The National have shared an emotional piano ballad titled “Somebody Desperate” from the soundtrack of the upcoming Joe Wright film, Cyrano. According to Consequence, the song was soundtracked by bandmates Bryce and Aaron Dessner, with lyrics by Matt Bersinger and Carin Besser, his wife and longtime The National collaborator. 

The track opens with a somber piano and Berninger’s warm, full voice. The rasp in his voice makes the lyrics even more powerful, as he sings, “That wasn’t me/I don’t know who that was/That was somebody desperate/Someone in love.” The last minute of the track is the most powerfully sad part of the track, as the instrumental is left on its own and the listener is forced to sit with Berninger’s melancholic lyrics. A string section enters the song and elevates the emotion that we feel in a subtle but important manner. 

Back in August, Berninger shared a soulful rendition of The Velvet Underground’s 1967 classic “I’m Waiting For The Man.” He first debuted his cover of the song in 2020 on The Late Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Berninger was also featured on Canadian Punk Rock group Fucked Up’s latest project, Year of the Horse. His vocals come in at the end of the third act of the band’s zodiac series. In January 2021, Berninger teamed up with Australian singer Julia Stone for their track “We All Have,” a slow and tender track with a light, ambient piano instrumental. 

Photo Credit: Kalyn Oyer