Get Sunk by Matt Berninger
75
ChoruScore Critic consensus / 100

Released May 30, 2025 Concord Records

Established consensus 13 professional reviews Updated Oct 1, 2026

Broadly positive consensus

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk lands as a wry, quietly ambitious solo statement that repeatedly finds its footing in character-driven songs and intimate, domestic detail.

How ChoruScore works

Critics' Top Tracks

The songs critics returned to most

01

Bonnet Of Pins

11 critic mentions

“Perhaps the album’s most striking cut is “Bonnet of Pins”, a ***ing bundle of energy” — Sputnik Music
02

Silver Jeep

9 critic mentions

“a pair of sumptuous duets in ‘Breaking Into Acting’ and ‘Silver Jeep’, with Hand Habits and Ronboy respectively” — DIY Magazine
03

Times Of Difficulty

8 critic mentions

“I’ll think of you if you think of me / The way the sky thinks of the sea / In times of difficulty.” — Under The Radar
Full critic consensus

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk lands as a wry, quietly ambitious solo statement that repeatedly finds its footing in character-driven songs and intimate, domestic detail. Across professional reviews, critics identify a core of standout tracks where Berninger's baritone, literary lyricism and textured arrangements converge - notably “Bonnet Of Pins”, “Silver Jeep” and the closer “Times Of Difficulty” - and those moments shape the record's most compelling claims on attention.

The critical consensus registers as largely positive: Get Sunk earned a 74.85/100 consensus score across 13 professional reviews, with critics consistently praising lyric-driven vignettes, pared-back production, and occasional bursts of experimentation. Reviewers from Rolling Stone, PopMatters and Record Collector highlight “Silver Jeep” and “Bonnet Of Pins” for emotional clarity and melodic force, while Pitchfork, Beats Per Minute and Far Out single out “Breaking Into Acting” and “Times Of Difficulty” as the album's clearest triumphs. Themes that recur across reviews include melancholic reflection, recovery from depression, nostalgia and a tug-of-war between solo identity and The National's legacy.

Nuance tempers the praise: several critics note uneven stretches where specific detail gives way to broader generalities, and a few reviews argue the record skims rather than excavates emotional epiphanies. Yet most reviewers agree the best songs reward patient listening - folk-tinged closers, woozy balladry and occasional electronic textures cohere into a portrait of middle-age reflection and small consolations. For readers searching for a direct answer to "is Get Sunk good?" the aggregated verdict is affirmative: not uniformly flawless, but frequently essential in its standout moments and worth exploring for the album's lyricism, textural choices and the handful of tracks that consistently emerge as the best songs on Get Sunk.

This summary precedes full reviews that unpack those highs and lows in detail, and points listeners toward the songs critics repeatedly name when asking what the best tracks on Get Sunk are.

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

Inland Ocean

7 mentions
86
04:54
2

No Love

8 mentions
56
03:55
3

Bonnet Of Pins

11 mentions
100
04:47
4

Frozen Oranges

8 mentions
87
04:08
5

Breaking Into Acting

10 mentions
89
03:34
6

Nowhere Special

7 mentions
92
04:58
7

Little By Little

6 mentions
70
05:01
8

Junk

7 mentions
35
02:54
9

Silver Jeep

9 mentions
100
03:53
10

Times Of Difficulty

8 mentions
100
05:19

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What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 16 critics who reviewed this album

Sputnik Music logo

Sputnik Music

Unknown
Jun 5, 2025
80

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk pins its best moments to vivid character pieces, and the reviewer singles out “Bonnet of Pins” and “Times of Difficulty” as the album's real peaks. The voice is alternately nervy and reflective, praising the propulsive grandeur of opener “Inland Ocean” while admiring the gorgeous drift of “Frozen Oranges”. Ultimately the review presents the best songs on Get Sunk as those that balance familiar sad-sack lyricism with fresh energy - the rockers and the quietly anthemic closer standing tallest. The tone is affectionate but wary, noting Berninger's knack for turning suburban ennui into compelling songs even when comparisons to The National loom large.

