REVIEW: Chet Faker - Built on Glass

This sort of masterfully assured combination of R&B, electronics and chillwave is to be hoped for from the top producers and singers working Berlin, London and New York, and poorly imitated by the rest.  Except for the untidy fact that this Built on Glass is the debut album from Melbourne singer and producer Nick Murphy, working as Chet Faker.  The melding of components is not only seamless, but complimentary.  This is an electronic album that manages to be rich, warm, and captivating without resort to any gimmicks.  It is soulful and smooth, but with some interesting touches bubbling along just below the surface.  Try the "Talk Is Cheap", "Melt" and "1998" below to get a taste of the range on this album.  The first two are in the R&B camp, but "1998" stretches a bit further and hints as additional heights to be accomplished in the future.

Chet Faker has a high profile in Australia, built on a single previous EP and his live shows, so I wouldn't be surprised to read some skepticism regarding his ability to rise to the advance hype. Of course, that is an opinion that you can and will make on your own, but I find this to be one of the more satisfying electronic albums I've heard since Jon Hopkins' Immunity last year.  And if you want to experience Chet Faker live and you are in North America, I've provided the upcoming dates at the bottom of the post.

I'm at the point of my life when planning seductions isn't part of the schedule (it isn't that I'm unromantic -- it's just that world famous music writers don't have to seduce, we get seduced), but in listening to this album it occurs to me that this album would be the right choice for an intimate dinner of my specially prepared "catch a girl fish").






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Currently Scheduled North American Tour Dates:

May 13 Brooklyn, NY - Output

May 14 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall

May 15 Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall

May 16 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer

May 17 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

May 19 Toronto, ON – The Hoxton

May 20 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

May 22 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge

May 23 Vancouver, BC – Fortune Sound Club

May 24 George, WA – Sasquatch Festival, George Amphitheatre

May 26 San Francisco, CA – The Independent

May 27 Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy

May 29 Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy

May 30 San Diego, CA – Casbah

May 31 Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom

Jun 01 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress

Jun 03 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge

Jun 04 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater

Jun 06 Dallas, TX – Club Dada

Jun 07 Austin, TX – The Parish