Album Review: Hozier - Wasteland, Baby!

Irish musician Hozier effortlessly blends blues, gospel and folk-rock with tasty pop hooks on his soulful second album, Wasteland, Baby!. The 14-track release, which comes over five years after hit single Take Me To Church brought the artist to sudden prominence, allows Hozier to showcase a wide stylistic range.

He’s joined by a gospel choir on strong opener Nina Cried Power, the soulful track setting the album up well. Movement serves as a slow-burning rock track, while As It Was and Shrike are beautiful guitar-led folk songs. Meanwhile, Talk is a dark blues ballad with a captivating riff and Dinner & Diatribes is a thumping blues-rock tune. Even on the album's poppier tracks like Almost (Sweet Music) and To Noise Making (Sing), with possibly the most radio airplay potential, Hozier’s powerful, deep voice provides a welcome edge. From belted references to political issues on Be, to crooned lines of love on Nobody, the quality of the album's lyrics rarely wavers.

Lyrically strong, and covering a broad scope of genres and styles, Wasteland, Baby! remains a consistently interesting and engaging album from start to finish.