Hozier: Unreal Unearth Unending

Over the years Hozier has released a plethora of tracks under his belt, his debut single released back in 2013 ‘Take Me to Church’ gained worldwide traction and was only the beginning of his ever-growing popularity and fame. On December 6 of last year, Hozier released his album Unreal Unearth: Unending, a collection of songs from the sessions behind his chart-topping 2023 album Unreal Unearth.

The album starts with a TikTok favourite ‘Nobody's Soldier’. Starting with percussion gives the song a punchy start which provides the beginning of the overall vibe for the song. ‘Nobody’s Soldier’ is about witnessing war and violence on a global scale during the digital era, this includes the mental stress of being exposed to the suffering of others and being given a sense of helplessness. This song's catchy bass and drum duo, along with its distorted guitar riffs and harmonies gives this song a sense of collectiveness, intensity, and conflict.

Another amazing track from this album is ‘De Selby (Part 2)’. This track is inspired by the fictional philosopher and scientist De Selby who features in Flann O’Brien’s novel The Third Policeman. The bass is the main instrument used in the song which gives it the drive that we come to expect from Hozier's songs. When the drive disappears for the pre-chorus you get more of a mellow sense which perfectly gives room for the drum solo leading into the groovy chorus.

Another song from the album which caught my interest was ‘Eat Your Young’. In the song, Hozier describes a dinner being prepared and served. According to him, the track is a morsel of the 9 Circles of Hell, specifically the 3rd being Gluttony. This is based on the first section of Dante Alighieri's poem Divine Comedy. The song starts with unintelligible vocals and a kick drum. When taking in both those things and the context of the song the drums remind me of people banging cutlery on the table.

The final song from this album, which became a global sensation, is ‘Too Sweet’. Too Sweet shows a distinction between two people and their different lifestyles and preferences. The first enjoys life at their own pace and takes part in simple pleasures such as whiskey, coffee, and late nights as well as not concerning themselves in trying to conform to social norms. The second is made to be someone who values discipline, health, and structure. They try to prompt the narrator to start living a healthier lifestyle and take care of themself. Similar to ‘Eat Your Young’, the song shows topics of overindulgence which links the two songs to the topic of gluttony. It seems to be a common theme for Hozier to start his songs with a catchy bassline and drum combo, not that I’m complaining, it’s a good way to get a listener hooked on a song before it even kicks in.

It seems that Hozier has a knack for creating songs which become popular on a global scale and it’s only a matter of time before he comes up with a new batch of powerful, punctual, promising hits.