Hozier- Take me to Church EP- Review.

For those of you craving some intelligent, soulful, beautiful music- Hozier is the one for you. Hozier is the stage name adopted by Andrew Hozier-Byrne, an Irish musician. His songs are evocative and meaningful; the music that supports those beautiful, deep lyrics is equally enchanting. You will find influences of Blues, Folk, Community Chorals, Soul Music, R&B and Gospel in his work. His voice is magnificent, it is vivacious and poignant- it is the kind of voice that haunts you- you can NOT forget it; you wouldn’t ever want to. His voice resonates the gravity, the depth of his lyrics. His voice is robust, it is striking- it is filling.

Each song of his is a story- and Hozier is a master story-teller. His words draw you in; the music keeps you still, while his voice entangles you in those beautiful, divine notes- and you don’t know if you are freer or more caught up in all that he has to convey. The lyrics will leave you wondering as to why they hit you so hard- you couldn’t truly relate to all of them? Maybe you could- you do. You relate to the blatant honesty, the alluring mysticism- to the stranger who is telling you things you didn’t know you knew. 

As of now, Hozier doesn’t have any albums to his name. He has, though, 2 EPs (Take me to Church, and From Eden), and quite a few singles.

Take me to Church.

Hozier’s first EP. 16 minutes long. Breathtaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSVMgRr6pw&index=1&list=PL8KVn2EQ_jy2DnkLqjKNQYH3FYfl-1T0C

·         Take me to Church.

‘Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good god, let me give you my life’

The title track of his first EP- the song is all about love- what it is like to love someone, to the point of worship- pure, true, unadulterated love. The song tells us that love is real, it is forgiving, it guides, it is gentle, it is concrete, it is demanding - love is worship-worthy.  The song is deeper (yes, more than this), though. It deals with the discrimination against those who indulge in love which is any manner different from the one that Church (and many other chauvinistic institutions) proclaims. The singer is talking about how his love is considered a sin- how he is considered a sinner. But how only love, and nothing else, has made him feel human- feel clean. The song deals with sexuality, with love, and with the act of love. There are no words that can do justice to the impeccably brilliant songwriting that Hozier displays.

And the music- the American Gospel type layering in the song will entrap you in its purity. The video of the song went viral about a year ago- and has crossed 2 million views- and why not? It is art. It adds to the depth of the song, and shows us the homophobia and the attacks on the LGBT community (through the story of 2 homosexual men) in Russia. The video complements the lyrics, adding many more layers of meaning to a song that has already blown away the mind of the listener.

It might seem as if I am exaggerating. I am not. Give it a listen. You will have a different take on the meaning of the song- of each line- I do, so I know. But will you absolutely love it? I surely do.

·         Like Real People Do

When in a relationship, it ever-so-often happens that one is curious, to say the least, about their partner’s past. This song talks about this curiosity, about this fear.

‘I had a thought, dear
However scary,
About that night,
The bugs and the dirt
Why were you digging?
What did you bury,
Before those hands pulled me
From the earth?

I will not ask you where you came from,
I will not ask you and neither should you.’

The singer shows an interest in his lover’s past, he is worried about what it held and how it will affect them- but he realizes that he himself has a past, and thus he says to his lover, that they both need to let go of the past- to forget the past- and be together- be one, now. Like real people do.

The song is soft, easy on the ears, and has you humming to its simple, yet exquisite tune soon enough. The choral elements of the song make it compellingly more stunning, and Hozier’s deep, layered voice adds soul to the song.

·         Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene

The humming in the beginning of the song, the light strumming of his electric guitar, and those intense, excellent lyrics- this song has you captivated even before you reach the tapping-your-foot-because-it-makes-you-do-so-involuntarily chorus. What this one is about? Small death, or as the French call it- ‘petit mort’- basically, he is talking about orgasms. And what a brilliant way to illustrate the passion, the irresistible, over-powering fervor of this woman he calls the angel of small death, and the codeine scene.

‘With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean,
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene,
With her straw-blonde hair, her arms hard and lean,
She's the angel of small death and the codeine scene.’

The imagery, the pictures he draws with his words, and that voice, mystic and yet, so believable- it is incredible.

·         Cherry Wine

The video of the song was recorded on the roof of the abandoned remains of a hotel. Early morning, the light, the chirping of the birds- it adds to the soft, delicacy of the song. The lyrics are fairly simple, and yet, the song conveys much more than you would expect at the first go. Hozier’s voice is many, many things. It is rustic, and genuine. His singing is masterly; his voice addictive. The song is soothing, it calms you. When you listen to the lyrics closely, you will find yourself getting slightly uneasy- after all, what he talks about is a lover that hurts him- a love that hurts him. And how he doesn’t care.

‘The way she shows me I'm hers and she is mine
Open hand or closed fist would be fine
Blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine.’

The song deals with a love which is cruel, and mean, and hurtful, and yet, how it is clean and pure to him.

Hozier is a breath of fresh air, a delight to listen to- a melodious, inventive genius, given his songwriting, and that voice- that unforgettable, moving voice- Hozier, is a must-listen-to. I urge you to drop whatever it is that you are doing, and give this mastermind a try. You will not regret it.