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Serpentine Prison, De Matt Berninger L Es Un Disco Que Merece Estar En El Catálogo De Quienes Aprecian El Rock Luminoso Y a La Vez Melancólico

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Serpentine Prison, De Matt Berninger L Es Un Disco Que Merece Estar En El Catálogo De Quienes Aprecian El Rock Luminoso Y a La Vez Melancólico NUESTRO MUNDO Ismael Lares // Twitter: @ismael_lares Serpentine Prison, de Matt Berninger l Es un disco que merece estar en el catálogo de quienes aprecian el rock luminoso y a la vez melancólico. os décadas como líder de la banda The National no por lo menos, una decena de músicos. A manera de agrade- Dbastan. Tampoco es suficiente haber colaborado cimiento, Matt publicó en su cuenta de Instagram un breve con Phoebe Bridgers en el melódico tema Walking On video en el que aparecen esos colaboradores, y en la barra A String; ni siquiera sobra que lo llamen rey de la música de comentarios remata que si uno quiere ser solista, nece- melancólica. Con asombrosa calma, en el nuevo álbum sitará a dichas personas. Esta demostración de agradeci- de Matt Berninger convergen dos identidades decisivas miento público y reconocimiento a quienes intercambian para las 10 canciones que conforman Serpentine Prison su arte con él ocurre a lo largo de su carrera. (Concord Records, 2020). Lo que quiero decir es que la relación creativa entre sus Pienso, por un lado, en la identidad de Berninger proyectos aporta mucho a este Berninger solista. Serpenti- como promotor musical, artístico y creador; por el otro, ne Prison posibilita la continuidad artística, al contrario de en el papel que ha desempeñado frente a The National, lo que ocurre por ejemplo con otras bandas o cantautores: la sobre todo como letrista. Pienso en Berninger como ar- colaboración se convierte en el núcleo del proyecto. tista en toma de conciencia, y en sus temas como parte de En cuanto a letras y música escribe sobre sí mismo: un repertorio que aspira a su propio arte. No contradigo un hombre que cavila mientras recorre las calles en bici- que alguien califique a este álbum de ser un avatar de cleta, deambulando con una sonrisa pero sin dejar la pre- letras y sonidos similares a The National, mas no suscri- ocupación que le causa no volver a la normalidad. Hay bo esta opinión, y reconozco desde luego que este disco alegría, sentido del humor y palabras que tranquilizan es un heredero muy meritorio de Leonard Cohen, Nick en las letras de este disco. Cave, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, pero a su Pero también conviven el miedo, la frustración y el vez de otros: Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Iggy Pop. olvido. Aunque de repente escuchamos en este disco fra- Me importa destacar la música y letras más puras al ses que intensifican nuestra desolación, asimismo laten estilo Berninger. No hay pues en Serpentine una continua- con vehemencia otras que nos lanzan a un futuro lleno de ción bajo la sombra The National, más bien Berninger de- esperanza. Para comprender a Berninger hay que escu- cidió publicar un disco manifiesto. El artista delicado, pero char y pensar en términos poéticos. divertido; culto y partidario de la expresividad, llega en No es casualidad que su compañero Scott Devendorf Serpentine Prison a una especie de lugar donde uno espe- haya mencionado en entrevistas que Matt transmite su ra con tranquilidad a que los minutos avancen mientras se estado de ánimo mediante sinestesias (cambios de senti- fuma un buen tabaco o se bebe refinado whiskey, un lugar do), por ejemplo cuando dice que algo debe sonar nublado. como la propia casa. Este álbum también agrupa y abraza. Ahora bien, para mi gusto, en este disco sobran las baladas. No me extraña saber que Walter Martin (fundador y Me habría gustado más escuchar canciones de intensidad letrista de la banda The Walkmen) participara en el in- variable, de ritmos acelerados y tiempo irregular. Disfru- tenso segundo sencillo titulado Distant Axis. Aparecen té escuchar temas como la súplica que alude a las relacio- también Scott Devendorf y Brent Knopf, cómplices del nes interpersonales titulada One More Time; la armoniosa proyecto alterno ELVY. No extraña por eso que duran- Silver Springs a dueto con Gail Ann Dorsey; la sombría te una entrevista Berninger haya comentado que este Distant Axis; o la intensa balada de piano Take Me Out Of nuevo material debió llamarse Berninger And Friends. Town. En definitiva, Serpentine Prison es un álbum que Serpentine Prison es el primer álbum de Matt Bernin- cautiva a quienes seguimos los proyectos de Berninger, ger solista, o al menos, se supone; por supuesto, esta aseve- pero también es un disco que merece estar en el catálogo ración se aleja de la realidad. En este disco han participado, de quienes aprecian el rock luminoso y a la vez melancólico. SIGLO NUEVO • 63.
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