Wasteland, Baby!
Studio album by
Hozier
Released1 March 2019 (2019-03-01)
RecordedSeptember 2017 – February 2019
Genre
Length57:21
Label
Producer
Hozier chronology
Nina Cried Power
(2018)		 Wasteland, Baby!
(2019)		 Eat Your Young
(2023)
Singles from Wasteland, Baby!
  1. "Nina Cried Power"
    Released: 6 September 2018
  2. "Movement"
    Released: 14 November 2018
  3. "Almost (Sweet Music)"
    Released: 16 January 2019
  4. "Dinner & Diatribes"
    Released: 15 February 2019

Wasteland, Baby! is the second studio album by Irish musician Hozier, released on 1 March 2019 by Rubyworks Records.[1] It is Hozier's first album since 2014.[2] The album includes the songs "Nina Cried Power" and "Shrike" from the 2018 EP Nina Cried Power, as well as the single "Movement".[1] It was promoted by a North American tour beginning in March 2019, and a European tour in late summer to fall 2019.[3] Wasteland, Baby! debuted atop the Irish Albums Chart and the Billboard 200, and has since been certified gold in the US.[4]

Background and writing

After touring his debut album, Hozier took a one-year hiatus from his work, moving back to Ireland to "reconnect".[5] He stated that he became a "news junkie" and wrote much of the album's material "trying to reconcile" his own "concerns and anxieties" regarding humanity when Doomsday Clock moved two minutes to midnight in 2018.[6][7] The themes encompass apocalyptic imagery in "cultural" and "moral wastelands" within a backdrop of personal connection and intimacy;[8] influenced by the seeking of "hope" and "warmth" amidst major global events such as climate change, the European migrant crisis, the rise of neo-nationalism and Brexit.[9][10] Such doubling concepts are expanded on in tracks like "Shrike", "Be", "No Plan" and "Wasteland, Baby!".[10][7]

Of course, despair and fatigue, they absolutely creep in, and they certainly did at many points. A lot of people, certainly like a lot of Irish people … have a very, very close, healthy relationship with despair, which is not always a bad thing; you know what I mean?...I think there’s wonderful things to explore in that...we’re living in very interesting times, and in many ways, unprecedented times. I’ve always held that there’s always that holding onto a sort of optimism [...] finding some silver lining, something to hang onto, and something that provides you with some amount of hope and gives you some sense of faith in people and faith in the kindness that people are capable of...That’s what a lot of the songs on the record were trying to reach for.

— Hozier on the intertwining themes of Wasteland, Baby!, RIFF[10]

The album's lyrical and musical conception was influenced by featuring artist Mavis Staples as well as the literature of T.S Eliot, W. B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney.[10] Stylistically, Hozier aimed for "music that hit a little bit harder, that leaned into rhythm a little bit more" than his debut record.[7] He first came up with the ideas for "Movement" and "Nina Cried Power" on the piano, and states that he had a "bad habit" of "trying to write six, seven, eight songs at once" while writing the record.[5] Hozier has stated that he was "reluctant" to draw inspiration from tour life, with the months he spent at home in the Irish countryside "living a normal life enabled [him] to absorb things".[5] Hozier spent the last 18 months prior to Wasteland, Baby!'s release working on the album.[11] The exclamation mark in the title of the album is “quite important,” and signifies “ the wry smile” in his lyricism, blending "experiences of devastation and joy".[8]

Music and lyrics

Wasteland, Baby! is just under an hour long, containing fourteen tracks in total.[12] The record features a guest appearances from blues singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples on "Nina Cried Power" and instrumentalist Booker T. Jones on "Be" and "Sunlight".[13] The tracks were written entirely by Hozier with the exception of "As It Was", which was co-written with Alex Ryan.[14] The album was produced by Hozier, Markus Dravs, Rob Kirwan, and Ariel Rechtshaid.[15] Wasteland, Baby! is a soul[16] R&B[16] and folk-influenced record.[16] The album features gospel choral backing,[17] pulpit-rattling percussion[17] gentle vocals,[18] and varied instrumentation[18] with bluesy organs and guitar[17] containing a mix of pop-culture references[19] and personal sentiment.[19] The album also returns to Biblical and naturalistic imagery, invoking romantic symbolism.[20][21]

Songs

"Nina Cried Power" opens the album with a bluesy, soulful track featuring a strong drumbeat and vocals by Mavis Staples.[16][18] It sees Hozier lyrically reference artists he found inspirational during the song-writing process - among those mentioned are Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Woody Guthrie and Duke Ellington. The following track "Almost (Sweet Music)" similarly alludes to jazz albums and songs.[19]

