Hozier, Unreal Unearth | Album Review 💿

Grammy-nominated, Irish singer/songwriter Hozier releases his most ambitious album to date with Unreal Unearth.

Some musicians are ‘on another level.’ 🏆 Grammy-nominated, Irish singer/songwriter 🎙 Hozier is a prime example.  At this point, he’s released three full-length LPs, yet, all three show a cerebral, truly gifted, and smart musician.  💿 Unreal Unearth is by far his most complex album, inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and the iconic 14^th century narrative poem, 📚 The Divine Comedy by ✍️ Dante, specifically, 📚 Inferno. Unreal Unearth is a project with a lot to digest – you won’t capture everything in one fell swoop.  However, even being so ambitious, the listening experience is incredibly rewarding.

“De Selby (Part 1)”

According to Apple Music, the opening tracks – 🎵 “De Selby (Part 1)”  and 🎵 “De Selby (Part 2)” – were named after de Selby from the ✍️ Flann O’Brien book, 📚 The Third Policeman.  “De Selby (Part 1)” commences in restrained fashion, featuring guitar accompaniment initially. Strings enter prior to Hozier singing his first lyrics. As always, he sounds radiant, showcasing some rich, ripe falsetto.  He’s accompanied by a colorful backdrop. There are three verses, sung in consecutive fashion. Unsurprisingly, the songwriting is incredibly poetic, referencing God (“The likes of a darkness so deep / That God at the start couldn’t bear”). Following the three verses, he begins singing in Irish (“Bhfuilis soranna sorcha / Ach tagais ‘nós na hoíche / Trína chéile; Le chéile, claochlaithe”), which keeps the listen engaging. The second iteration of the outro gets a far bigger, more dynamic backdrop. Ultimately, this Hozier, 🎛 Bēkon, Pete G, and Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman production sets the tone for Unreal Unearth.

“And your heart, love, has such darkness / I feel it in the corners of the room.” The best de Selby on Unreal Unearth is 🤩 🎵 “De Selby (Part 2),” which starkly contrasts “De Selby (Part 1).” Part 2 is  incredibly funky and incorporates some more modern textures.  This joint grooves from the onset, thanks to the drums, bass, and riffs.  Again, Hozier collaborates with a talented team of writers (🎼 ✍ Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, Bēkon, Sergiu Gherman, Daniel Kreiger, and Peter Gonzales) and producers (🎛 Marius Feder, Bēkon, Gonzales, and Gitelman). Hozier continues to sing with incredible powerful and soul, particularly in the pre-chorus and chorus. The chorus is incredibly catchy: “I wanna run against the world that’s turnin’ / I’d move so fast that I’d outpace the dawn / I wanna be gone.” I love the build-up of the strings during the bridge section, leading into the final chorus. So far, so good for Unreal Unearth.

“First Time”

🎵 “First Time” finds Hozier moving into limbo, or at least, representing it. Once more, the sounds capture the ears – guitars, strings, and of course, the vocals.  Hozier is balanced in the first verse, adding his stellar falsetto to the mix in the chorus.  The chorus is the section to beat – typical! Notably, this song possesses soulfulness – the robust bass line, the drums, and, of course, those pipes 💪. The vocal production is a selling point as well. The distortion effect on Hozier’s vocals, most noticeable during the pre-chorus add a little somethin’, somethin’.

“My life was a storm since I was born / How could I fear any hurricane.” “First Time” is fab but 🤩 🎵 “Francesca” is EASILY one of the best songs of Unreal Unearth.  Taking it a step further, it is one of the best songs of 2023.  This advance single from Unreal Unearth continues to draw inspiration from The Divine Comedy, specifically Francesca da Rimini in Canto V and the second circle of hell, lust. “Francesca” speaks to the tragedy of love, specifically an infamous affair that ended in murder. Despite the fact that Francesca and the man she had the affair with, Paolo are in hell, the gargantuan chorus isn’t as hellish as you might expect:

“I’d tell them, ‘Put me back in it’

Da-ah, darlin’, I would do it again (Ah-ah-ah-ah)

If I could hold you for a minute

Da-ah, darlin’, I’d go through it again (Ah-ah-ah)”

No regrets? The sound of “Francesca” also makes it a rousing success, with its accompanying keys at the onset (and organ patch), rhythmic guitar providing a driving feel, and a wall of sound at the end of the cut.

