Credit: photography by Lucia Leon Castellanos

Before the Doom by Pablo Serrano isn’t just an album you listen to—it's one you feel. Deep in your chest, behind your ribs, in the parts of you that have ever felt disoriented, displaced, or determined to begin again. It’s an album made by a painter-turned-songwriter, a Mexico City native now living in Germany, who somehow manages to channel an entire migration of spirit into just a few, gorgeously crafted songs.

You can hear the roots of this journey in every moment. The title Before the Doom might suggest something heavy or apocalyptic, but the truth is, this album isn’t about destruction—it’s about what comes right before that. The clarity. The decision. The hope. This is music written at the edge of transformation. Think of it like the moment before the leap, the final breath before the tide turns.

The sound is intimate and poetic. Pablo isn’t here to blow your speakers out—he’s here to hold your attention quietly and completely. These songs feel like postcards from a soul in motion, with arrangements that stay minimal but textured: soft guitars, hushed percussion, ambient synths that hang in the air like mist, and vocals delivered like confessions. It’s part folk, part indie singer-songwriter, part Latin ballad, part European art-pop.

There’s something beautifully paradoxical about the way this album carries both weight and air. It’s heavy with meaning—there’s loss, there’s migration, there’s the ache of missing home and the joy of discovering new love—but it never feels burdened. It floats. It lets you in gently. Pablo’s voice isn’t overly polished or flashy, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s honest. And in this kind of music, honesty is everything.

The emotional centerpiece of the album is clearly the love that helped bring this transformation to life. Serrano doesn’t write love songs in the cheesy, over-the-top way we’ve all heard a thousand times. He writes about love as a catalyst. A mirror. A shelter and a spark. His lyrics have the gravity of poetry—no surprise, considering his father is a poet—and you feel that inherited reverence for language in every line. These aren’t lyrics designed to rhyme or fill space. They’re written like they matter.

This album is meant to be experienced as a whole. But there are moments that linger: a line here, a melody there, the way a chord progression folds into silence just when you’re least expecting it. If you’ve ever felt suspended between who you were and who you’re trying to become, this album will speak to you.

“Melody For A Woman” is a standout—a powerhouse of a track with celestial harmonies and deep introspection, reminiscent of early Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen.

You can also feel Serrano’s background as a painter throughout the project. The songs have a visual sensibility to them—you can see the rooms, the cities, the sun-bleached streets of Mexico and the overcast skies of Europe. He’s painting scenes with sound, but this time the canvas is air and the gallery is your headphones.

And perhaps the most profound thing about Before the Doom is that it doesn’t present migration, change, or reinvention as easy. It acknowledges the loss, the confusion, the cost—but it doesn’t stop there. This is an album about moving forward anyway. About saying yes to the unknown. About choosing love and creation over fear and silence.

So if you’re looking for something to ground you, something that feels handmade, something full of depth and softness and soul—Before the Doom is your next essential listen. It’s Pablo Serrano’s intimate portrait of transformation—and it just might help you start your own.

We spoke to Pablo Serrano about his journey so far.

Do you have an interesting moment or story from your early life that has had a significant impact on your journey into music?

Pablo: I don't have any specific ones. I just know that music has been present throughout my life — from listening to my grandparents play the guitar every afternoon in the house where I once lived, to the town festivals, to the sound of the eternal waves breaking on Mexican beaches. Music has been with me since before I was born.

Are there any artists that were influential to your musical journey? How have they inspired your sound as an artist?

Pablo: One of the artists who has influenced me the most is Leonard Cohen. His music has been present in my life for many years, and his spiritual search in art is something that resonates deeply within me. A bodhisattva of music.

How would you describe your sound to new listeners? What do you think sets you apart?

Pablo: My music is timeless. It doesn't really fit into any type of musical school — it's a mixture of many eras and many sounds. It's the sonorous and poetic expression of a painter.

What’s your creative process? Where do you normally start when it comes to writing and recording? Do the lyrics come first?

Pablo: I always start composing a song at the point where the word finds its place within the melody. The sound of the sung words weaves the melody, and vice versa.

Have you had any challenges or adversities in your life that you feel have shaped you as an artist?

Pablo: Migrating to Germany has been the catalyst that led me to work deeply in music. I think I needed to express myself in a new way. It has been a place where I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with excellent musicians.

Are there any moments or achievement from your career so far that you’re most proud of?

Pablo: As a painter, having finished my first album represents a great personal achievement. And having met incredibly talented musicians who agreed to work on the project gives me great satisfaction and a sense of gratitude.

Which do you prefer, the creative process or live performance? Or do you enjoy both equally?

Pablo: What I love most is the creative process. I think it’s a professional deformation because I'm a painter, and I conceive a song almost like a painting. I also deeply enjoy developing my work through the eyes of other artists — I'm always looking for someone who can teach me something new. And what I'm missing most is playing live.

Do you as an artist require fans to fully understand your message in each song or do you encourage subjective interpretation from every listener?

Pablo: I prefer that the subjectivity of words and poetry awaken each listener to the extent of their abilities. That's the magic of art — it speaks to each person from a personal point of view.

Does the political landscape have an impact on your music, or do you keep your personal opinions separate from your work as an artist?

Pablo: I'm not talking directly about political issues, but I am talking about a politics of the spirit — issues that are central to us all, such as death, war, love, etc.

What are your future plans? Any new songs/projects on the horizon?

Pablo: I'm preparing a set to play live, and I'm working on the second album.

“Before The Doom” is available now on all major streaming platforms

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