Review: Hozier

Hozier

Whelan’s, Dublin

***

Are there any successful Irish artists who haven’t been on the Whelan’s stage? This year the venue is celebrating its 25th year as the unofficial home of Irish rock and roll, and the latest homegrown contender is Andrew Hozier-Byrne, here playing something of a showcase gig. It was announced two days previously, and sold out in less than a minute. Now he is heading for the US, followed by a long summer on the European festival circuit. You can feel the weight of expectation.

It's easy to understand why. Hozier has a voice as big as the horizon, with rough, sanded edges and a gravelly tone. He might be Irish, but his musical roots reach deep into the Mississippi Delta and up into the Appalachian mountains - Wicklow aren't the only hills in this musical landscape. He took the pop/rock world by storm with Take Me to Church , but here he's dropping names like Junior Kimbrough, the man who put the boom in John Lee Hooker.

Hozier also has a keen instinct for a fine pop hook, and enough nous to wrap them up in his shunting, bona fide blues. It’s a rich, ambitious mix, and there’s hardly a musician in the city who wouldn’t want a crack at this gig.

At each successive gig, this band have grown in confidence, but they're not the finished product yet. Cherry Wine is a fine, satisfying highlight, while In a Week strikes a loose-plucked chord with fans of Nick Drake. (The latter's shimmering verses belie the darkness of its lyrics. "I grew up in the Wicklow hills," says Hozier by way of introduction, "Words usually found close to 'a body was found'.")

A shuffling cover of Whole Lotta Love is diverting rather than direct, and hesitancy creeps in. Hozier doesn't seem keen on bossing the ensemble songs, and the band don't quite click seamlessly in behind him. Take Me to Church comes across as surprisingly tame, the band's showpiece tune reduced to a weak point in the set.

There’s plenty of promise in this music, and there’s no doubting the talent at play; after all, Hozier hasn’t released an album, but he’s already playing to packed houses. A year on the road and a shotful of swagger will do wonders for this auspicious work-in-progress.