One Liner: Massively popular Irish blue rock who needs to release another album
Wikipedia Genre: Indie rock, soul, blues, folk, R&B, blues rockHome: Ireland
Poster Position: 2
Day: Friday at 6:45
Both Weekends.
"Take Me to Church" is the juggernaut, the unstoppable tune that is closing in on a billion streams despite being rock and roll.
You might recall that he was scheduled to come to ACL in 2014, but called in sick or something and we missed out. Which bloooooowwwwws. Then he came back the next year and was very good. The portions that I didn't like in 2015 were his cover tunes, so hopefully he is about to release his new album and impress us with that instead of playing through dumb Ariana Grande songs. But, if "Take Me To Church" is all you know from this guy, then by all means, keep listening. He's good.
I heard a cover version of "Work Song" the other day, and it reminded me how damn pretty that one is. 140.3 million streams.
He claimed in June that the new record was "fast approaching." Well, WE'RE WAITING!
Sadly, I doubt I'll go see this show. I don't know, this is the hardest choice on the whole schedule:
- Awesome blues rock from this guy?
- Amazing lyricism and entertainment from Father John Misty?
- Newest coolest rap group out there from Brockhampton?
Brutal.
[EDIT 9/7/18]: Well, its not the full album we might have all wanted to hear, but at least its something. A four song EP, called "Nina Cried Power," was released today. The first track, featuring Mavis Staples, is a power blues rocker about stepping up in the face of oppression, that gives shouts to everyone from James Brown to John Lennon for fighting the power. The second tune is a dark, slow, burning warning to those who might mess with his baby called "NFWMB." I like that one a lot. Third song is a more traditional blues rock stomper, "Moment's Silence (Common Tongue)," that sounds like Hozier's prior songs. "Shrike," the fourth and final tune, has that lilting Irish guitar sound that he uses to great effect on the one album, which adds some cool depth to an otherwise relaxed ballad.
Aside - what is a "shrike?" "a songbird with a strong sharply hooked bill, often impaling its prey of small birds, lizards, and insects on thorns." Criminy. I need to go listen more closely to those lyrics, is this a song about Bird the Impaler? Yep, the chorus says that he wants to be reborn as "the shrike to your sharp and glorious thorn." So, in his next life, he wants to be the killer that uses her thorn to store his murdered prey? I'm more confused now that when I started.
Its good new music, I just wish it was attached to a full album of similar tunes.
[EDIT 9/7/18]: Well, its not the full album we might have all wanted to hear, but at least its something. A four song EP, called "Nina Cried Power," was released today. The first track, featuring Mavis Staples, is a power blues rocker about stepping up in the face of oppression, that gives shouts to everyone from James Brown to John Lennon for fighting the power. The second tune is a dark, slow, burning warning to those who might mess with his baby called "NFWMB." I like that one a lot. Third song is a more traditional blues rock stomper, "Moment's Silence (Common Tongue)," that sounds like Hozier's prior songs. "Shrike," the fourth and final tune, has that lilting Irish guitar sound that he uses to great effect on the one album, which adds some cool depth to an otherwise relaxed ballad.
Aside - what is a "shrike?" "a songbird with a strong sharply hooked bill, often impaling its prey of small birds, lizards, and insects on thorns." Criminy. I need to go listen more closely to those lyrics, is this a song about Bird the Impaler? Yep, the chorus says that he wants to be reborn as "the shrike to your sharp and glorious thorn." So, in his next life, he wants to be the killer that uses her thorn to store his murdered prey? I'm more confused now that when I started.
Its good new music, I just wish it was attached to a full album of similar tunes.
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