In Almost (Sweet Music), dynamics are, for the most part, the same throughout the piece. The beginning of the song starts off relatively quiet with just the guitar and clapping before Hozier begins singing; the introduction of a voice causes the dynamics to leap up. It mellows out during the bridge, but when the chorus starts, they return back to loud. Hozier is not afraid of letting the dynamics jump around in the later half of the song, going from calm and quiet to loud and impactful as he sings about finding joy after an almost all consuming heartbreak. The way he uses dynamics make the song all the more impressive and more interesting to listen to.
The timbre of Almost (Sweet Music) are as varied as the dynamics. Hozier is accompanied by a guitar, drums, a bass, back-up singers, and eventually a choir as the song continues. His own range is impressive, being able to bounce back and forth from low and high notes with ease. The underlying melody of the song mostly remains at the same pitch -somewhere around the middle- with occasional jumps when he wants to make a point, with the new introduction of a new instrument, or as the song closes. Someone listening to this piece leaves it feeling as if they themselves are rediscovering the joy of a mended heart because of the way Hozier blends together his fantastic range and multiple instruments to make the music pack a punch.
Addie's Exploring Music Blog 