Nick Murphy (aka Chet Faker) w/ Charlotte Cardin
Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
10.14.17
Nick Murphy—fka Chet Faker—established himself as a forerunner in jazz, electro-synth, and pop by helping to define quite a few festivals in the past. With his new EP Missing Link and a tour to support, Murphy has dropped the moniker of Chet Faker he gave himself a few years ago and reverted to his own name.
Montreal native Charlotte Cardin opened the Showbox SoDo show, she and her group performing a stellar set for their first time in Seattle. Cardin blends jazz with electronic elements and an indelible sultriness to her voice. She warmed the crowd and complimented Murphy nicely, setting the tone for the evening.
Ushering in a ferocity in line with his latest release, Nick Murphy arrived on stage with his backing band. He peppered the set with hits from past albums like “Gold” and “Talk is Cheap,” showing he hasn’t left the persona of Chet Faker behind but reinforced his formative self by letting the music stand on its own.
Performing new material drawn from Missing Link, Murphy incorporated some of the previous textures over his own vocals but added another dimension with multiple instruments and a blending of jazz, pop, electronic, and afro-pop sounds. Shifting between the guitar and his synthesizer, Murphy moved with a presence that electrified the room.
Murphy’s set was accompanied by a phenomenal light show, at times the pulse of each track made the stage look as if it was set afire. With Nick Murphy moving to combine the two personas into one, here he showed the crowd exactly what the missing link can be. While Chet Faker may have been set upon as a temporary project, Murphy has solidified his presence as well as persona moving forward.
Review and photos by Matthew B. Thompson
Nick Murphy
Charlotte Cardin
