Hozier – Hozier
hello all! we’re starting a brand new discography this week, and listening to the debut record from Irish musician Hozier, Hozier, released in 2014!
Hozier’s self titled review is absolutely dominated by Take Me to Church. this was his first single and the track that catapulted him to fame, it leads the record, and its shadow hangs over the whole dang tracklist. its a really good song! Hozier’s emotive and pleading vocal delivery complement a really strong track that feels like its influenced by like, hymns and worship music, and lyrically mixes religious imagery with devotion for the subject. it sets a really striking tone that i feel myself comparing everything else on the tracklist, an impulse that is supported by the fact that it’s followed up by Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene, another song about a kind of devotion to a fickle or dangerous love, which matches Take Me to Church’s musical and lyrical tone. im less fond of this one – Take Me to Church feels more subtle in its lyrical tone than Angel of Small Death, though i do like a lot of what its doing musically.
not every track matches the tone, however. after Angel of Small Death is Jackie & Wilson, a much musically sweeter song that drops much of (but not all) of the bittersweet types of devotion of the last two tracks for something that, on its face, feels more plain and earnest at the same time. the hook here is solid, but largely im not super into the songs that land closer to this vibe on the record – its well performed and there’s good lines, but i think its just a less interesting sound. the exception here for me is Somebody New, which does cross over some kind of earnestness line and is extremely charming and pleasant – and From Eden. the hook on Something New does get a tad old as the song goes on, but man its a good hook so it gets a pass from me. From Eden goes deep on the religious imagery and i really enjoy it.
and in my listens, that was how i tended to think about the tracks, and while i dont think there’s anything that crests the lead single here, i did tend to prefer songs that sounded like it and am interested to see how he develops it on his other records, considering its success. i will say its not a clear split – In a Week, for example, lyrically is about dying with someone, but the duet with Karen Cowley is backed by rosey guitars and a melancholic instrumental that contrasts with the dark tone of the lyrics. but largely it was a reading that worked for me.
i think the only song that almost made the dislike list is Foreigner’s God. not a fan of that one, not for any deep reasons, it just dont work for me. i do appreciate that they close with the live recording of Cherry Wine as the outro the record immediately after.
faves – Take Me to Church, Somebody New, From Eden, Work Song
dislikes –
Hozier – 6/10
next up, it’s 2019’s Wasteland, Baby!
this is the first Hozier release | next: Wasteland, Baby!
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