Serpentine Prison
by Matt Berninger
  • Record Label: Concord
  • Release Date: Oct 16, 2020
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. Ricko
    Dec 29, 2020
    8
    I could listen to Matt Berninger singing all day. "Serpentine Prison" lacks the intensity and the class of his mothership band The National, but his first solo outing is a good listen. Laid back stuff but really good songs. Berninger described this album as a collection of orphaned songs that slipped through the National net but they are certainly not left overs or throw away tracks. TheI could listen to Matt Berninger singing all day. "Serpentine Prison" lacks the intensity and the class of his mothership band The National, but his first solo outing is a good listen. Laid back stuff but really good songs. Berninger described this album as a collection of orphaned songs that slipped through the National net but they are certainly not left overs or throw away tracks. The assistance of Booker T Jones was an ace move and really brings an extra layer of authenticity to the soul/rhythm and blues that Berninger obviously had in mind.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. No Ripcord
    Nov 12, 2020
    60
    While it starts strong, the weaker second half makes Serpentine Prison a mixed bag. It doesn’t feel like a definitive statement album, more like an opportunity for Berninger to stretch his legs. There’s a good amount of work to enjoy here, but it’ll mainly make you want to listen to The National instead.
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  2. Under The Radar
    Nov 9, 2020
    70
    Serpentine Prison is not as self-assured as his two decades-long oeuvre with The National, or even that one album he made as EL VY with Knopf. But in this season of discontent, it’s a worthy exercise in bridging seemingly disparate musical worlds, long demarcated by the color line.
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  3. Pitchfork
    Oct 20, 2020
    67
    Instead of the modern Stardust, Serpentine Prison is merely a prolific musician’s stopgap.
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