Key Points

  • “Bonnet of Pins” is best because it returns urgent energy and feels like a restored studio-capable force.
  • The album’s core strengths are strong songwriting, melancholy lyricism, and successful blending of rockers, chamber pop, and modest experimentation.

Themes

identity nostalgia/childhood reminiscence suburban ennui melancholy artistic self-comparison

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk finds its best moments in songs that feel lived-in and quietly emphatic, notably “Bonnet Of Pins” and “Little By Little”, which show his craft at its most stirring. The reviewer's voice lingers on the mournful sweep of “Silver Jeep” as perhaps the album's most moving track, while the valiant “Times Of Difficulty” and the spoken-word “Nowhere Special” further demonstrate why fans ask about the best songs on Get Sunk. Even when a track missteps, as with “Breaking Into Acting”, the record's consistent imagery and songwriting keep it compelling and among Berninger's best work to date.

Key Points

  • “Silver Jeep” is highlighted as possibly the most moving track due to its mournful arrangements and understated vocals.
  • The album's core strengths are vivid Midwest imagery, introspective songwriting, and consistent, measured craft.

Themes

Midwest nostalgia nature imagery introspection recovery from writer's block

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger sounds more liberated on Get Sunk, the record where he finally stretches his legs as a solo artist. The review highlights the best tracks as the choir-driven opener “Inland Ocean”, the freewheeling lead single “Bonnet of Pins”, and the sumptuous duets “Breaking Into Acting” and “Silver Jeep”; these songs show him freer to experiment than with The National. There is still room for classic, reflective Berninger - the wistful “Frozen Oranges” is singled out as quintessential. Overall, the pared-back sessions with producer Sean O’Brien make these standouts feel marvellous rather than scattershot.

Key Points

  • The best song(s) are the standouts that showcase Berninger's newfound freedom, especially the freewheeling “Bonnet of Pins” and the choir-driven “Inland Ocean”.
  • The album's core strengths are pared-back production, focused songwriting, and successful collaborations that let Berninger experiment.

Themes

solo artistic freedom pared-back production collaboration wistful reflection experimentation
80

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger’s Get Sunk is a companion piece to Serpentine Prison, and the best tracks here - notably “Bonnet Of Pins” and “Breaking Into Acting” - show his lyrical flair in full bloom. The reviewer's eye lingers on the story-telling in “Bonnet Of Pins”, where image and line drive the song, while “Breaking Into Acting” is praised for a wonderful, soporific turn. Elsewhere, “Frozen Oranges” and “Silver Jeep” are singled out for their sublime songwriting and heartbroken baritone respectively, making them among the best songs on Get Sunk for listeners seeking lyric-focused, atmospheric tracks.

Key Points

  • The best song is “Bonnet Of Pins” for its vivid, story-driven lyrics and punchy imagery.
  • The album’s core strengths are Berninger’s lyricism and the lush, atmospheric sonic landscapes crafted with producer Sean O’Brien.

Themes

nostalgia lyricism sonic landscapes melancholy

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk is at its best when the instrumentation carries the weight, and those moments make the best songs on Get Sunk truly sing. The reviewer's voice lingers longest over “Breaking Into Acting” and “Times Of Difficulty”, praising how the former pairs Berninger's heavy vocals with Meg Duffy's harmonies and how the latter finally lets the album's layered textures cohere. There is a patient, intimate tempo throughout, so the best tracks - chiefly “Breaking Into Acting” and “Times Of Difficulty” - reward attentive listening rather than instant gratification. The album's small, stunning shifts in instrumentation turn strong songs like “Junk”, “Little By Little” and “Inland Ocean” into centerpiece moments that justify repeat plays.

Key Points

  • The best song is 'Breaking Into Acting' because its vocal pairing and honest delivery are described as 'beautiful' and standout.
  • The album's core strength is its measured, exquisitely layered instrumentation that creates an intimate yet grand soundscape.

