It’s been quite the decade for Andrew Hozier-Byrne. Back in 2013, the Wicklow-born Irish singer was honing his craft in Dublin’s Trinity College, with songs that would later appear on his acclaimed debut album still being hashed out in empty rehearsal spaces and cramped attics.
Just a few months later, Take Me to Church’s story of a romantic relationship between two men and Catholic oppression caught fire on YouTube, topping the charts in 12 countries and earning the music student a record deal.
Recording in his parents’ attic, Hozier’s soulful delivery captured something uniquely Irish at a tumultuous time in Ireland, which reckoned with divisive referendums on same-sex marriage and abortion rights in the years that followed. It seemed like an impassioned call to arms for a country throwing off its conservative shackles. It's no wonder massive shows and award nominations followed.
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Returning for a sold-out show at Cardiff Castle on Thursday - his first in the Welsh capital since 2019’s visit to St David’s Hall – Hozier unleashes a setlist of past favourites from both his debut and 2019 follow-up Wasteland, Baby! as well as a smattering of new singles including Eat Your Young, Francesca and Unknown/Nth.
"Look at this beautiful f*cking place," the long-haired singer exclaims as he beams out at a Cardiff crowd blessed with a warm summer evening, a contrast to the rain revellers experienced at his Manchester show the night before. "Where else could you get a view like this? And I'm just talking about the people," he adds, the playful crowd-pleasing adding to his softly spoken charm.
Hozier's music is best described as brooding, introspective folk-pop with soaring choruses and a sprinkling of literature references. It's celebratory, inoffensive and genuinely affecting at times, propelled by his imposing vocals.
The night is packed with early favourites and lesser-known album tracks including the free-spirited Jackie and Wilson and James Joyce-inspired Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene, whose guitar-heavy stomp is given extra potency by an impressive backing band.
"We are in the home of the greatest singers on the planet," the singer remarks at some point in the set, one of several references to Cardiff's knack for carrying a tune (to varying degrees, depending on what time you stroll down St Mary Street on a Saturday evening.) Highfalutin literary references include a song influenced by Dante, and at one point I literally see a man walk by with two (not one, two!) books under his arm. I wonder if he finished both during the gig. Sir, if this was you, please get in touch.
Hozier has never been afraid to tackle serious themes in his music, but even the gig's more introspective moments hold up in such a large venue. Cherry Wine, a genuinely beautiful track about an abusive relationship sung alone by Hozier sans band, gets the respectful silence it deserves, the lanky singer dropping out to let the crowd sing the last chorus. Spanish-American singer-songwriter Victoria Canal, a support act earlier in the night, joins for a touching rendition of Like Real People Do that brings all the canoodling you might imagine from a song whose main hook is 'we should just kiss like real people do.'
Predictably, the crowd’s biggest reception is reserved for Take Me to Church, which has lost none of its power and is delivered with the towering baritone that, a decade into his career, remains arguably Hozier’s greatest quality. No longer wedded to his guitar as he was a decade ago, he confidently prowls from one side to the other with the mic, beating his chest and spurring on the crowd, perhaps more aware of the weight of his biggest hit than ever.
With his third album Unreal Unearth not due until August, Thursday’s Cardiff Castle show is something of a run-out for Hozier’s new work. While it is the older tracks that ignite the crowd, selling out a big outdoor venue after a few years off is no easy feat, and it’s hard to imagine his loyal congregation of fans won’t be singing the new songs at top volume in a few years' time.
There are more gigs to come at Cardiff Castle including The Lumineers on July 7 and Welsh icon Sir Tom Jones who has a number of dates that kick off on Friday, July 21.
