Nick Murphy has done all he can to distance himself from his earlier work.
Formerly known as Chet Faker, Murphy has gone in a different direction since adopting his actual name as a performer. While still leaning somewhat on synths, there’s a more psychedelic and even folky feel to April’s record Run Fast Sleep Naked. It’s his first record since his debut album Built on Glass, which spawned a number of hits.
Tuesday saw Nick Murphy bring those new tunes to The Wiltern to a packed crowd.
He played three songs from that record — “Gold”, “1998”, and “Talk is Cheap”. He played those songs a bit different than they sound on record, and they fit in much better amongst the new stuff as a result. He did play all eight songs from Run Fast Sleep Naked — which hasn’t exactly gotten rave reviews but comes across much better in a live setting.
Murphy’s live band is extremely talented. A piano breakdown on “Weak Education”, and a really impressive outro on “Trouble With Us” from his EP with Marcus Marr stood out the most. The tune “Dangerous” had a rock ballad feel to it.
Those that came to hear Chet Faker may have left slightly disappointed. But if you’re someone that’s a fan of his new sound, it delivered big time.
Photos by Sarah Woods
