It’s not that Australia’s Nick Murphy hasn’t been working. Working as Nick Murphy he’s been plenty busy releasing music under his birth name such as 2019’s Run Fast Sleep Naked and the meditative instrumental Music For Silence, released just in time to calm us down in March of 2020. But that’s not why we’re here. After four years, Murphy has decided to resurrect nom de guerre, Chet Faker, and has released the single “Low,” his first on BMG.
“Low” is a generous and instantly gratifying expression of chilled-out Trip-Hop. Opening bars “Just because I feel low right now, It doesn't mean all that I've got has run out” set up the ride we take with Faker as he finds purpose in doing, of creating, and of questioning whether or not any of it matters. Turns out, it does.
The last time we heard from Chet Faker, his solo-written and self-produced studio debut Built On Glass debuted at #1 on the Australia ARIA Charts, eventually striking platinum. Built On Glass also added five ARIA-Awards to Faker’s shelf including nods for Independent Release, Male Artist, Producer, and Engineer, so a start to new work as strong as “Low” comes as no surprise. Listeners are taking notice, “Low” is closing in on 9 million streams as of the writing of this paragraph and is steadily climbing every chart it can find.
It’s certainly on the radar at radio as well in heavy rotation at KRSH, Music Choice, WNXP, KROK, and many, many more with no sign of slowing down.
Photo by Jelani Roberts