Nicholas James Murphy has never been toothless; even the sensual, soul-soaked universe of Chet Faker’s debut album from 2014 has an adventurous edge to it. But it’s safe to say that the release of ‘Fear Less’ in September last year, with which Murphy announced he would rid himself of the Faker alias, headed in a completely different, more heavily produced and electropoppy direction.
But many of his fans aren’t yet ready to let go completely of Chet Faker, and Murphy’s show at the Sydney Opera House for Vivid LIVE suggested there might be room for both identities in this new form.
Murphy got off to a strong start with oldies ‘Gold’ and ‘1998’ making it hard to sit still in the soft Concert Hall seats. To everyone’s enjoyment, Murphy revisited the Chet Faker catalogue again with ‘Cigarettes & Loneliness’ and his massive hit ‘Talk Is Cheap’. He was joined onstage by British producer Marcus Marr for the incredibly funky ‘The Trouble With Us’, the groovy but more clubby ‘Birthday Card’, and the downtempo and jazzy ‘Killing Jar’ – all from their 2015 EP Work.
The first Nick Murphy track to be unleashed on the Concert Hall was the eclectic ‘Weak Education’, exploding in wailing keys, groovy bass and percussion at the end – a harmonious cacophony that we would see return several times during the evening. Mostly it worked very well, but there were also times where the sentiment became a bit repetitive.
But just when you thought you knew where the night was going, Murphy dropped ‘Driving Too Fast’ – a new, unreleased tune that saw him at the piano, emphasising his vocals, and mostly just backed by an acoustic guitar. These were the moments that truly stood out – when Murphy took sharp left turns, and made sure that no one settled too well in the audience.
The Kaytranada-produced ‘Your Time’ had the Concert Hall vibrating, but still left room for the vocals to shine, while for the impeccable closer ‘Stop Me (Stop You)’, Murphy demanded everyone stand up and dance before he left us in awe at the stripped back, soul-exposing ending.
Whether he was pounding manically on the keyboard, rocking the electric guitar, grooving to the bass or pouring his heart out at the piano, Murphy was comfortable in every context. And while he’s a new artist by name, welcoming Murphy doesn’t mean a definitive goodbye to Chet Faker.
Nick Murphy was reviewed at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday June 1. Photos by Ashley Mar
