Hozier (2015)

I looked him over last year when he was announced as coming to the 2014 ACL Fest.  Sadly, he skipped out on the festival because of sickness of some sort.  I was very sad-face about that.  After I first listened to him, he put out his lone album, which I liked, and ended up naming as one of my top ten albums of the year.

Honestly, not a ton more to say about the guy.  He makes really great blues-fired rock and roll, and from reports I read after his recent shows in Austin, his live show is great.  You all know "Take Me to Church" (or if you don't, then go to the link from last year above and listen, it's good).  My kids sing along with varying rates of success, which is entertaining.  My son asks someone to take him to church "on a Saturday Night" while my youngest sings the word "dog" like she's in a bad rockabilly band from the swamp.   Duuuuuuuwwwwg.  It is kind of awesome.  And by the way, take a guess at the number of listens on Spotify for that song?  344 flipping MILLION.  That is insane and whips Drake's best or the Foo's best by a large factor.  Wow.

But the rest of the album is also awesome - I think my favorite tune from the album is "Jackie and Wilson." 

Distorted rock swagger, a choir, a great sing-along chorus that makes you feel in on the cool knowledge for classic rock and roll.  So good.  Basic stuff, but done right and I'm in for sure.  Almost 16.5 million Spotify listens.  Awesome tune.  But then you listen to the rest of the album and I dig "Someone New" so much, and "Like Real People Do," "Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene," "In a Week," the whole rest of it.  Well done.

His second most listened to tune is "Work Song" with just under 30 million Spotify listens. 

Gospel-y, swinging low and full of soul.  I'd rather have the fun times of Jackie & Wilson, but this tune is great as well.  I'll definitely plan on going to see Hozier do his thing.