By Emma Weidmann | Arts and Life Editor
Hozier’s first album in four years, “Unreal Unearth,” is not only his most compelling work, but also his most literary to date. For the Irish singer who constantly draws from the poetry of his homeland, that’s a tall feat. “Unreal Unearth” is a modern and musical retelling of the poet Dante’s descent into hell, guided by the spirit of the Roman poet Virgil.
Hozier, born Andrew Hozier-Byrne, explained that each track on the album represents one circle of hell in “Inferno.” The journey is a profound downward spiral through a complex range of emotions. In just over an hour, Hozier bares his soul on “Unreal Unearth” in a way totally unlike his two previous albums.
You won’t hear a better album this year. With that, let’s allow Hozier to be our Virgil and take us on a journey of his own telling.
“De Selby (Part 1)” and “De Selby (Part 2)” kick off the album, beginning very mellow and soulful. They open with 45 seconds of instrumental guitar and strings before we hear any vocals from Hozier. As he continues through Parts 1 and 2, he sets a tone for the rest of the record that is completely captivating.
Most notable about these songs — and many others throughout — is Hozier’s use of the Irish language in the lyrics. In his work, Hozier often references his Irish heritage, yet these lyrics are the first time he has sung in his country’s ancient tongue on an album.
Moving out of limbo, Hozier represents the second circle, lust, with “Francesca.” This track is based on the historical Francesca da Remini, whose husband murdered both her and her lover, his younger brother, in the late 13th century. “Francesca” is one of the more recent singles to tease the album, and it made a splash online as people praised its hopelessly romantic lyrics. The power of the song is not only in Hozier’s beautiful voice, but in the way the words of the song inspire sympathy for two people who were eternally damned for their love.
Meanwhile, the first single, “Eat Your Young,” symbolizes gluttony. For a lead single, “Eat Your Young” is an interesting choice. It came with “All Things End,” from the circle of heresy, and “Through Me (The Flood),” which strangely enough did not make it onto the album. “Eat Your Young” is perhaps one of the most political statements on the album, centering on how military regimes send young men to war and make money off of the buying and development of weapons, “skinning the children for a war drum, putting food on the table selling bombs and guns.”
When I first heard “Eat Your Young,” I was worried about how much I was going to like this album. It’s a pretty far cry from Hozier’s earlier works, and while I’m all for an artist changing up their usual gig, I wasn’t sure how to feel about this new direction. But in the context of “Unreal Unearth,” the song makes perfect sense and finds its home sonically.
Moving down the track list, “Damage Gets Done (feat. Brandi Carlile)” contains the only feature on “Unreal Unearth,” and it’s not wasted. Grammy award-winning folk singer Brandi Carlile lends her powerful vocals on this track to add to the flashback of two young lovers who once flew by the seat of their pants and lived on pennies and dimes. Hozier looks back in this song, now lost to the circle of greed.
“Damage Gets Done (feat. Brandi Carlile)” is evocative of songs on Hozier’s previous album, “Wasteland, Baby.” But songs like “Abstract (Psychopomp)” see Hozier stray far, far away from his previous style. Gone is the Irish-infused blues alternative music, and here is the operatic, almost mythical pop ballad. There’s a glimmer of the old in the new, as this track uses subtle and strange note jumps and vocal quirks to create moments of absolute wonder in Hozier’s vocal ability.
The album wraps up in the ninth circle, treachery, with “Unknown / Nth” and “First Light.” The first is a story of betrayal — how one person can turn their back “for the nth time,” as the saying goes, and yet the love and passion in their relationship remains. As an album closer, “First Light” is an angelic, unforgettable melody that closes out the record very well.
There is just nothing like a Hozier album, and yet “Unreal Unearth” is something incredibly special. Give it a listen and prepare to feel every emotion in the book. If one thing’s for certain, you want to listen beginning to end in one go to give it your proper attention.
