They don’t come as hopelessly romantic as Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, and his new album ‘Wasteland, Baby’ is a testament to that.
‘Wasteland, Baby’ starts with the mighty ‘Nina Cried Power’ featuring Mavis Staples, which addresses the human spirit in the face of adversity. The 14-track album is full of strong tracks akin to the emotive ‘Nina Cried Power’ such as ‘Movement’ which has a very catchy chorus in which he croons, “So move me baby” in those dulcet tones.
There are also gentler songs, such as ‘Almost (Sweet Music)’ which grow on you. Again, these songs are catchy and Hozier showcases his immense vocal talent.
‘Be’ has a dark theme (“When the Earth is trembling on some new beginning“) but encourages listeners to “Be as you’ve always been“. This demonstrates a worldly consciousness from the writer, Hozier.
The title track is situated at the end of the album and is a quieter song. Again, Hozier is concerned about the “end of the world” (“And the day that we watch the death of the sun”) but also sings about how love alleviates his fears in this almost-lullaby.
Although some may criticise Hozier for not being more adventurous with his sound, he has maintained his signature style and has produced quality songs. which fans will love. The tracks are well-written and immerse the listeners in Hozier’s clearly defined vision for the album.