Hozier: Hozier

Hozier was the debut album by Irish singer song writer Hozier. Hozier built up anticipation for his debut album by pre-releasing a few songs from the album, "Take Me to Church" and "From Eden", both of which gained extensive airplay. Hozier peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and number 1 on the Rock Albums Chart and the Americana/Folk Chart.

Critics and the music industry have struggled to classify Hozier's style. He utilizes a combination of blues, soul, R&B, gospel, and indie rock styles, blending them together to create an Americana-rock blend. Regardless of classification, Hozier received acclaim from music critics for his songwriting and vocal performance, with "Take Me To Church" earning a nomination for Song of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.

All that said, there is no doubt that Hozier is a very strong album. The songwriting is exceptional, the music outstanding, and the mix of styles impressive. It is an exceptional effort artistically and musically. However, the pressing leaves a lot to be desired.

The pressing is noisy, lacks detail, and suffers from distortion throughout. Sibilance is a regular occurrence. We tried both the first pressing and the follow up pressing from 2019. Neither are great. The 2019 reissue is a little better than the 2014 release, but not by much.

If you love this album and you love vinyl, it is a consideration. However, if you have a high end audio system you may not be able to tolerate it. As such, you may be better served to wait for a better vinyl option to come along one day or download a high resolution digital copy.  💵

💰 Invest
 💵 Consider
💸 Pass