HOZIER - UNHEARD EP
To the outside world, or rather, those not involved with music in one way or another, the realities of all the true blood, sweat, and tears that goes into just one single is lost. People don’t understand the amount of time it takes to write a song, to record a song, to mix a song, to master a song, let alone all the legalities to follow that surround topics such as public relations, licensing, and visual art. The fact of the matter is that just one song can take years and years of development before an artist even thinks about making it a real studio track, so when a musician comes along with a whole arsenal of new music, it’s truly astounding and impressive by all accounts.
Hozier, for prime example. Throughout his career, he has received unjustified backlash not for doing anything particularly problematic but for not being consistent with releases. In 2014, his debut self titled album released and his next album wouldn’t surface for another five years. Sure, there was an EP and some collaborations during that gap of time but some listeners didn’t find it to be “enough” compared to a lot of the other big wigs in music who appeared to be pumping out new albums every single year. But as a fan and someone involved in music, I think this only goes to show how remarkable Hozier really is as an artist. He takes his time, doesn’t rush just to make a quick buck like many popular musicians do these days, and he truly values the process of what it takes to make a great piece of music.
In March of 2023, Hozier ended yet another hiatus with Eat Your Young, an EP composed of three songs: Eat Your Young, All Things End, and Through Me (The Flood). This sent a seismic shockwave through his fandom, as it was his first work to come out since his 2019 studio album Wasteland, Baby! But he didn’t stop there. The following August, just five months later, he dropped Unreal Unearth: a 16 song long album based around stories from Dante’s Inferno. This album included the three songs off of Eat Your Young as well and it’s safe to say that Hozier’s fans were singing kumbaya at the plethora of new tunes and of course, the sold out tour dates. What we weren’t expecting, though, was even more music to come nearly a year after the initial Eat Your Young EP.
On March 22nd, 2024, Hozier dropped an EP of vaulted tracks that failed to make it onto the initial Unreal Unearth album back over the summer, he titled it Unheard to fit the theme. The EP entails four songs, one of which is a collaboration with fellow musician and colleague Allison Russell, who is also the opening act for his 2024 leg of American shows. Below is a review and thorough breakdown of Unheard, which is available anywhere you find music now.
TRACK I - TOO SWEET
If he is anything, Hozier is a man who loves to tease new music. He often sneaks new songs in at his shows and as it should be known, he posted a live rendition of 2023’s Unknown/Nth months before it was even released. Sticking to this practice, Hozier and his team used Too Sweet to promote the new EP. Specifically the chorus of the song which states “I think I’ll take my whiskey neat, my coffee black and my bed at three. You’re too sweet for me.”
This line only touches the surface of the lyrical story Hozier takes us through, however, as Too Sweet lays out a scenario in which two partners just aren’t very compatible, but a spark is still there. Hozier describes himself as a night owl with a darker sort of taste and outlook whereas the unnamed partner is a morning bird, always bubbly and possessing a clean sort of nature that’s less rough around the edges. Online, there has been a lot of discourse surrounding this song with a long running joke that internet influencer Brittany Broski is the unnamed partner in question / the inspiration for the song but it is merely a rumor: one that even Broski herself has poked fun at.
TRACK II - WILDFLOWER AND BARLEY FT. ALLISON RUSSELL
Though here in Michigan where I reside it is still snowing heavily with below freezing temperatures, it is technically spring (winter 3, as us in the North call this time of year) and this song is perfect for the season. The instrumentals are jazzy and warm whereas the vocal contributions of Russell and Hozier gel with it in their own wispy and saccharine way. According to an interview with El Camino, a Mexican radio station, Hozier explained that Wildflower and Barley “references the stillness and sort of eerie quiet of living in the countryside or the city, seeing empty streets, seeing empty roads.” It conveys a “sense of longing and desire for renewal” and is based around the 1st circle of Hell where virtuous Pagans and unbaptized infants reside. Again, this song truly embodies the season of Spring because of that element of resumption: Spring is the season of growth and renewal within nature and life itself after all, so Wildflower and Barley’s release couldn’t have been anymore flawless.
TRACK III - EMPIRE NOW
My favorite song off of Unheard would have to be Empire Now by a landslide. Whereas the cream of the crop in the past tracks reside in the lyrics, this one’s sound factors just blow everything else out of the water. The vocals are fervent, the percussion is battle-like, the strings build like the flames of an uncontrolled fire, and the guitars tie everything together into one cinematic experience. I like to compare the piece to his 2014 song It Will Come Back just because of the energy it radiates: to me, Empire Now is the younger, more ambitious brother of It Will Come Back.
In a recent interview with Greta Van Fleet’s Sam Kiszka via El Tiempo, the 24 year old bassist said “I instantly recognize the authentic essence of rock n roll in its artistic expression” when discussing what rock n roll means to him in regard to Hozier and his contemporary style work. Kiszka appeared to hit the nail on the head with that “hot take” because Empire Now truly embodies that essence of rock music despite the fact that Hozier is categorized as modern blues and folk.
TRACK IV - FARE WELL
Fare Well closes out Unheard in a melancholic manner, but you wouldn’t really know that unless you paid attention to the lyrical content. Components of the lyrics discuss death, goodbyes, and anything of that sort. In great contrast, the song’s sound is upbeat and fit for a fast paced scene in an indie teen film, a John Green one if we want to get specific.
To be brief, Fare Well is the sort of song that gives you whiplash if you truly dive into it. The words are sad but the beat is enchanting; I’m sure somewhere out there, there’s someone sobbing while they dance around their room like a free soul.
After Unheard’s release, Hozier has a flurry of live show dates in cities such as Raleigh, New Orleans, Grand Rapids, Columbus (see you there!), and so many more including a handful of festival dates. Hozier, or “Tree Daddy” as his devout fandom refers to him as, is a growing force in the music industry with a fresh (not to mention rare) originality and passion for the work he puts out. It is extremely rewarding to see that others aside from myself are recognizing this now and furthermore, this could be a great indication of where the industry, an ever changing one, is headed: back to its roots of ingenuity and genuineness.