Themes

introspection immersive instrumentation melancholy textural layering

Re

Record Collector

Unknown
May 19, 2025
80

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger returns with Get Sunk, a record that trades the hush of his debut for the kinetic push of early National, and the best songs prove the point. The driving, New Order-indebted “Bonnet Of Pins” is the clearest standout, vivid and surreal yet delivered deadpan until pent-up frustrations burst through. Swoonsome “Frozen Oranges” leans into Boxer-era grandeur, while Ronboy duet “Silver Jeep” sits with his woozy ballads as one of the album's tender high points. Closer “Times Of Difficulty” supplies a neurotic, arena-ready anthem that cements why listeners ask about the best tracks on Get Sunk.

Key Points

  • The best song, “Bonnet Of Pins”, is the album's driving standout with vivid surreal lyrics and pent-up emotional release.
  • Get Sunk's core strengths are its return to early-National energy, sharp deadpan lyricism, and affecting, woozy ballad moments.

Themes

return to earlier energy wry lyricism woozy balladry neurotic anthem

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk finds its best songs in the intimate, vividly written moments like “Bonnet of Pins” and “Nowhere Special”, which marry regretful lyricism to uncluttered, graceful arrangements. The reviewer's voice revels in the melodrama of “Breaking Into Acting” and the folk-tinged tenderness of “Little by Little”, insisting these are among the best tracks on Get Sunk because they restore urgency and engagement. Even when the album dips late, songs such as “Times Of Difficulty” and “Junk” redeem the run with cinematic, affecting closures that keep the record from feeling tired.

Key Points

  • “Bonnet Of Pins” is the standout for its graceful, radio-ready songwriting and some of Berninger's best recent lyrics.
  • The album's core strengths are vivid lyricism, rejuvenated vocal performances, and intimate, cinematic arrangements.

Themes

loss middle-age reflection romantic regret rejuvenation urban nostalgia

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk stakes a claim as one of his most varied records, and the reviewer singles out “Inland Ocean” and “Breaking Into Acting” as the album's clearest high points. The piece praises how “Inland Ocean” instantly breaks expectations with electronic textures and drum machines, while “Breaking Into Acting” is called gorgeous and spellbinding in its stripped-back simplicity. The reviewer's tone is admiring and assured, noting how songs like “No Love” and “Bonnet of Pins” deepen the record's mood with harmonies and baroque detail. Overall the narrative frames the best songs on Get Sunk as evidence that Berninger's creativity and ambition remain undiminished.

Key Points

  • The best song, notably “Breaking Into Acting”, is prized for its stripped-back beauty and spellbinding harmonies.
  • The album's core strength is its stylistic variety, marrying electronic textures, folk acoustics, and moody vocals.

Themes

solo identity vs band legacy variety of styles folk and acoustic influence electronic textures

Critic's Take

In her measured, literary register Celine Teo-Blockey singles out the best songs on Get Sunk with an eye for emotional precision. She finds “Silver Jeep” immediate and heart-grabbing, praising Kyle Resnick’s horns and Ronboy’s voice as a melancholic balm. “Bonnet of Pins” and “Nowhere Special” register as sublime moments where Berninger’s wit and propulsive beats enliven themes of aging and loss. The review argues these best tracks on Get Sunk redeem an otherwise uneven set.

Key Points

  • “Silver Jeep” is the best song because it immediately grabs the listener and combines horns and a guest vocal to heighten melancholy.
  • The album’s core strengths are its vivid evocations of memory and mortality and occasional sublime moments that mix wit with propulsive musical lifts.

Themes

mortality memory and ghosts depression nostalgia isolation

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk often sacrifices the sharp, dry humor and specific detail that made his work with The National compelling, yet a few songs stand out. The duets “Breaking Into Acting” and “Silver Jeep” open his lyrics up, while the closer “Times of Difficulty” emerges as the album's clearest triumph, folkier and endearing. Alex Robert Ross writes with wry disappointment—he sees promise in moments of lyric specificity but otherwise faults the record for skimming epiphanies rather than excavating them. For listeners searching for the best songs on Get Sunk, those three tracks are where Berninger's regained voice feels most alive.

Key Points

  • The folkier closer "Times of Difficulty" is called the album's best song for its organic charm and memorable mantra.
  • Get Sunk's core strength lies in occasional lyric specificity and duets that open Berninger's voice, but overall it sacrifices his trademark detail.

