lanz	4:26
Total length:			64:09

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[8]

Musicians

Matt Berninger – vocals (all tracks), lyrics, melodies
Booker T. Jones – Hammond B3 organ (tracks 1, 3–16), piano (tracks 2, 5, 6, 11, 12), electric piano (track 4), backing vocals (tracks 4, 11, 12, 14), bass (track 6), OP-1 synthesizer (track 11), electric guitar (tracks 13, 14)
Scott Devendorf – bass (tracks 1, 3)
Harrison Whitford – electric guitar (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 14), lap steel guitar (track 1), acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 3, 6–10, 12, 13, 16), slide guitar (tracks 4, 9), bass (tracks 4, 5, 6, 10, 15)
Andrew Bird – violin (tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 9), loops (track 2), backing vocals (track 2)
Sean O'Brien – lap steel guitar (tracks 2, 4, 7, 11, 14, 16), acoustic guitar (tracks 5, 6, 7, 10, 13, 15), gang vocals (track 9)
Walter Martin – electric guitar (tracks 2, 4, 8, 11, 15), bass (tracks 2, 12), synthesizer (track 2), percussion (track 2), backing vocals (track 2)
Hayden Desser – piano (tracks 1, 7), acoustic guitar (track 1)
Matt Barrick – drums (all tracks), percussion (tracks 1–11, 13–16)
Gail Ann Dorsey – lead vocals (track 5), backing vocals (tracks 3, 4, 6, 11–16), bass (track 1)
Kyle Resnick – trumpet (tracks 4, 5, 7, 9–11, 14–16), backing vocals (tracks 6, 15)
Jamie Heaslip – gang vocals (track 9)
Mike Brewer – acoustic guitar (tracks 4, 15), bass (tracks 8, 11, 14, 16)
Brent Knopf – piano (tracks 3, 9), guitars (track 9), synthesizer (track 9), backing vocals (track 9)
Matt Sheehy – acoustic guitar (track 3), bass (track 9)
Mickey Raphael – harmonica (tracks 4, 5, 9–11, 14–16), bass harmonica (track 6)
Ben Lanz – trombone (tracks 4, 5, 7, 9–11, 14–16), bass (track 7), piano (track 16)
Teddy Jones – electric guitar (tracks 13, 14)

Production

Booker T. Jones – production (all tracks), arrangement (all tracks)
Sean O'Brien – recording (all tracks), mixing (all tracks), additional production (all tracks)
Matt Barrick – additional engineering
Bella Blasko – additional engineering
Walter Martin – additional engineering
John X Volaitis – additional engineering

Art

Dale Doyle – album design
Michael Carson – artwork
Chris Sgroi – photography
Tom Berninger – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for *Serpentine Prison*
Chart (2020)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[29]	32
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[30]	20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[31]	1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[32]	20
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[33]	18
French Albums (SNEP)^[34]	82
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[35]	19
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[36]	70
Portuguese Albums (AFP)^[37]	1
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[38]	10
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)^[39]	29
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[40]	25
UK Albums (OCC)^[41]	21
US Billboard 200^[42]	161
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[43]	21

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for *Serpentine Prison*
Chart (2020)	Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[44]	125

