★★★★★
Containing four songs that didn’t make his 2023 album Unreal Unearth, Hozier’s latest EP Unheard tackles different subjects, but the Irish singer-songwriter’s lyrical skill and soulful expression tie them together.
“These are songs that might’ve made it to the circles of gluttony, limbo, violence, and the outward ‘ascent’ respectively but could not for different reasons,” Hozier shared in a statement. “I’m very glad I’ll get to share them with you.”
Released Friday, this EP was first teased online on TikTok with a video of a notebook and a clip from the first song “Too Sweet.” Fans and music enthusiasts eagerly awaited Hozier’s release. The sound bite has been used in more than 38,500 posts on TikTok this month.
On “Too Sweet,” Hozier creates a soulful and catchy song that makes for a wonderful introduction to the following tracks.
“I think I’ll take my whiskey neat / My coffee black and my bed at three,” he sings.
This song is a masterful blend of upbeat rhythmic sounds behind Hozier’s profound voice singing about his night-dwelling nature. He sings about a figure in his life that is too good and delightful in comparison to him: “You’re too sweet for me.”
“Wildflower and Barley” features Allison Russell, a Canadian singer-songwriter and GRAMMY-nominated and winning artist.
Hozier and Russell’s ethereal duet features notes of jazz and a hint of church hymnal sounds. The lyrics convey messages about the change of seasons and the human senses through which they are experienced.
“This year I swear it will be buried in words / Some close to the surface, some close to the casket / I feel as useful as dirt unreal unearth,” they sing in unison.
Russell and Hozier have a connection through their art evident from even just the first second of the track.
Russell shared, “It’s always a joy singing with Hozier—I’ve been fortunate to do so live on stage many times since we first met singing with Queen Mavis at Newport Folk Fest in 2019.”
The third track, “Empire Now,” is a powerful mashup of guitars, electronic beats, and Hozier’s typical yet amazing vocals. Listeners are sure to feel the might of his artistic expression in this EP.
“The martyrs of our revolution / Their spinnin’ caused the earth to shake / The problem brought its own solution / They power now the world we’ve made,” Hozier sings in “Empire Now.”
The EP finishes with a track called “Fare Well.” This softer song pulls on heartstrings as it discusses “faring well,” solitary moments, joy, and disaster. Hozier expresses the human experience in relatable explorations of emotions.
Hozier is an artist who explores themes of life, death, storytelling, religion, and all things related to the human experience. Hozier gifts his fans these four extra tracks from his hit album Unreal Unearth—sure to brighten lives and serve as a gateway to the spring season.
“Springtime from my window / Another month has not much longer now / The sun hesitates more on each evening’s darkenin’ / Would all things God allows remain above ground / Like grief and sweet memory, wildflower and barley,” Hozier and Russell sing to conclude “Wildflower and Barley.”
