Hozier is the artist name of Irish singer-songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne, who broke through in 2013 with the single Take Me To Church. The song laced with religious references was an indictment of the Catholic Church's view of homosexuality, and the accompanying disturbing video was viewed millions of times. What (besides the video) stood out about Take Me To Church was Hozier's lived singing, with
… influences from soul, blues and gospel. These influences are also strongly present on his self-titled debut album. However, Hozier doesn't come out of nowhere. He dropped out of musicology at Trinity College, Dublin in his freshman year to pursue a singing career, and from 2009 to 2012 he was a member of the Irish-Celtic choir Anúna. The Celtic influences have made way for dark folk and blues on Hozier's debut, which means that the slower songs in particular can have a melancholic character. Hozier sometimes leans towards bombast, but can also sound subdued. The result is a poignant album. (IV)more
