It's easy--especially with so much good music from past decades out there--to sometimes think that today's artists aren't as good as those from our youth, but this week's featured artist reminded me that such isn't necessarily the case. I first became aware of this week's tune from the piped in music played over the PA when I was slaving away for Save-A-Lot. Later I came across his debut LP for a buck at a library sale and spent the next year listening to it every time I got in our car, again and again and again. It turned out to be one of those albums where every few weeks it would dawn on me how brilliant yet another song on the album was and gave me yet another reason to continue listening...
Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (artistically known as just Hozier) was born in Bray, Ireland on St. Patrick's Day in 1990, taught himself guitar at a young age and by the time he was fifteen he was writing songs. He released his debut EP in 2013 at the ripe old age of 23, and its title track ("Take Me to Church"--a church I'd love to worship at) went on to become an international hit as well as get nominated for a Grammy. In the years since, Hozier has released two studio LPs (both #1 in his native Ireland--so many cool kids in Ireland!), and five more EP's. He's also released 15 singles with three tops fives in Ireland and one #2 here in the States. Hozier continues to record and tour and is truly one of the bright stars in the current state of music (he can flat out sing and writes songs like someone who's been doing it for a lot longer than 17 years). Hozier is also quite the activist, donating time and money to help the homeless, as well as supporting abortion referendums, the NAACP, and Black Lives Matter, and--emaycee fave!--being an outspoken critic of the Catholic Church.
"Someone New" was the fifth single released from his debut album, the aptly titled Hozier. It was not released as a single in America but hit #13 in Ireland. The album reached #1 in Ireland, #2 in the U.S., and #3 in the U.K., which is a hell of a run for a first album.
Fun Fact: Of all the songs on Hozier's first LP, he said that "Someone New" resonated with him the least by the time it was released. Important to remember that Keith Richards thought the Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" was an album filler....
As regular readers (both of you) know, emaycee is a big fan of blue-eyed soul, and like fellow Irishman Van Morrison, Hozier is an exemplar extraordinaire of the singing style. Add in Hozier's unique and nuanced lyricism, and a 60's/70's soul/pop vibe and you have yourself one hell of a tune. Hozier has said the song is about love at its most fatuous (hopeless romantics beg to differ), and some have said it's about loneliness, but I've always felt it's a song about admitting our fallibility as we fall in and out of love ad infinitum in our long-term relationships. Any which way, it's a funky strut down pop music lane...which is always a beautiful place to be.
Lyric Sheet: "Would things be easier if there was a right way?/Honey there is no right way/And so I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit, every day with someone new..."
Enjoy:
Republican = Traitor
Peace,
emaycee
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