References

^ Graves, Wren (October 16, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Releases Debut Solo Album Serpentine Prison: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Shaffer, Claire (May 20, 2020). "Matt Berninger Announces Debut Solo Album 'Serpentine Prison,' Drops Title Track". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Grammy Nominations 2022: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
^ "Trebuchet x Matt Berninger (The National) Ltd. Edition Print". Trebuchet Magazine. March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
^ Rao, Sonia (October 14, 2020). "Matt Berninger, king of melancholy music, is doing just fine". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
^ Baltin, Steve (October 16, 2020). "Q&A: The National's Matt Berninger On His Debut Solo Album And How 'WAP' And Dr. Seuss Are Political Works". Forbes. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
^ DiGiacomo, Frank (October 5, 2020). "Matt Berninger Talks His Solo Album & New Label, And Why His Old Bedroom Is Now Full of Semiautomatic Rifles". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Serpentine Prison (liner notes). Matt Berninger. Concord Records / Caroline International / Book Records. 2020. CRE01345.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Monroe, Jazz (October 18, 2019). "The National's Matt Berninger Announces Debut Solo Album Serpentine Prison". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Ross, Alex Robert (May 20, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger announces debut solo album Serpentine Prison". The FADER. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Hussey, Allison; Monroe, Jazz (May 20, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Shares New Song From Debut Solo Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Gallagher, Alex (July 17, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger shares new solo single 'Distant Axis'". NME. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Blistein, Jon (September 10, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Pleads for 'One More Second' on New Solo Song". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Tan, Emily (September 10, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Shares Latest Solo Song 'One More Second'". Spin. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Bloom, Madison; Monroe, Jazz (October 23, 2020). "Watch the National's Matt Berninger Play "One More Second" on Colbert". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Daly, Rhian (March 12, 2021). "Hear six new Matt Berninger songs on 'Serpentine Prison' deluxe edition". NME. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
^ "Serpentine Prison by Matt Berninger reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Serpentine Prison by Matt Berninger Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
^ Donelson, Marcy. "Serpentine Prison - Matt Berninger". AllMusic. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Blum, Jordan (September 30, 2020). "Matt Berninger Finds Stripped-Down Solace on Debut LP Serpentine Prison: Review". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Feibel, Adam (October 15, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Sets Aside His Indie Cred on Solo Debut 'Serpentine Prison'". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Bray, Elisa (October 15, 2020). "Matt Berninger review, Serpentine Prison: Solo album is more aligned to The National's earlier folk-rock ballads". The Independent. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Kane, Siobhán (October 12, 2020). "Matt Berninger: Serpentine Prison review – National singer's 'orphan songs' find a home". The Irish Times. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Trendell, Andrew (October 15, 2020). "Matt Berninger – 'Serpentine Prison' review: poise and prowess from The National frontman". NME. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ ^a ^b McDuffie, Candace (October 16, 2020). "Matt Berninger Strikes an Emotional Chord on Solo Debut". Paste. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Jocelyn, Hannah (October 20, 2020). "Matt Berninger: Serpentine Prison Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Vettese, Hannah. "Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison". Record Collector. No. 510. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ Dolan, Jon (October 17, 2020). "Matt Berninger Is a Master of Gloomy Beauty on 'Serpentine Prison'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Australiancharts.com – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Austriancharts.at – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
^ "Ultratop.be – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Ultratop.be – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Top Albums (Week 43, 2020)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Italiancharts.com – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 43: del 16.10.2020 al 22.10.2020" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ "Matt Berninger, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
^ "Matt Berninger, RCK". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
^ "Jaaroverzichten 2020". Ultratop. Retrieved December 18, 2020.

[1] Graves, Wren (October 16, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Releases Debut Solo Album Serpentine Prison: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[2] Shaffer, Claire (May 20, 2020). "Matt Berninger Announces Debut Solo Album 'Serpentine Prison,' Drops Title Track". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[3] "Grammy Nominations 2022: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2022.

[4] "Trebuchet x Matt Berninger (The National) Ltd. Edition Print". Trebuchet Magazine. March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.

[5] Rao, Sonia (October 14, 2020). "Matt Berninger, king of melancholy music, is doing just fine". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2021.

[6] Baltin, Steve (October 16, 2020). "Q&A: The National's Matt Berninger On His Debut Solo Album And How 'WAP' And Dr. Seuss Are Political Works". Forbes. Retrieved August 5, 2021.

[7] DiGiacomo, Frank (October 5, 2020). "Matt Berninger Talks His Solo Album & New Label, And Why His Old Bedroom Is Now Full of Semiautomatic Rifles". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2021.

