Album Review: Nick Murphy - Run Fast Sleep Naked

Run Fast Sleep Naked is the first full-length album released under Nick Murphy’s birth name instead of his formerly used moniker - so how does a Nick Murphy album compare to a Chet Faker one?

We find out almost instantaneously with opener Hear It Now. What begins as a singular vocal over a lush drone builds with a myriad of rich and dynamic elements, seemingly influenced by different forms of world music. Over four years the Melbourne singer-songwriter put together the album's material, inspired by his travels, with his soulful vocals recorded in different spaces around the globe. The resulting product is a unique, eclectic, inspired and worldly record.

Over 15 musicians and a full orchestra are featured on the album. Catchy lead single Sanity stands out for its use of instrumentation, blending percussive, organic and electronic elements, with bouncing piano, synths, strings, guitars and sound design providing layers of colourful ear candy.

Run Fast Sleep Naked is possibly Murphy’s most experimental, ambitious work yet, serving as a well-produced, brilliantly assembled sonic collage of elements collected from around the world.