A Love for Strangers is a complete reinvention for Nick Murphy. His first record as Chet Faker in four years expands his previously established sound in thrilling new directions, with moonlit saxes recalling legendary acts like Prefab Sprout and the Blue Nile as well as the lush, breakbeat-laden pop of David Gray’s classic White Ladder.

These 12 songs find Murphy ruminating on heartbreak and uncertainty on a grand, sweeping scale— asking questions about how we relate to each other, examining the ways in which we fail to do so, and extending a necessary sense of hope when it comes to repairing our relationships with the world. around us.