It’s been a massive year for the mysterious and enigmatic artist that is Chet Faker. Making waves in the blogosphere, with his cover of Blackstreets No Diggity shooting to number one on MP3 blog aggregator Hype Machine, he’s since been teasing fans with a series of downloadable tracks. The time has now come to put the courting to an end. Thinking In Textures is a seven track EP that affirms that Faker’s soulful downbeat electronica has the substance to see it move beyond the manic hysteria caused by No Diggity that saw him rise to fame.
Chet Faker’s musical past is veiled in secrecy but it’s been suggested that his foundation lies in acoustic beginnings, a starting point (if true) that has only helped to strengthen his foray into the world of electronica. The songwriting is structurally sound and the lyricism clever, suggestively cool, and not exceedingly vacuous as often the case with electronic music.
Opening track Im Into You oozes obsession and infatuation, its beats are chilled; the vocal delivery restrained but underneath simmer the fires of desire. Perhaps one to play when you subtlety, or not so subtlety wish to lure someone to bed. Terms & Conditions displays the soul references that everyone is bandying about, as Chet delivers a smooth and crooning vocal over playful beats. Next up is No Diggity, the mid ’90s soft hip hop number turned into a soulful electro-trip-hop track that slinks along, cool, calm and collected. It works, and while it seems painfully obvious that Faker is not the originator of such lines as ‘I like the way you work it / No diggity / I gotta bag it up,’ he delivers these lines with a self awareness and no doubt a knowing smirk on his face.
The rest of the album continues in this vein, subtle grooves, inspired beats, topped off by Faker’s understated soul heavy vocals. Chet Faker is one of those electronic artists who possesses the songwriting skills to allow his music to break free of the boundaries of his genre and be accepted by the mainstream – even by those who would normally turn their nose up at the thought of electronica.
BY KRYSTAL MAYNARD
Best Track: I’m Into You
If You Like These You’ll Like These: AIR, BONOBO, JAMES BLAKE
In A Word: Impressive
