Description
It's not often that you stumble across a songwriter whose lyrics both sound and read like poetry. When those lyrics are set to music that balances burning indignation with lilting tenderness, and delivered in a voice imbued with the spiritual passion and yearning of gospel and the blues, you figure you've chanced upon something special. And so it is with 23-year-old Andrew Hozier-Byrne, an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from County Wicklow who goes by the name of Hozier.

Hozier releases his self-titled debut album on Columbia Records, following his two EPs Take Me To Church and From Eden. The new album produced by Ron Kirwan (PJ Harvey and Depeche Mode). Hozier will feature the hit single "Take Me To Church" as well as his most recent release "Sedated."

Raised in a musical family, Hozier's childhood and adolescent listening was dominated, he says, "by Chicago blues, Texan blues, Chess Records, Motown, and then I discovered jazz, but more importantly, Delta blues that extraordinarily haunting sound. Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson, people like that. Later, it was Pink Floyd, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, plus Tom Waits was a huge, huge influence. I was always drawn to singers with something haunting about their voices. The same goes for writers such as James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. You can't define what it is, but it buries itself deep in your soul."

After a string of sold out dates and electrifying performances including TV appearances on The Late Show With David Letterman and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Hozier will return stateside when he launches his first national headline tour this fall. The tour crisscrosses the country before wrapping up with two shows in New York City.

Tastemakers and critics have wholeheartedly embraced his spirited and soulful sound. He's drawn praise from NPR, New York Magazine, KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, MTV Buzzworthy, Consequence of Sound, and more. Most recently he was featured on NPR's All Things Considered and Tiny Desk Concert.

Tracklist
1. Take Me To Church
2. Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene
3. Jackie And Wilson
4. Someone New
5. To Be Alone
6. From Eden
7. In A Week [feat. Karen Cowley]
8. Sedated
9. Work Song
10. Like Real People Do
11. It Will Come Back
12. Foreigner's God
13. Cherry Wine [live]

CD
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M856DSS/?tag=imwan-20

MP3
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M01J7Q0/?tag=imwan-20

Vinyl
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M8HWG5U/?tag=imwan-20

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UK Deluxe Edition
This 2 CD version of the album comes with four bonus tracks on the second disc.

1. In The Woods Somewhere
2. Run
3. Arsonist’s Lullaby
4. My Love Will Never Die [live]

CD (Amazon US)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L9OAPIS/?tag=imwan-20

CD (Amazon UK)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00L9OAPIS/?tag=imwan-21

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Target-exclusive Deluxe Edition
This 2 CD version of the album comes with four bonus tracks on the second disc, all different from the previously released UK Deluxe Edition.



1. Problem / Regulate [BBC Live Version]
2. Illinois Blues [Live]
3. Whole Lotta Love [BBC Live Version]
4. Do I Wanna Know? [BBC Live Version]

http://www.target.com/p/hozier-hozier-d ... A-21444935

"Take Me To Church"



"Sedated"

Regarding the Deluxe Editions...

The second disc of the UK version is essentially a CD release of the In The Woods Somewhere EP (however, "Run" was also included on the European 2-track "Take Me To Church" CD single). "My Love Will Never Die" is a live cover of the Willie Dixon song.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q7FZEIA/?tag=imwan-20

The Target bonus tracks are all live covers from various sources. "Do I Wanna Know?" was previously released on the BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge 2014 compilation, but I think the others are new to CD.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M2BNC6Y/?tag=imwan-20

He sounds like a young Elton to me (and that's a good thing).

Rick A.