“I, Carrion (Icarian)”

🎵 “I, Carrion (Icarian)” features a unique play on words with the song title, which references Icarus. Besides the Icarian references, the song dives into love, in all its complexity. Early on, Hozier blesses us with lovely, harmonized vocals in the intro. The track has folksy vibes going down, which always plays to his strengths. The songwriting and production (Hozier and 🎛 🎼 ✍ Jennifer Decilveo) continues to capture the ears. “And though I burn, how could I fall / When I am lifted by every world you say to me?” He responds in the chorus, “If anything could fall at all, it’s the world / That falls away from me.” Gorgeous melodies, arrangement, and production, and tender but potent vocals help make “I, Carrion (Icarian)” another engaging moment from Unreal Unearth.

“I’m starvin’, darlin’ / Let me put my lips to something / Let me wrap my teeth around the world.” Ooh-la-la – so this is what we’re doing Hozier? Later, he asserts in the second verse of 🤩 🎵 “Eat Your Young”,  “I can’t buy this fineness / Let me see the heat get to you / Let me watch the dressing start to peel.” Woo! While there is a sexual vibe going down, Hozier goes deeper, exploring the notion of eating the young – exploiting them for gain.  It should come as no surprise that he’s influenced by an 18^th century essay yet brings the social conscious vibes into the 21^st century. The chorus says it best: “Come and get some / Skinnin’ the children for a war drum / Puttin’ food on the table sellin’ bombs and guns / It’s quicker and easier to eat your young.” “Eat Your Young” goes beyond its clever songwriting.  Hozier sings expressively, showing off a cool, sexy, and sophisticated tone and sick falsetto during the chorus.  Furthermore, the production is gorgeous, led by the lush, picturesque strings. The melodies are tuneful, namely the pre-chorus and chorus. In addition to the strings, the rhythm section make “Eat Your Young” a success (punchy drums, keys, guitars, robust bass line).

Appears in 🔻:   

• 13 Appetizing Songs That Totally Eat 🍽️ (2023) 
• Best Songs of 2023 (So Far) 
• 13 Engaging YOUR or YOURS Songs (2023)

“Damage Gets Done”

Sometimes, 🎵 “It Takes Two” or so is the case on 🎵 “Damage Gets Done” featuring 🎙 Brandi Carlile. This is a fine vocal pairing where both the balance and chemistry is superb. It should come as no surprise the chorus is big.  With lots of sounds and lots going on, this first-time collaboration between two friends is a lot, perhaps the sole nitpick. Still, lots to like and sink one’s teeth into. 🎵 “Who We Are” follows, beginning as a piano ballad.  There are some nice musical cues and colors added during the first verse. The drums enter the mix during the chorus, which is, expectedly – wait for it – big and powerful. One selling point of “Who We Are” is the harmonic progression, specifically the V/vi, which resolves IV instead 🤓 🤓.

Changing the pace is 🎵 “Son of Nyx,” the sole instrumental cut of Unreal Unearth. According to Apple Music, the song title is a play on words. Additionally, it’s another part of the concept of the underworld – The Divine Comedy concept, and incorporates Greek mythology, specifically Charon, one of the sons of Nyx. This is an enigmatic, dramatic instrumental. Shout out the radiant piano, soaring strings, and of course, production by Pete G. 🎵 “All Things End” follows, up, focusing on the sixth circle of hell, Heresy. Of “All Things End,” Hozier comments:

In those moments as a relationship is crumbling and it’s slipping away from you, it was something that you truly believed in and you had all your faith in and you had all of your believe in. In approaching that concept of that not happening it feels like something heretical. It’s a song about accepting, about giving up on your faith in something.

