Chet Faker started releasing music over three years ago, so this debut album has been a long time coming, but if there was ever an argument for biding your time 'till the moment is right, then this is it. Nothing about Built on Glass is half-baked, and there's a polish to the project that can only be achieved with a musical foundation like the one Chet has built for himself over the past years. Stylistically, each track is a little bit different than the last, but Chet's fingerprints are all over each track, and after a full listen through, you're left with a strong impression that the guy has a very clear vision for his art. The hype is most definitely real, then, and the Melbourne-based phenom delivered in a big way with his project here. Kicking things off is "Release Your Problems", which opens up with a hazy swirl of piano notes and ambient textures that allow you to decompress while also getting you acclimated with the pace of the album. The sound eventually transitions to something more fleshed out, but for the most part, this one feels like a prologue, setting you up for a very impressive second track, "Talk Is Cheap". "Talk Is Cheap" was one of the album's lead-off singles, and it was a success by all measures, so if you haven't heard it yet, go do yourself a favor and take a listen. It's the perfect blend of hip-hop and everything else, and it's going to make you a fan no matter what you're normally into. Moving farther down the list, both "Gold" and "To Me" are striking specimens of Chet's particular style of genre alchemy, and both have been crafted with loving detail. On the second-half of the album, it's all about "Blush", "1998", and "Dead Body". "Blush" still has a lot of the jazz influence that makes numerous appearances in his other work, but now it's been blended with subtle house undertones. Yes, this has definitely been attempted before, but not with this level of finesse.Taking the dance theme even farther, "1998" is probably the closest thing to contemporary pop you'll get on this album. However, despite the similarity, there's nothing bland about the track, and any faith you've lost in electronic dance music over the years will be instantly restored when you take a listen. Last up on the list of notables is "Dead Body". Here we see Chet returning back to the beat-centric production style that was featured heavily on "Talk Is Cheap", but instead of offering more energy, the song slows things down, and provides the perfect way to tie things up and bring the album back to that same tone that "Release Your Problems" initially cultivated. At Hillydilly, we're all for music that pushes the envelope, but the true excitement comes when we find an artist who's willing to do this while still capable of incorporating the traditional side of music composition as well. It's Chet's apparent mastery of both that has put him into an elite group of artists who command almost universal respect, and his efforts on Built On Glass have cemented that status well into the foreseeable future. The album is very big in scope, and we encourage you to stream all of Built on Glass over at iTunes while waiting for it to be released in Australia on April 11th, and April 15th in both the United States and Canada. Our highlights are below.
Chet Faker