On May 19 Irish singer Hozier came to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on his Unreal Unearth tour. As an artist he pushed his boundaries even further than before selling out his record performance at an astounding 25,000+ sized audience. Almost anyone would be able to recognize his most popular song “Take Me To Church” as an ex-non Hozier fan; this was his only notable feature to me. But in a last minute decision I bought a ticket with my friends to see Hozier.
Hozier exceeded my expectations performing an incredible concert to an incredibly large crowd. He is known for his singing, hitting incredible high notes, and having a very impactful voice that fits his poetic style. This particular album was dedicated to his most recent album “Unreal Unearth” ; this album features exceptional songs that highlight his ability to sing. Each song is complemented by instrumentals that make you tap your foot and feel the rhythm of his words and the music.
My change of heart
In my personal experience I didn’t know what to expect when listening to Hozier “Take Me To Church” was my baseline but each and every song was different and unique in its own right. They hold up to this popular song by changing its style and use of instrumentation but keeping the soul and impact that Hozier as a singer has. His highlight songs for me that made me come to the conclusion that Hozier was more than just “Take Me To Church” was “Too Sweet” and “Eat Your Young”
As a part of his extended version of the album “Unreal Unearth” aptly named “Unreal Unearth: Unheard” started with the song “Too Sweet” which begins with the catchiest bassline in his discography and in my top songs. It is complemented with periodic church bells and drum beats. The lyrics once again have angelic singing that ranges from high to low that are broken by choral singing then topped off with the hard hitting line “I take my whiskey neat, My coffee black and my bed at three, You’re too sweet for me, You’re too sweet for me.”
His Magnum Opus
To me and to many “Take Me To Church” is his best song, after this concert it only amplified this song and overall Hozier proved to me that he is more than just this song but also amplifying it as a classic song. His discography and songs compliment each other perfectly mixing rock, soul and pop to make music that touch the soul while standing up by themselves as individual songs. But “Take Me To Church” will always and forever be one of his best. This song highlights his best musical aspects, catchy beats, soulful singing, and impressive range. The song itself tells a very impactful and important message regarding love and religion. The song comments on the dominance of religion and the way some religions, especially in his region in Ireland, shame sexual orientation. He states “an act of sex is one of the most human things ..but an organization like the church, say, through its doctrine, would undermine humanity by successfully teaching shame about sexual orientation … the song is about asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love.”
Conclusion
Hozier is more than just the guy who wrote “Take Me To Church” or #36 of artists in the world on spotify. Hozier is an innovator, an activist through poetry and an impressive singer. As a person who listens to death metal and breakcore I can confidently say Hozier is for everyone and would wholeheartedly recommend seeing him in concert given the opportunity, but more importantly give his music a chance, because you might end up falling in love with the music like I did.