Mainstays in “All Things End” include the vocals and fab use of the piano 🎹 – holla! Another selling point is the intriguing harmonic progression, which has some soulful vibes. The key modulation is a win, with the addition of the choir truly upping the ante.  While “All Things End” wasn’t a favorite, the key change and upgraded energy gives the record a lift 🏋️.

“To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)” 

Three interesting songs follow 🎵 “All Things End.” The first is 🤩 🎵 “To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe),” a song that Hozier asserts, is about “the significance of something so mundane but so remarkable – to experience a bed that has been warmed by somebody else in a space that you now share now with somebody new…” On this love song, his tone is stellar, as is the piano and upright bass.  Soon enough, those magical strings creep in, adding to the drama and the emotion.“To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)” has free flowing melodic lines, which are bit more unpredictable. All told, it’s beautiful, with the post-chorus is the section to beat (“But it happened easy, darlin’ / As natural as another leg around you in the bed”).

“But feel at home, hearin’ a music that few still understand / A butchered tongue still singin’ here above the ground.” On the thought-provoking 🤩 🎵 “Butchered Tongue,” Hozier explores the loss of culture and loss of languages. “Butchered Tongue” runs two-and-a-half minutes. It commences with a warm introduction. Even with that warmth, you can’t help but feel a sense of sadness given the losses that Hozier speaks of: “In some town that just means ‘home’ to them / With no translator left to sound / A butchered tongue still singin’ here above the ground.” Following several slow songs, 🤩 🎵 “Anything But” rightfully picks up the pace. “I don’t wanna be anything, love / But I would do everything to run away.”  Woo! Here, the eighth circle of hell, fraud, gets some love. There is a fine rhythmic groove carried by claps (Marius Feder and Bēkon) and acoustic guitar. Once more, there are plenty of alluring production touches, including the use of synthesizer (Bēkon). One of the best lines from the song: “I hear he touches your hand, and then you fly away together / If I had his job, you would live forever.”

“Abstract (Psychopomp)” 

Ah, homestretch, which features three more unique songs. 🎵 “Abstract (Psychopomp)” finds Hozier “Trapped within an abstract from a moment of my life.” A psychopomp is a spirit guide, in simplest terms. This track parallels Charon as a psychopomp (mythology) to memories where Hozier sees an animal being hit, and someone trying to help the dying animal (“The poor thing in the road, its eyes still glistening / The cold wet of your nose, the earth from a distance”). Hozier asserts this song is about acceptance and letting go. “Abstract (Psychopomp)” features a tuneful, simple chorus (“See how it shines”). Similarly, the post-chorus is simple (“Oh-oh-ooh”).

Penultimate cut 🎵 “Unknown / Nth” features lovely guitar playing by Hozier. As always, the vocals are expressive and nuanced.  The songwriting continues his best weapon.  The bridge is gargantuan. Finally, we reach the coda on this hour-plus LP with 🎵 “First Light.” Again, Hozier references Dante, but focuses post-Inferno – there’s light ☀️! Musically, there is an unteresting change in the harmonic scheme in the pre-chorus and chorus; I enjoy the contrast and melodic quirks. Furthermore, there is excellent separation between the verses and choruses. Some fine colorful touches increase engagement in the second verse.

Final Thoughts 💭 

💿 Unreal Unearth is a lot to digest – it is truly an ambitious, concept album. Is it perfect? No.  That said, Hozier such a talent.  The way he weaves literature in is brilliant. His eclecticism is magnificent. His voice = electric.  Even if you have criticisms for this LP – namely how dense and how long it is running north of an hour – you can’t deny the effort and work Hozier put in.  He still earns a well-rounded four ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ stars from yours truly.

🤩 Gems 💎: “De Selby (Part 2),” “Francesca,” “Eat Your Young,” “To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe),” “Butchered Tongue” & “Anything But”

🎙 Hozier • 💿 Unreal Unearth • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 8.18.23

[📷: Columbia]