Hozier: The Lexington, London – 26/03/2014

It is rare that a venue complements a performance so completely as was the case with Hozier‘s globetrotting tour finale at the Lexington in London’s Pentonville Road. There was certainly a little of the American Deep South about this performance; Hozier returning from Stateside shows encompassing New York and South by Southwest Festival, the venue ably providing bourbon and traditional american beers in an atmospheric, relaxed setting.

Support for the concert was gifted by the bellows of Sam Fender, the sheer power of his voice as impressive as the quality of the simple, believable acoustic songs.

Hozier, at times supported by a full, strong band, at others performing intimately on his own started gently with the delicate ‘Like Real People Do’ before launching into the cool blues drive of Angel of Small Death’.

He engaged affably with the crowd between tracks, a strong personality that shone through in his music – a cover of a Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Work Song’ were of particular note. The real highlight of the show was the lyrically and musically emphatic ‘Take Me to Church’, a song of real timeless quality that has performed well in the Irish charts. A very tight band and strong backing vocals gilded the delivery of a truly memorable piece of music.

The show closed on new single, ‘From Eden’ to be released in April which comprehensively demonstrated Hozier’s skill and balance in blending musical genres; effortless vocals drawing in the crowd who responded to the singer’s charm and creativity.

There is something of a buzz around Andrew Hozier-Byrne’s authentic blues/folk amalgam that is a reflection of his palpable potential to deliver music of real originality; with two sublime EPs under the belt, a studio session delivering some heartfelt ballads and strong Deep South riffs is hotly anticipated.