"Almost (Sweet Music)" is a song recorded by Irish singer-songwriter

Hozier Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born 17 March 1990), known professionally as Hozier ( ), is an Irish musician. His music primarily draws from Folk music, folk, Soul music, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes and taking politica ...

for his second studio album, ''

Wasteland, Baby! ''Wasteland, Baby!'' is the second studio album by Irish musician Hozier, released on 1 March 2019 by Rubyworks Records. It is Hozier's first album since 2014. The album includes the songs " Nina Cried Power" and "Shrike" from the 2018 EP '' Ni ...

'' It was released on 16 January 2019 as the third single from the record, peaking at number eight on the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are ...

Writing and composition

"Almost (Sweet Music)" is the second track on the album, written by Hozier alone. "Almost (Sweet Music)" is a

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

song with handclaps, "honey-rich" vocals, and gospel choral backing. The lyrics tell a story by paying homage to artists of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

tradition, including

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

, asking "do I owe each kiss to lip and cheek/as soft as Chet can sing"? The track also "provides a glimpse into his personal journey between the two full-length studio albums" with vocals of both jubilation and exhaustion. On the song, Hozier stated that "since the song references music so much and is about the experience of listening to music, the concept of this video is kind of drawing from the jazz tradition and just a lot of musicians and a lot of dancers whose disciplines stem from that tradition.”

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

'' stated that "the melody is lifted by a multi-voiced choir bursting straight out of the

Pearly Gates ''Pearly gates'' is an informal name for the gateway to Heaven (Christianity), Heaven according to some List of Christian denominations, Christian denominations. It is inspired by the description of the New Jerusalem in : "The twelve gates were ...

" and ''

The Arts Desk ''The Arts Desk'' (theartsdesk.com) is a British arts journalism website containing reviews, interviews, news, and other content related to music, theatre, television, films, and other art forms written by journalists from a variety of tradition ...

'' states that "the verse is beautifully mumbled and the whole lot just sways", comparing it to a

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

track. ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'' concluded that the song captured "deep personal sentiment" and illustrated the "fullness and richness of Hozier's timbre" while ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' dismissed track among "songs that pile on folksy handclaps and .gospel choirs in the hopes of landing on a-coffeehouse playlist."

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number six on the ''Billboard'' Rock Digital Sales Chart and number eight on the

. The song was certified gold in the UK. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' described the track as a "love letter to jazz" and a "a bright and cheery homage to the "sweet music" that shaped his growth as a songwriter."

Music video

The official music video for "Almost (Sweet Music)" was released on 16 April 2019. The video was directed by Blythe Thomas and stars dancers

Cameron Boyce Cameron Mica Boyce (May 28, 1999 – July 6, 2019) was an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, appearing in the 2008 films ''Mirrors'' and ''Eagle Eye'', along with the comedy film '' Grown Ups'' (2010) and its 2013 sequel. Hi ...

and Christine Flores. It intertwines footage of Hozier playing guitar in an empty warehouse with performers interpretive dancing to a "rhythm that works in every environment, from a raucous house party to .a cellist practicing in a cozy library." The video has garnered over 12 million views on YouTube.

Personnel

Personnel from ''"Wasteland, Baby!"'' liner notes * A. Hozier-Byrne – vocals, guitar, piano, claps, snaps, shaker * Alex Ryan – bass,

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

, claps, snaps * Rory Doyle –

kick drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter usually greater than its depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. The hea ...

, claps, snaps *

Booker T. Jones Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artis ...

– organ *

Paul Clarvis Paul Clarvis (born 9 April 1963) is an English percussionist. Biography Born in Enfield, Clarvis was the late Leonard Bernstein's preferred percussionist in London and featured as a soloist on the last night of the Proms in 1996 in a concer ...

Writing and composition

Critical reception

Commercial performance

Music video

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References