Many tracks on the album, like the aforementioned "Nina Cried Power" as well as "Movement" and "To Noise Making (Sing)", feature a gospel choir.[19] "Movement" is an R&B ballad that compares the summons of love to an awe-inspiring dance, while the latter features a one-word refrain with dreamy, echoing vocals.[16]

"Shrike" is among many folk-inspired tracks on the album, which sees Hozier lamenting his inability to voice his lost love - the title an ode to the Shrike bird.[15] "Dinner & Diatribes" marks a slight stylistic change, and is more country-influenced.[22] "Sunlight" features a funk-organ and lyrical allusion, comparing the gospel of love to the myth of Icarus.[23]

"Wasteland, Baby!" concludes the album with love ballad featuring subtle acoustics and soft utterances, depicting a tender romance against the backdrop of the apocalypse.[8] This dystopian theme runs deep within the album's lyricism, featured in tracks like "Be" which discusses global crises and humanity's flawed past, and "No Plan" which addresses the state and fate of universe with harsh lyricism, inspired by astrophysicist Katie Mack.[24]

Release and promotion

Hozier announced the track listing in a video posted to Twitter, showing himself writing it down and then displaying it.[2] The album pre-order became available with the track "Almost (Sweet Music)".[25] Wasteland, Baby! was released on 1 March 2019, debuting atop the US Billboard 200 chart.[26] The album cover was painted by Hozier's mother from posed pictures of the artist in a staged, underwater set.[27][28]

Singles

"Nina Cried Power" was released as the lead single off the album on 6 September 2018. "Movement" was released as the second single off the album on 14 November 2018. A music video for the song was also released on the same day.[29] "Almost (Sweet Music)" was released as the third single off the album, along with the album pre-order, on 16 January 2019. A music video for the song was released on 16 April 2019.[30] "Dinner & Diatribes" was released as the fourth single off the album on 15 February 2019. A music video for the song was released on 6 March 2019.[31]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic63/100[32]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[33]
The Arts Desk[34]
Consequence of SoundB+[35]
The Daily Telegraph[36]
The Guardian[37]
The Independent[38]
The Irish Times[39]
Pitchfork4.8/10[40]
PopMatters7/10[41]
Rolling Stone[42]

Wasteland, Baby! received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 63, based on 10 reviews.[32]

Positive reviews include AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, who called the album "a subtle but notable shift that lends emotional gravity to a singer/songwriter who already favored weighty topics."[33] Michael Pementel of Consequence of Sound stated "from the blend of instrumentals to the enchanting use of Hozier's voice, Wasteland, Baby! is an album that celebrates emotion and the wonder of music."[36] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph gave the album a perfect score, claiming Hozier to be "a talent to rival Jeff Buckley".[35] Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times said "despite a hiccup or two, without which would have made for a five-star record – it's a very welcome one."[39] Elisabeth Woronzoff of PopMatters stated that Hozier needed the album "to recapture the energy created by his previous releases then further light the artist's skill and vision of his craft." And that it "certainly delivers while edifying the artist as an impactful voice in the art and activism sphere."[41]

Mixed reviews include The Arts Desk's Russ Coffey, who said that the album's "finer moments – and there are many – come where he balances his natural despondency with some positivity."[34] Damien Morris of The Guardian stated "it's a lovely sound, but the songwriting veers more towards the serviceable than the inspired."[37] Jonathan Bernstein of Rolling Stone claimed the album "has enough encouraging displays of maturation to feel like a transitional moment for Hozier. At its best, the album carves out a space for the singer to work out his creative tensions as he finds new ways to make his straight folk influences more accessible without losing anything along the way."[42]

Negative reviews include The Independent's Mark Beaumont, claiming "Hozier has some pertinent points to make on an album that improves dramatically in the second half."[38] Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork said "the man who took us to church tries to take us to the same church, again, 14 times, six years later."[40]

Commercial performance

Wasteland, Baby! debuted at number one on the Irish Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, earning 89,000 album-equivalent units in the latter country (including 75,000 pure album sales). It is Hozier's first US number-one album.[43]

Track listing

All tracks written by Andrew Hozier-Byrne; "As It Was" co-written by Alex Ryan. All tracks co-produced by Markus Dravs, unless otherwise noted.

