On April 11th, 2014, Chet Faker released what would become one of the biggest and best Australian debut albums of the 2010s.
Built on Glass remains Nick Murphy’s most commercially successful and critically acclaimed album under his Faker moniker (adopted in homage to jazz icon Chet Baker).
Faker’s debut album, consisting of 12 tracks, was recorded in Melbourne, the musician’s birth city. The album propelled Faker into the limelight and he soon became the face of R&B-infused electronic music in Australia.
Faker took home several ARIA Awards in 2014 for Built on Glass, including Best Male Artist, while he was also awarded the Australian Album of the Year at that year’s J Awards. If that wasn’t enough, “Talk Is Cheap”, one of the album’s standout tracks, topped triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2014.
Critics were just as fond of Built on Glass as listeners and awards voters.
“Built on Glass feels like much more than 12 tracks thrown on an album, with gorgeous instrumental pieces dotted throughout, tying the record together. In contrast to its title, the release is built on solid foundations and without a single fracture; Chet Faker’s brand of electronica and modern soul is always on point,” praised Happy Mag.
“…despite having the kind of voice that would make your mother go weak at the knees, Chet Faker also has a strong left-field sensibility that appeals to those more discerning music aficionados out there. This record is intelligent, succinct in its ambitions, and more than anything, it’s pretty bloody cool,” wrote The Line of Best Fit in a 9/10 review.
Love Electronic?
Get the latest Electronic news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Having announced a retirement of the Chet Faker stage name in 2016 in order to focus on releasing music under his own name, Murphy brought Faker back for a new single, “Low”, in 2020, which led to his Hotel Surrender album the following year.
Whether it’s listening to Built on Glass 10 years later, his music as himself or as Nick Murphy & the Program, there’s always something special to be heard in Murphy’s music.
