Matt Berninger at Union Chapel
On Saturday, Matt Berninger presented some of his latest work – from his second solo album set for release this May – at the Union Chapel in Islington. As promised by the strapline, the night was indeed an “intimate trio performance”, so close-knit and reverent that scarcely anyone pulled out their phone to film, take photos or even just check notifications; the concertgoers were religiously enraptured by the show.
The National frontman is on a UK and EU tour joined by Ronboy, whose superb voice also features as a support act before Berninger’s performances, and Sea O’Brien, the music producer and sound engineer behind quite a few of the American band’s productions. There’s a fine harmony among the three of them that perfectly lends itself to the serene and earnest atmosphere of the event.
Get Sunk continues in the vein of its predecessor, Serpentine Prison, delving into deeper tones and a mellower style. The material is characterised by the signature lyricism of Berninger, scattered with precise object images (a bonnet of pins, summer sheets) and, this time, interspersed with lines painting a pastoral “mid-Westerny field” (as the singer himself describes it), especially vivid in the single Frozen Oranges. This track depicts a scene of the author going for a swim in Indiana, where the verses embrace this landscape rendered in undulating notes.
The same seamless blend of language and setting appears in Inland Ocean, which Berninger explains refers to the historical fact that Western America was long ago an ocean and water warming is altering this reality, as the relationship of the couple protagonist in the song deteriorates and melts (“Everything ends before I want it to / I needed more time alone with you”).
Breaking into Acting taps into the lower registers of Berninger’s vocals, touching on his gravelly tones, while Serpentine Prison, the titular song from his first solo album, is influenced by the repeated encores that are a hallmark of much of The National’s repertoire.
The setlist is punctuated with a few thoughtful jokes from Berninger, fitting with his laid-back demeanour and stage persona, including in the introduction of Let It Be, which shares only the title from the Beatles’s song and is marked by a breathed tempo, and a spontaneous comedic moment with Julia Ronboy before their duet on Silver Jeep.
Co-written with Brent Knopf, All for Nothing conveys a sense of anger and frustration. One More Second, flowing with a chorus that heightens the emotional stakes – that pleading “one more” resonating like a prayer, a heartfelt request – has been Berninger’s first hit as a solo artist, and justifiably so.
After the piano-led Light Years – the only The National inclusion in the setlist – the evening concludes with a splendid Times of Difficulty, where grounded words once again meet a mellifluous tune.
Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events visit Matt Berninger’s website here.
Watch the video for the single Bonnet of Pins here:
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