[liner_notes-8] Serpentine Prison (liner notes). Matt Berninger. Concord Records / Caroline International / Book Records. 2020. CRE01345.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[9] Monroe, Jazz (October 18, 2019). "The National's Matt Berninger Announces Debut Solo Album Serpentine Prison". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[10] Ross, Alex Robert (May 20, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger announces debut solo album Serpentine Prison". The FADER. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[11] Hussey, Allison; Monroe, Jazz (May 20, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Shares New Song From Debut Solo Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[12] Gallagher, Alex (July 17, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger shares new solo single 'Distant Axis'". NME. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[13] Blistein, Jon (September 10, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Pleads for 'One More Second' on New Solo Song". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[14] Tan, Emily (September 10, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Shares Latest Solo Song 'One More Second'". Spin. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[15] Bloom, Madison; Monroe, Jazz (October 23, 2020). "Watch the National's Matt Berninger Play "One More Second" on Colbert". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[16] Daly, Rhian (March 12, 2021). "Hear six new Matt Berninger songs on 'Serpentine Prison' deluxe edition". NME. Retrieved August 5, 2021.

[ADM-17] "Serpentine Prison by Matt Berninger reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 30, 2022.

[MC-18] "Serpentine Prison by Matt Berninger Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 30, 2022.

[19] Donelson, Marcy. "Serpentine Prison - Matt Berninger". AllMusic. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[20] Blum, Jordan (September 30, 2020). "Matt Berninger Finds Stripped-Down Solace on Debut LP Serpentine Prison: Review". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[21] Feibel, Adam (October 15, 2020). "The National's Matt Berninger Sets Aside His Indie Cred on Solo Debut 'Serpentine Prison'". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[22] Bray, Elisa (October 15, 2020). "Matt Berninger review, Serpentine Prison: Solo album is more aligned to The National's earlier folk-rock ballads". The Independent. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[23] Kane, Siobhán (October 12, 2020). "Matt Berninger: Serpentine Prison review – National singer's 'orphan songs' find a home". The Irish Times. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[24] Trendell, Andrew (October 15, 2020). "Matt Berninger – 'Serpentine Prison' review: poise and prowess from The National frontman". NME. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[Paste-25] McDuffie, Candace (October 16, 2020). "Matt Berninger Strikes an Emotional Chord on Solo Debut". Paste. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[26] Jocelyn, Hannah (October 20, 2020). "Matt Berninger: Serpentine Prison Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[27] Vettese, Hannah. "Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison". Record Collector. No. 510. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[28] Dolan, Jon (October 17, 2020). "Matt Berninger Is a Master of Gloomy Beauty on 'Serpentine Prison'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[ac_Australia_Matt_Berninger-29] "Australiancharts.com – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[ac_Austria_Matt_Berninger-30] "Austriancharts.at – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 28, 2020.

[ac_Flanders_Matt_Berninger-31] "Ultratop.be – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[ac_Wallonia_Matt_Berninger-32] "Ultratop.be – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[ac_Netherlands_Matt_Berninger-33] "Dutchcharts.nl – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[34] "Top Albums (Week 43, 2020)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 26, 2020.

[ac_Germany_Matt_Berninger-35] "Offiziellecharts.de – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[ac_Italy_Matt_Berninger-36] "Italiancharts.com – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[ac_Portugal_Matt_Berninger-37] "Portuguesecharts.com – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 21, 2020.

[ac_Scotland_-38] "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[39] "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 43: del 16.10.2020 al 22.10.2020" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 27, 2020.

[ac_Switzerland_Matt_Berninger-40] "Swisscharts.com – Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 26, 2020.

[ac_UK2_-41] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[42] "Matt Berninger, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.

[43] "Matt Berninger, RCK". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.

[44] "Jaaroverzichten 2020". Ultratop. Retrieved December 18, 2020.

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v t e The National
Matt Berninger Aaron Dessner Bryce Dessner Bryan Devendorf Scott Devendorf
Studio albums	The National Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers Alligator Boxer High Violet Trouble Will Find Me Sleep Well Beast I Am Easy to Find First Two Pages of Frankenstein Laugh Track
Extended plays	Cherry Tree The Virginia EP
Singles	"Mistaken for Strangers" "Apartment Story" "Fake Empire" "Bloodbuzz Ohio" "Exile Vilify" "Demons" "Don't Swallow the Cap" "Sea of Love" "I Need My Girl" "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" "You Had Your Soul with You" "The Alcott"
Other songs	"Coney Island"
Films	A Skin, A Night Mistaken for Strangers Cyrano
Related articles	Discography EL VY Pfarmers Clogs Brassland Records Big Red Machine LNZNDRF Serpentine Prison Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy Get Sunk

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