Hozier
by Hozier
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Oct 7, 2014
User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 138 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 126 out of 138
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 138
  3. Negative: 6 out of 138
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. All_ButTrU4
    Nov 10, 2021
    6
    Originally heard in my younger days. Before the critical sphere of metacritic &pitchfork could spoil me. The days of chance music discovery.

    Hearing hozier for the first time made me pause. It had been a slow Sunday and i was watching Lifetime before having to go sleep but it distilled that normalcy. The unsettling choral opener came on with a smokey despair:i was drawn. From then on    Originally heard in my younger days. Before the critical sphere of metacritic &pitchfork could spoil me. The days of chance music discovery.

    Hearing hozier for the first time made me pause. It had been a slow Sunday and i was watching Lifetime before having to go sleep but it distilled that normalcy. The unsettling choral opener came on with a smokey despair:i was drawn.
    From then on it came easily. Each song whole in it's own way. The devotion of "work song" drove me to satified tears as i danced stupidly whilst the sombre "in a week" chilled my 14yr old mind. So much thought is invested in a hozier song,playing off like small novels. It's on the blues rock of "jackie&wilson" where Hozier allows himself some lightheatrd fun speckled with references. Never waning to the pitfalls of debuts which include monotony and inconsistency, no. Here he's erupting fully formed.

    It's his darker songs that pack the hardest punch such as the deceptive "cherry wine" that threatens to make abuse sound sweet or "sedated" helplessness. Keeping his prose&rhythm sharp throughout i remained impressed.

    Admittedly the album would've benefited from shortening such as "Angel of death &codeine scens"&"to be alone" which despite being good slow down the album.

    In conclusion hozier overlooked debut holds promise beyond his "take me to church " acclaim. That great storytellers much like stories can come out of no where.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Most Shared Album of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. PopMatters
    Feb 4, 2015
    80
    This is a brave, weighty and heartfelt debut from a hefty new songwriter. Hozier has arrived.
    Read full review
  2. Rolling Stone
    Oct 21, 2014
    70
    His YouTube hit "Take Me to Church" won him a wave of insta-hype, and his debut LP earns it.
    Read full review
  3. Q Magazine
    Oct 10, 2014
    60
    It's by no means a classic but there's enough personality to suggest Hozier will be with us for the long haul. [Oct 2014, p.110]
See all critic reviews »