Hozier by Hozier

“We tried the world, good God, it wasn’t for us,” 24-year-old Hozier wrote in his 2014 self-titled, debut album. The irish singer-songwriter blends rock, gospel, folk and blues inspirations in this stunning album. The album features twangy guitars, crashing drum sets, and angelic choruses. He managed to combine his gospel roots with the blues and folk influences of his upbringing into what can best be described as Americana-rock. Hozier managed to show stellar consistency with both songwriting and lyrics. Each song has more layers than listeners could ever uncover. 

He writes about real world problems, but also the joys of love and life. Hozier never shies away from darkness, but he chooses to find the happy moments within the difficult times. He describes love as innocent in songs like “Jackie and Wilson,” while also managing hard-hitting analysis of the Church in his critically acclaimed “Take Me to Church.” My personal favorite, “Cherry Wine,” describes the difficulties of abusive relationships in murmurous metaphors. Hozier’s most well known songs deserve the popularity they got, but his less popular ones can be held to the same standard. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, narrated by Noah Galvin

In a time when each day is the same, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky is a fascinating escape from monotony. I listened to the audiobook and it took my breath away. It follows a teenage boy, Charlie, as he tries to find his place in the world. Charlie is lovely; he is a wonderful storyteller that is brought to life by the narrator, Noah Galvin. As Charlie brings you into his world of pain, observation, and so much love, Galvin’s voice acting brings a whole new dimension to Chbosky’s words. The letters show the world from a new perspective as Charlie tries to interpret his place in it. The novel as a whole captures everything that is the teenage experience as Charlie shows how he navigates and learns from his varied and bizarre circumstances. Stephen Chbosky and Noah Galvin’s pairing made me excited to read again, a feeling I have not really felt since I was in middle school. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” made me feel infinite. 

Dharma and Greg

The word that encapsulates everything about this show to me is: happy. “Dharma and Greg” is an adorable sitcom that focuses on the unlikely marriage between Greg, a straight-edged lawyer (Thomas Gibson), and Dharma, a hippie yoga teacher (Jenna Elfman). They meet on the metro, she finds his office, she takes him on a date, they fly to Reno for pie, and they get married, all on the same day. The thing that stands out to me in this show is how much they love each other. They dedicate themselves to each other completely from the first date. Despite their total differences and opposite parents, they chose to put each other above all else. Every episode has a cute and fun plotline that shows that love can prevail over any odds. This show brings a smile to my face every episode and can never fail to make a hard day a little better. We’ve all been looking for an escape from pandemic life, and this show has been that for me. Each episode is 20 minutes and all five seasons are on Hulu.