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29. Hozier - Hozier (2014)

Blues Rock

Hozier came out of nowhere. With Take Me To Church, arguably the song of the year in 2014, which was arguably the best year for music of the decade, the Irish singer-songwriter went from obscurity to global smash hit. Take Me To Church dominated pop and rock radio for months after its release, and for good cause. The album-opening track is soaring, evoking appropriately religious sentiments while being a slickly blasphemous and bitterly hedonistic ode to a woman and her body. But despite seeming all but destined to become a one-hit wonder, Hozier changes gears dramatically as the album moves forward. 

The gospel choir sticks around for the swinging, energetic second track “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene”. Then “Jackie and Wilson” sheds some of the prior heaviness, a blues jam the Black Keys certainly rocked out to. “Sedated” is gorgeous. “Work Song” is sad, heartfelt and timeless. “Like Real People Do” is stunning and thought-provoking. By the time the live version of “Cherry Wine” wraps and the album comes to a close, it becomes evident that Hozier’s self-titled debut is way more than a vehicle for one smash single. It’s a cohesive, thoughtful and delicately assembled collection of soul-baring songs, all of which beautifully exemplify why the man absolutely deserves all the accolades and attention he’s’ received.

*image; cover art for the album Hozier by Hozier