Wasteland, Baby! track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Nina Cried Power" (featuring Mavis Staples) 3:45
2."Almost (Sweet Music)" 3:37
3."Movement" 3:57
4."No Plan" 5:31
5."Nobody"
3:30
6."To Noise Making (Sing)"
  • Hozier
  • Rechtshaid
3:26
7."As It Was"
3:27
8."Shrike"
  • Hozier
  • Kirwan
4:58
9."Talk" 3:26
10."Be" 4:49
11."Dinner & Diatribes"
  • Hozier
  • Kirwan
3:44
12."Would That I" 4:28
13."Sunlight" 4:17
14."Wasteland, Baby!" 4:26
Total length:57:21

Personnel

Musicians

  • Andrew Hozier-Byrne – vocals, guitar (all tracks); keyboards (1), synthesizer (1, 4, 8, 11, 14), castanets (2, 9), piano (2, 12), shaker (2, 9, 10), fiddle (3, 12), percussion (8, 9, 12), bells (9), organ (9, 12, 14), bongos, drums, tambourine (12); programming (13)
  • Lurine Cato – background vocals (1, 10, 13)
  • Priscilla Jones-Campbell – background vocals (1, 10, 13)
  • Markus Dravs – bass (1, 12), synthesizer (1, 3), programming (3, 4, 9, 12, 13), keyboards (10), drums (12)
  • Alex Ryan – bass (1–13), piano (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13), castanets (2), keyboards (2, 4, 7–9, 14), synthesizer (3, 4, 7, 9, 11), percussion (8, 12), drums, tambourine (12)
  • Rory Doyle – drums (1–4, 9–13), castanets (2), percussion (8, 11, 12), tambourine (12)
  • Booker T. Jones – organ (1–3, 10, 13)
  • Paul Clarvis – shaker (1, 3, 4, 13), tambourine (1, 2, 10), bells (3)
  • Mavis Staples – vocals (1)
  • Nell Catchpole – violin (4)
  • Matt Bauder – baritone saxophone, cornet (5)
  • Buddy Ross – keyboards (5, 6), celesta, organ (5); orchestra, piano (6)
  • Aaron Redfield – drums (5)
  • Kate Urcioli – trombone (5)
  • Jackie Gouche Ferris – background vocals (6)
  • Judith Hill – background vocals (6)
  • Lynn Mabry – background vocals (6)
  • Sarah Lynch – violin (7, 8)

Technical

  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Mike Crossey – mixing (1)
  • Shawn Everett – mixing (2, 4, 5)
  • Andrew Scheps – mixing (3, 7–14)
  • Ariel Rechtshaid – mixing (6)
  • Robbie Nelson – engineering (1–4, 9, 10, 12–14)
  • Iain Berryman – engineering (1–4, 9, 10, 12–14)
  • Markus Dravs – engineering (1)
  • Dave Schiffman – engineering (5, 6)
  • Ben Tolliday – engineering (7, 8, 11)
  • Nick Rowe – editing (5, 6)
  • Nathaniel Graham – engineering assistance (1–4, 9–14)
  • Stephen Sesso – engineering assistance (1)
  • Jim Caroll – engineering assistance (1)
  • Rachel Bloom – engineering assistance (1)
  • Ivan Wayman – engineering assistance (2, 4, 5)
  • Chris Kasych – engineering assistance (5, 6)
  • John DeBold – engineering assistance (5, 6)
  • PJ Ronan – engineering assistance (7, 8, 11)
  • Misha Hercules – engineering assistance (7, 8, 11)

Artwork

  • Andrew Hozier-Byrne – art direction
  • Raine Hozier-Byrne – art direction, cover painting
  • Mark James – design
  • Lucy Nuzum – photography

