Hozier’s Unreal Unearth is a journey for the Soul
The long-awaited third album from Hozier is here. Unreal Unearth comes four years after the release of the Irish singer’s previous album Wasteland, Baby and fans have been anxiously awaiting new music. With inspiration coming from Dante’s Inferno, Unreal Unearth takes fans on a journey through the nine circles of Hell.
The album opens with De Selby (Part 1), which Hozier described on his YouTube Channel as a song that “reflects upon darkness”. The song is stripped back and allows the lyrics to shine. The song ends with Hozier singing in Gaelic and takes the thought of darkness in the direction of a love song, transitioning into the next song De Selby (Part 2). De Selby (Part 2) is an upbeat contrast to De Selby (Part 1) while continuing to explore the ideas of darkness and metamorphosis.
As the album continues, Hozier takes his listeners further into the circles of Hell, exploring lust in Francesca. In this song Hozier gives a voice to Francesca’s lover, Paolo, stating “I’d tell them, ‘Put me back in it’” and “I would do it again”. The electric guitar and drums in the chorus emphasize the resolve in the lyrics.
I, Carrion continues the up and down and contrast that the album has created. Like De Selby (Part 1), I, Carrion is sweet and stripped back but is followed by the powerful Eat Your Young, which explores Gluttony. Damage Gets Done, which features Brandi Carlile, keeps us on a high with drums and guitars, and belting from both singers, before Who We Are pulls us back down with its opening piano notes. Son of Nyx, an instrumental song, holds listeners in the low that Who We Are created.
Hozier continues his exploration of the nine circles, in Butchered Tongue, focusing on Violence. The combination of strings and piano highlights the pain of Irish rebels and the Native people of Florida, Mississippi, and Australia, just as well as the lyrics do.
The album, and journey through Hell, are rounded out by Unknown/Nth and First Light. The former takes inspiration from the ninth circle, Treachery, and the pain of being betrayed swells to a high in the bridge with Hozier’s belt supported by a background chorus. First Light ends the album on a hopeful note. Hozier told DORK that the final song is “seeing the world for the first time”. The song ends with energetic drums, and a swell of voices supporting Hozier repeating the words “Like I lived my whole life, before the first light”.
Unreal Unearth is full of the complex and intelligent lyrics that fans have come to expect from Hozier. Even without knowing all the details of Dante’s Inferno, listeners can relate to the album, as emotions such as lust, greed, and anger are all things we have felt before. Unreal Unearth is an album to be listened to over and over again with each listen revealing something new.
