The National’s Matt Berninger has released the new music video for his single, “One More Second,” which had been directed by Chris Sgroi. The single comes from Berninger’s upcoming debut solo album, Serpentine Prison, which is set for release on October 16 via Book’s Records, a label which has been started by Berninger and Booker T. Jones, who also produced the upcoming album, in conjunction with Concord Records.
The video debuted during Berninger’s livestream with Sgroi and Tom Berninger, the three discussing the making of the video. Matt Berninger sings in front of a crowd holding up shining lights and dances on his own during throughout the course of the video. Footage of Berninger recording the track in the studio alongside Jones and the rest of Berninger’s band are interspersed, the images sometimes flashing behind Berninger as he dances by himself.
Berninger sings quietly during the track, each instrument soft in sound to create a sweet and hopeful sound. Acoustic guitars, quick dances of the piano and soft drum beats all join Berninger in “One More Second,” the lyrics asking for more time in a relationship. The song quickens its pace later on, an organ joining in and the piano having an eclectic solo.
“I wrote ‘One More Second’ with Matt Sheehy with the intention for it to be a kind of answer to Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You,’ or sort of the other side of that conversation,” Berninger said in a press statement. “I just wanted to write one of those classic, simple, desperate love songs that sound great in your car.”
Berninger shares in Parton’s heartbreak with “One More Second,” pleading for more time to understand as he realizes a relationship coming to its end. “Just give me a little more time/Give me a little bit of warning,” Berninger begs as the other half of Parton’s conversation.
“One More Second” had first been released earlier this month, and follows the upcoming album’s title track and the single “Distant Axis.” Serpentine Prison had first been announced last October, shortly after Berninger had released the track “Walking on String” with Phoebe Bridges.
Berninger appeared in the “Safe and Sound” virtual concert this past May, following the cancellation of the National’s 2020 Hometown Festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The National released 10-year anniversary triple LP in celebration of their 2010 album, High Violet. Aaron Dessner of The National recently appeared on Taylor Swift’s critically acclaimed album, Folklore, co-writting and producing 11 of the album’s tracks.
Photo credit: Sharon Alagna
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