I struggled writing this post on Hozier’s first album. As I sat writing, deleting, and rewriting, I was reminded why I originally decided not to review new music. I listen to this beautiful album and like many reviewers I want to tear it apart and analyze it, but that approach would be inconsistent with my original intent. My goal is to experience the music, not destroy it. In the short time of owning this album I have experienced it deeply.

I was first introduced to the song Take Me To Church. Immediately I fell in love with the simple sound, and complicated words. Watching the video I was transported to past protests and rallies. The video tells the story of two men who love each other, one is murdered for it. The video and the song work together perfectly, we are confronted with struggles of the LGBT community and the isolation experienced by conservative religion. The refrain “Take me to church” isolates the dichotomy of religion that preaches love and acts differently.

Of course the marriage of this song and that video tell a different story than listening to the song alone. The song by itself draws parallels to love and the institution of religion. This song thrives in the heart of the teenager that lives inside of me. A boy who struggles to understand his feeling while still being enveloped by them. What I love about this song is that it works on multiple levels, it works as a scathing commentary faith and as a love song describing someone lost in an emotional tsunami.

My Church offers no absolution
She tells me, ‘Worship in the bedroom.’
The only heaven I’ll be sent to
Is when I’m alone with you—

It connects religion and love, faith and lust, hope and loss. I don’t know if you have ever been lost in love, especially a love that is not balanced but the author seems to understand this carnal desire.

Take me to church
I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I’ll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

Maybe you’ve never had this feeling or maybe it’s just easier to lie about it, but Hozier’s rock, blues, gospel, pop mix brings to light the love we often leave hidden in the darkness, the love that we don’t admit. Or the feeling of losing ourselves to love. If you have never had this issue you may get bored but if you have, prepare to bring that darkness to the surface.

The album revolves around relational themes, generally about love, lust, sex, and loss. I played the song In A Week for my wife, she listened openly in the beginning appreciating the music, but she didn’t feel the full weight of the song until she heard the refrain:

And they’d find us in a week
When the weather get’s hot
After the insects have made their claim
I’d be home with you

Immediately she wondered whether we should continue listening to this album. But this is not an album one can simply pull one song out and expect to understand the full depth, some albums are just full of great songs that don’t connect with each other, this was not one of them. The order of the songs and the fullness of the album creates a context, and it would be hard to understand any one song without first beginning to understand the whole of the album. That is why I love vinyl, it helps me find that context.

So, If you are looking for simple, look somewhere else, this album is not for you. We have to think about this album, we comb over it, and always listen for something new. So far I hear love songs, joyful and tragic. He delves into love, he embraces it, massages it, and even mangles it.

I look forward to hearing his future albums. This album was very thematic, and I look forward hearing different themes. Love is important but I’d love to hear him pour this much work into other issues. Now, whether he will we don’t really know, but I do know I will blindly buy his next album in the hope that he continues to grow as a musician and commentator.