By Bella Whitmore | Intern
With four songs that went “Unheard” until last week, Hozier released a new EP that does not disappoint.
The album “Unreal Unearth” was released late last year and follows Hozier’s typical style — natural themes, catchy melodies and beautiful lyricism. It was perfect in every way, from the collaborations to the cover art. The only real complaint I had was that there wasn’t more of it, which the Irish singer took care of by releasing four amazing new songs that complement an already incredible album.
“Unheard” opens with a bang with the song “Too Sweet.” Admittedly, this song was previewed on TikTok a few weeks prior to its official release, and I did play it constantly when I found it. However, this did not take away from the magic of hearing the full song for the first time.
The track perfectly mixes the influences of different genres such as rock, alternative and pop, making for an overall exciting and fun listening experience. What stands out most to me in this song is the melody of the chorus — it’s just so classic Hozier. With his incredible vocal range and the church bells ringing in the background, this song is soon to be a certified classic of his and may even be up there with “Take Me to Church” in terms of popularity with the general public. Someone should really check on Brittany Broski after this one.
Dialing it back a little with a more simplistic and austere vibe, the following song is “Wildflower and Barley (feat. Allison Russell).” The two beautiful voices of Hozier and Russell fit together like a glove and bring life to a beautiful and sweet song.
Hozier strikes again with amazing melodies in this song. The chorus is just so catchy and charming, and it couples perfectly with the background vocals of Russell.
For a change of pace, the song that follows is “Empire Now.” This song is very much giving “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons vibes, with its techno enhancements and almost apocalyptic lyrics and instrumentals. I hate to say it, but this one is not one that I will be going out of my way to listen to in the future.
Everything good and beautiful about Hozier’s music, to me, cannot be found in this song (aside from his vocals). What I love about Hozier is his lyricism and ability to make simple melodies feel so intricate and unique. This song to me felt very recycled and over-edited, unfortunately.
Finally, with a very fitting title for the last song of the EP, he closes with “Fare Well.” The buildup and sequencing of this song is what stands out to me and is incredibly well done. It opens with simple instrumentals and vocals and then crescendos into a lively and exuberant chorus full of clapping, new background vocals and unique instruments. The melody is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before and seems to draw inspiration from different styles of music across the globe, which works so well. Also, the guitar rifts between the verses and chorus are a beautiful touch.
This EP is a perfect display of all of Hozier’s amazing talents, from his powerful songwriting to his vocals to his storytelling. Overall, I hope artists continue to release previously unreleased songs that didn’t make the original album, especially artists like Hozier who have difficulty making a bad song.