A decade since Hozier’s ‘Hozier’: Laying the foundations of a woodland troubadour

The self-titled debut album is a classic trope, and a great opportunity for an artist to put their name on the map. This is precisely what Hozier did in 2014 with his debut album, Hozier. Today, Hozier is known to many as the guy who sings ‘Too Sweet’ (yes – that song that dominated your ‘for you page’ for months), but a decade before he satisfied the world’s sweet tooth, he was experiencing similar global success with his debut album’s hit single, ‘Take Me to Church’.  This album, however, is so much more than a vehicle for that song’s success. So, ten years on, it’s time to look back on this album and encourage people to check out the other 11 tracks that often go under-appreciated.  

The album opens with the one we all know – ‘Take Me to Church’ – a passionate ballad rich with troubling religious imagery that beautifully demonstrates Hozier’s broad vocal range. There’s a reason it became such a groundbreaking success; it is an expertly crafted story of toxic devotion. It definitely warrants a re-listen 10 years on, particularly since its narrative complexity was missed by many when it was busy dominating the charts in 2014. 

Listening further, it becomes clear that despite the opening track’s overwhelming success, Hozier is far from a one-trick pony. The rest of this album demonstrates his wide range of influences and talents. The genres range from folk to pop to rock, yet stay stylistically consistent. This is a great achievement for a debut album. It allowed for Hozier to showcase of skill across a range of genres, but also creates a distinct image and an overarching style to set him apart from other artists. The album feels varied, but also consistently Hozier, which lays a strong foundation for him to build a career upon, along with his fantastical, woodland creature, troubadour image.

Hozier’s depictions of love are far removed from the same old love stories we’re used to hearing

There’s truly something in this album for everyone. There are the dark, sultry rock, and blues-style tracks ‘Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene’, ‘To Be Alone’, and ‘It Will Come Back’, which are found alongside the softer, folkier ‘Like Real People Do’ and ‘From Eden’. While Hozier undeniably has the ability to belt out a ballad at the top of his lungs, he demonstrates that he can also dial it back and write some of the most tender love songs of the past decade. For example, ‘Work Song’ – a tale of unwavering devotion – a personal favourite from this album.

There is a string of love laced throughout the album – a prevalent theme in Hozier’s writing. The music industry is well-saturated with love songs, it’s an inescapable topic, but Hozier’s depictions of love are far removed from the same old love stories we’re used to hearing. In real life, love takes many forms, and Hozier explores many of them. From addictive in ‘Angel of Small Death & The Codeine Scene’ to joyous in ‘Jackie and Wilson’, and abusive in the stunning live recording of ‘Cherry Wine’ that concludes the album. One of my favourite examples of Hozier’s unique storytelling on this album is the strange yet beautiful duet ‘In A Week (Feat. Karen Cowley)’ which tells the macabrely romantic tale of a buried couple rotting in each other’s arms. 

Debut albums have the ability to skyrocket artists to success, and Hozier was no different

An aspect of Hozier’s lyricism within the album that makes it so compelling is the complexity. They avoid being surface level, instead providing layers of meaning to dig into, adding a quality to his music that makes you want to listen again and again to uncover new secrets. Each line is richly decorated with literary devices and poetic flair, yet doesn’t come across like a writer trying to shoehorn deep imagery and metaphors into their lyrics for the sake of it. Hozier manages to balance lyrical interest with a certain memorability, crafting songs that are both lyrically complex yet catchy. 

Debut albums have the ability to skyrocket artists to success, and Hozier was no different. Fortunately, while some artists struggle to live up to the success of their first album, Hozier has continued to release music to a very high standard, and is clearly just as capable of writing a hit in 2024 with ‘Too Sweet’ as he was with ‘Take Me to Church’ a decade before.

As Helen Brown from The Telegraph said upon the album’s release, “Hozier’s debut album makes it easy to fall in love with the Irish musician”, and 10 years on that quality remains. So, if you’re growing bored of ‘Too Sweet’ being played 24/7, or perhaps have just never dedicated the time to delve into Hozier’s music, I’d highly recommend listening to Hozier, and discover some of the hidden gems in his discography.