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Wasteland, Baby!
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[69] Gold 40,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[70] Gold 10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[71] Gold 100,000‡
United States (RIAA)[72] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 Kelly, Aoife (17 January 2019). "Hozier announces release date and tracklist for new album 'Wasteland Baby!'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 Skinner, Tom (16 January 2019). "Hozier has announced 'Wasteland, Baby' – his first album in more than four years". NME. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  3. ↑ Reed, Ryan (9 January 2019). "Hear Hozier Turn Destiny's Child's 'Say My Name' Into Soulful Slow Jam". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  4. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 "Interview: Hozier Talks 'Wasteland, Baby!' & New Collaborators". Idolator. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "Hozier talks new album 'Wasteland, Baby!' and the legacy of 'Take Me To Church'". NME. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 "For Hozier, the joy in 'Wasteland! Baby' comes from the journey". Spokesman. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "How Hozier Learned to Flirt with the End of the World on Wasteland, Baby!". Time.com. March 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "Hozier on love, politics, and trying to follow the worldwide success of 'Take Me to Church'". EW. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "INTERVIEW: Hozier, already working on next album, looks for hope in a wasteland". Riff Magazine. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "Hozier's Wasteland, Baby! Album Release Party". YouTube. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  12. ↑ "Wasteland, Baby!". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  13. ↑ Reed, Ryan (25 October 2018). "See Hozier, Mavis Staples Play Soulful 'Nina Cried Power' on 'Fallon'". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "As It Was". Genius. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  15. 1 2 "HOZIER – WASTELAND, BABY! (ALBUM REVIEW)". Cryptic Rock. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 McCormick, Neil (28 February 2019). "Hozier, Wasteland, Baby!, review: a talent to rival Jeff Buckley". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 Morris, Damien (3 March 2019). "Hozier: Wasteland, Baby! review – catchy second album". The Observer. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  18. 1 2 3 "Hozier Picks Up Where He Left off on Wasteland, Baby!". COS. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "'Wasteland, Baby' Highlights Hozier As an Impactful Voice in the Art and Activism Sphere". Pop Matters. March 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "Album reviews: Hozier – Wasteland, Baby! and Tom Walker – What a Time To Be Alive". Independent. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  21. ↑ "A New Album from the Hopelessly Romantic Hozier". Neon Music. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  22. ↑ "Music Video Breakdown: 'Dinner & Diatribes' by Hozier". The Crimson. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  23. ↑ "Odyssey". 20 Hozier Lyrics That Will Make You Wonder Why He Hasn't Won A Pulitzer (Yet). 4 September 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  24. ↑ Mack, Katie (1 March 2019). "Especially this track "No Plan"… trust me on this". Retrieved 4 March 2019 – via Twitter.
  25. ↑ White, Jack (16 January 2019). "Hozier announces new album Wasteland, Baby! scheduled for release on March 1". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  26. ↑ Hughes, Hilary. "Hozier Knows the World Is Ending, So He Wrote Apocalyptic Love Songs For 'Wasteland, Baby!'". Billboard. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  27. ↑ Hozier (28 February 2019), Hozier – Wasteland, Baby! – Behind The Album Cover, retrieved 4 March 2019
  28. ↑ "Hozier – Wasteland, Baby! – Behind The Album Cover". YouTube. 28 February 2019.
  29. ↑ "Hozier – Movement". YouTube. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  30. ↑ "Hozier – Almost (Sweet Music) (Official Video)". YouTube. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  31. ↑ "Hozier – Dinner & Diatribes (Official Video)". YouTube. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  32. 1 2 "Reviews for Wasteland, Baby! by Hozier". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  33. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wasteland, Baby! – Hozier". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  34. 1 2 Coffey, Russ (28 February 2019). "CD: Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  35. 1 2 McCormick, Neil (28 February 2019). "Hozier, Wasteland, Baby!, review: a talent to rival Jeff Buckley". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  36. 1 2 Pamentel, Michael (5 March 2019). "Hozier Picks Up Where He Left off on Wasteland, Baby!". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  37. 1 2 Morris, Damien (3 March 2019). "Hozier: Wasteland, Baby! review – catchy second album". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  38. 1 2 Beaumont, Mark (28 February 2019). "Album reviews: 'Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!' and Tom Walker – 'What a Time to Be Alive'". The Independent. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  39. 1 2 Clayton-Lea, Tony (16 February 2019). "Hozier: Wasteland, Baby! – Track by track review of his new album". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  40. 1 2 Sodomsky, Sam (5 March 2019). "Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  41. 1 2 Woronzoff, Elisabeth (1 March 2019). "'Wasteland, Baby!' Highlights Hozier As an Impactful Voice in the Art and Activism Sphere". PopMatters. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  42. 1 2 Bernstein, Jonathan (1 March 2019). "Review: Hozier Deepens His Folk-Soul Sound on 'Wasteland, Baby!'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  43. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (10 March 2019). "Hozier Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart With 'Wasteland, Baby!'". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  44. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  45. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  46. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  47. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  48. ↑ "Hozier Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  49. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 10.Týden 2019 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  50. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  51. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  52. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  53. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Hozier". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  54. ↑ "Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 10. nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  55. ↑ "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  56. ↑ "Charts.nz – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  57. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  58. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  59. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  60. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  61. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  62. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  63. ↑ "Hozier Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  64. ↑ "Hozier Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  65. ↑ "Hozier Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  66. ↑ "Hozier Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  67. ↑ White, Jack (9 January 2020). "Ireland's Official Top 50 biggest albums of 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  68. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  69. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby!". Music Canada. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  70. ↑ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 December 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Wasteland, Baby! in the search box.
  71. ↑ "British album certifications – Hozier – Wasteland Baby". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  72. ↑ "American album certifications – Hozier – Wasteland, Baby". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
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