Hozier

I first heard Hozier on AltNation when I heard "Take Me To Church", and I was instantly drawn to the song. I have never been religious and- besides a short phase when I was in elementary school- I have never wanted to be; this song really made me feel like I wanted to belong to some form of higher power, and that I should only associate with people who accept me for who I am. When I was watching the show The Leftovers, after one of my favorite episodes they played "Take Me To Church" during the credits and it fit so perfectly; I listened to this album over and over for days and weeks after that. I couldn't fathom how a song could be so meaningful in so many different ways. When the music video came out for "Take Me To Church", I cried while watching it and I still get chills every single time I see it; it's such a beautiful video with a powerful story. Hozier has meant a lot to me, if only for the past six months or so, but his music has a way of speaking right to what I am feeling. His music makes me happy, even if it isn't a permanent feeling.

This is Hozier's first full length album; he has got critics raving about his music, fans all over the world, and a message and ideas that people can agree with and stand behind. It is almost unbelievable the amount of success he's gained from this album, but what's even more amazing is the music. Hozier seems to be perfect in every single way- both in his music and appearance- but his lyrics are often about his imperfections and problems; I feel like knowing that there is someone out there, who is doing so well, and dealing with the same type of issues I'm having every day makes it all seem a lot easier to handle. He is living, breathing proof that the bad things can pass and there's something good that can come from all of it.
While they all share the same emotional lyrics, each song on this album is so different in sound and meaning. He uses his voice to really make the song what it is, and without him the music isn't the same. I love the way that the words just roll off his tongue, and the way the mixed of the backing vocals only highlight his vocals further. There is just not really not anything on this album that I feel the need to critique; there are are few points on the album I feel could have been mixed slightly differently, but, overall, I have no complaints and feel that Hozier and his team made an amazing album. 

You can hear the emotion in Hozier's voice when he is singing, and the song "From Eden" is one of the most beautiful examples of that. The love that he feels is conveyed with the inflection and sound of his voice, and- if you've seen the way he looks- you want him to be singing it to you. This song has a more fast paced beat than most of the album, but the way combine all the other elements of the song with it still allows it to make a more mellow sound. "Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago. Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword, innocence died screaming. Honey, ask me, I should know. I slithered here from Eden, just to sit outside your door." The lyrics in this song lead you to believe that it is talking about a couple that has grown apart with the way that our modern society looks at love, and they're not sure how to handle it. It is such a beautiful song, and it also has a point and story to it.

I look forward to hearing what music Hozier makes in the future, and I am pretty sure that I'll love it as well. His sound is one that can't be classified into just one genre, but it has become popular among quite a few different groups of people. He has accomplished what seems to be what many musicians hope and strive for their whole career with just one album; he has brought together different types of people, shared an important message, and helped bring attention to a problem in our society. I'm not sure where else he can go from here, but I'm sure he has some ideas and I cannot wait to hear them.

Hozier's Website
Buy Hozier (Bonus Track Version)