Themes

recovery from depression loss of specificity search for renewed voice duets and outside perspectives

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger leans into domestic nostalgia and refined malaise on Get Sunk, and the review’s pick of best tracks lands squarely on “No Love” and “Silver Jeep” as the clearest emotional centers. Dolan’s voice lingers on the lachrymose clarity of “No Love” and the way “Silver Jeep” slides from existential panic to quotidian domestic detail, making them the best songs on Get Sunk. He also singles out gentler moments like “Bonnet of Pins” and “Breaking Into Acting” as lovely, lonely tunes that crystallize the album’s tasteful, tortured alt-rock. Overall, the critic frames these best tracks as small, precise studies in midlife yearning rather than grand gestures, which is exactly why listeners seeking the best tracks on Get Sunk will find them rewarding.

Key Points

  • “No Love” is best for its reflective, lachrymose clarity and quoted lyric that anchors the album's emotional core.
  • The album's core strengths are tasteful, subdued arrangements and literate, midlife lyrical introspection.

Themes

midlife reflection domestic dislocation wistful melancholy literary sensibility generational ennui

Critic's Take

In a conversational, self-aware tone the reviewer frames Matt Berninger's Get Sunk as a vividly observed record where songs like “Inland Ocean”, “Junk” and “Times Of Difficulty” act as the clearest maps through his recent life and struggles. The piece emphasises Berninger's visual, painstaking lyric process - writing on baseballs - and how that slow, tactile method makes tracks such as “Inland Ocean” and “Junk” feel more deliberate and alive. There is an undercurrent of hard-won optimism, the idea that the album is about being reborn from depression while still steeped in ghosts, ash and water. The reviewer writes in a chatty, anecdotal voice that highlights personal details and small domestic images, which is exactly what makes the best tracks feel intimate and lived-in.

Key Points

  • The best song is best because it was one of the long-gestating 'seeds' that crystallises the album's visual, tactile lyricism.
  • The album's core strengths are its vivid, domestic imagery and the deliberate, slowed-down songwriting process that yields intimate, lived-in songs.

Themes

creation memory mortality recovery from depression everyday life imagery

Critic's Take

In his characteristically observant, plain-spoken way Andrew Gulden finds the best songs on Get Sunk in the small, telling moments: “Inland Ocean” and “Times Of Difficulty” emerge as centerpieces, the former’s slow build and Midwest imagery and the latter’s Booker T organ and group-voice climax giving the album its emotional peaks. Gulden lingers on the nostalgia of “Frozen Oranges” and the rueful fiddle of “No Love”, arguing that these tracks illuminate why the best songs on Get Sunk feel like trips home that alter perspective. The review reads like a lived-in conversation - frank, slightly mournful, and ultimately warmed by small consolations found in these standout moments.

Key Points

  • The best song is "Times Of Difficulty" for its Booker T organ, group-voice climax, and emotional payoff.
  • The album’s core strengths are its nostalgic lyricism, intimate storytelling, and understated musical builds.

Themes

nostalgia childhood homecoming depression and recovery introspection
Mojo logo

Mojo

May 27, 2025

Critic's Take

Matt Berninger's Get Sunk finds its best moments in intimate, quietly arresting songs such as “Frozen Oranges” and “Silver Jeep”, which the reviewer highlights as standouts for their surreal imagery and sleepy bossa-nova duet. The piece notes a return to a more laid-back, R.E.M.-tinged and country-tinged mood, with “Nowhere Special” supplying familiar propulsive echoes of his day band while slower tracks deliver the album's emotional ballast. The closing “Times Of Difficulty” is singled out for its message of mutual support, cementing why these tracks answer the question of the best songs on Get Sunk.

Key Points

  • The best song is "Frozen Oranges" for its beautiful surrealism and evocative imagery.
  • The album's core strengths are its subdued, R.E.M.-tinged arrangements and emotionally supportive closing moments.

Themes

recovery from depression melancholic reflection mutual emotional support laid-back, retro influences