For those of you who don’t know, Hozier is an Indie songwriter and musician who’s been around since 2013. He’s best known for his song “Take Me to Church” which was originally a single and then released on his self-titled album. Currently he’s going viral on the internet for a catchy snippet of a song he teased called “Too Sweet” which seems to be about a man who knows his lover is too good for him.
While in the past Hozier has been known and celebrated primarily in circles of people who love Indie and Folk music, he seems to be gaining in popularity and is currently on tour. I personally love his music and his use of lyricism to write about relevant political and social issues, as well as religion often. That being said, this is an obviously biased take because I’m a huge fan of his and I plan on attending his Tampa concert in May.
On March 22, he released an EP of four songs that failed to make it onto his last album, Unreal Unearth. The album drew inspiration from Dante’s “Inferno” and explores themes of sin and greed via songs such as “Eat Your Young,” which is about capitalist greed and gluttony, and the third circle of Hell via “Inferno.” The just released EP titled Unheard, is meant to be somewhat of a continuation of this theme, as these four songs were written for the album but didn’t make the cut.
- “Too Sweet”
From the moment a snippet of the song was released, it went viral on Tik Tok. Obviously because it was the first exposure I had to this EP, it was a fast favorite. I think it’s a very strong introduction to the EP, it’s very catchy and touches on temptation in relation to how these tracks explore sin. I really enjoy Hozier’s use of imagery and lyricism to point out juxtapositions between the speaker of the song and their lover. Essentially, the speaker knows that their lover is too good for them and is continuously trying to tempt their lover into living a different life. Connecting it to Dante’s “Inferno,” this track would be exploring the third circle of hell: Gluttony. The speaker of the song overindulges in life which keeps them from being on the same level as their lover, which is why their lover is “too sweet.”
- “Wildflower and Barley” (ft Allison Russell)
This song is about a quiet time in the countryside, wildflower (a flower) and barley (a grain) growing together in tandem. Genius writes that this song was written during the pandemic and was inspired by the first circle of Hell. The song is very soft and melodic, the exact opposite from the energetic song before it. It seems to be describing the healing of nature in the absence of human interference during the quiet times of quarantine in the pandemic. The words “Riverboat, wheelbarrow, wildflower, and barley” are repeated throughout the song. The riverboat seems to be alluding to the boat of the underworld, and the wheelbarrow means that the land is being farmed again. Hozier is describing the world waking up again after a period of quietness and death. The soft vocals added by Allison Russell contribute to the harmony and beauty of the song. This is definitely a soft, relaxing song I’d listen to on a calm afternoon spring walk.
- “Empire Now”
This is an incredibly powerful song to me, which Hozier showcases through strong vocals and music that conveys the seriousness of the track. It’s a reflection of the independence of Ireland from Great Britain. It’s been about 100 years since Ireland achieved independence from “the empire.” The imagery of the sun coming up implies that the dream of independence is being achieved and the empire has fallen. The sun now comes up on a world free of oppression. According to genius, this song is meant to be part of the seventh circle of Hell which is Violence. My interpretation of the song is that it is a call to action of sorts. The oppression of the British regime lasted over 100 years, but there is obviously much oppression in our world, and Hozier seems to be celebrating the resistance to this oppression, arguing that the world is worth it as long as there are still people trying to make things better.
- “Fare Well”
This song closes out the EP and is clearly meant to be an outro to this journey through the circles of Hell. The words “Fare Well” have two meanings here, Hozier is saying he wouldn’t survive, but he’s also saying goodbye. Whatever pleasures the speaker is participating in, he knows it won’t end well for him; similarly to the animals he mentions in the song that are doing things that feel good but could end badly, such as a dog eating chocolate. It is a melancholy song that to me represents how indulging in our guilty pleasures always ends badly for us. Playing on the dark side of things and exploring sin might feel good in the moment, but ultimately land you in one of the circles of Hell. At the same time the speaker is recognizing this, as the song goes on, he seems to come to terms with this and is resigned to this fate. Regardless of the outcome, while he’s still on this Earth, Hozier would rather indulge in things and let whatever is going to happen occur, which follows a similar line in the first song of the EP, “Too Sweet,” where he writes “While in this world, I think I’ll take my whiskey neat…”
While only four unreleased songs, I think that Unheard was an excellent addition to Unreal: Unearth. I admire Hozier’s ability to communicate several different themes throughout his music and ultimately create art that is both enjoyable to listen to and communicates important themes.