Hozier delivered a snappy rendition of “Almost (Sweet Music)” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Tuesday. The stripped-down cut is centered around prickly guitar lines and an energetic beat of claps and snaps that steadily builds to a soulful peak tinged with organ and choral vocals.
“Almost” is a tender love song that also finds Hozier paying homage to an array of jazz greats in his lyrics: “The numbered lovers of Duke Ellington,” he sings, “Do I owe each kiss to lip and cheek as soft as Chet can sing/Let’s get lost and let the good times roll.”
“Almost” appears on Hozier’s new album, Wasteland, Baby!, which the Irish musician released earlier this month. The album follows Hozier’s 2018 EP, Nina Cried Power – which featured Mavis Staples on the title track – and his breakout self-titled debut, which arrived in 2014.
Hozier will embark on a North American tour in support of Wasteland, Baby! this weekend. The 26-date trek kicks off March 10th in Buffalo, New York and wraps April 14th in Spokane, Washington.