Hozier – Wasteland, Baby! (Special Edition) (2019/2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:19:20 minutes | 862 MB | Genre: Blues, Soul
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)
Hozier’s great trick is how he hangs suspended between past and present, drawing upon old forms without sounding traditional. This gift is what fueled “Take Me to Church,” a bit of protest neo-gospel that became an unexpected international blockbuster in 2014 — a success so great, the Irish singer/songwriter was in no need to hurry up with a sequel. He certainly took his time to release Wasteland, Baby!, a sophomore set delivered nearly a half-decade after his debut. Given that lengthy gap, it’s appropriate that Wasteland, Baby! feels considered, its every move telegraphing a deliberate decision. That’s as true of Hozier’s lyrics — which use Nina Simone and Duke Ellington as signifiers, tying him to a heritage that’s not quite his own — as it is of the ruminative music, which feels contemplative even when the tempo quickens. Hozier may be moody but he doesn’t dodge happiness, nor does he avoid modern accouterments. These two trends culminate on “Nobody,” a lightly rolling piece of pop-soul that seems nearly ebullient in this context, but even his melancholy moments feel open-hearted. Much of this draws from the same well as “Take Me to Church” — there’s more than a hint of soul and gospel, tempered with arty arena rock that’s drawn equally from U2 and Peter Gabriel — but the overall feeling isn’t anguished, it’s consoling. It’s a subtle but notable shift that lends emotional gravity to a singer/songwriter who already favored weighty topics. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Read moreHozier – Unreal Unearth (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:02:33 minutes | 1,19 GB | Genre: Pop Rock, Folk Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Universal-Island Records Ltd.
Unreal Unearth is the incredible third album by Hozier. The peerless singer-songwriter recorded this remarkable record with a stellar cast of producers including Bekon (Kendrick Lamar, Drake), Jennifer Decilveo (Miley Cyrus, Bat For Lashes), and Jeff Gitelman (The Weeknd, H.E.R.). The sounds, style and influences throughout the record range from folk, to rock, to blues, to soul, to anthemic pop, and all that’s in between.
Read moreHozier – Eat Your Young (EP) (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 11:23 minutes | 196 MB | Genre: Blues, Soul
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Universal-Island Records Ltd.
Hozier has announced details of his next EP, titled Eat Your Young, which will arrive on his birthday next month. The record will be the Irish musician’s first EP since his Spotify Singles release in 2019 and first non-single release since his second album Wasteland Baby! arrived that same year. Eat Your Young will be released digitally on March 17 – both Hozier’s birthday and St. Patrick’s Day – and will feature three songs. The tracklist will include the title track, “All Things End,” and “Through Me (The Flood).”
Read moreHozier – Hozier (Deluxe Edition) (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:11:38 minutes | 804 MB | Genre: Alternative, Soul, Blues, Singer-Songwriter
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Universal-Island Records Ltd.
Hozier is the eponymous debut studio album from Irish musician Hozier. The album was released on 19 September 2014 through Island Records and Rubyworks Records. The album contains his first hit, Take Me to Church and From Eden.
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