Bacchanalia Magazine

by Ashley Kizis

Dublin-based musician Hozier’s follow-up EP “Unheard” from his 3rd studio album Unreal Unearth perfectly extends to the already glooming theme in the previous release. The EP extends Dante’s Inferno, providing more nuance with songs that he claims easily could have made it into the circles of gluttony, limbo, violence, and the outward ‘ascent’. 

The EP is a mixture of new genres and sounds from the musician that only screams for more. “Too Sweet” is attention-grabbing from the first few bass strums. The single has been gracing TikTok since its tease, and the song is expected to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 after gaining 3.342 million streams on Spotify during its release (McIntyre). At its best, the song is utterly a rejection song as the narrator tells about the differences between the two. Beyond the theme of rejection being new for the musician, it also offers a new sound that focuses heavily on a bassline and drumbeat while featuring bells within each chorus. 

“Wildflower and Barley”, featuring the Canadian-based singer Allison Russell, is a highlight on the EP. The song introduces a subtly different sound, focusing on lightly strummed acoustic instrumentals and a 70’s soft-rock groove. Russel’s vocals nearly outdo Hozier-Byrne’s, and sh deserves more than subtle backing vocals. However, the voices complement each other perfectly, and one can only hope that the two join each other on stage with this track at some point during their upcoming 2024 North American tour. 

“Empire Now” strays entirely away from his typical sound. The song is a lot. It features a Western cinematic guitar and drumline and an Imagine Dragons-like electronic chorus. Lyrically, the song is captivating. It tells about the Irish Revolution, alluding to its independence from the British Empire with lyrics such as “100 years from the empire now”, “sun comin’ up on a dream come around”, “sun comin’ up on a world that’s easy now”, and “martyrs of our revolution”. However, instrumentally, I am left thinking of what he could have done instead. 

“Fare Well” is devastatingly beautiful. The track is more in line with Hozier-Byrne’s typical sound, featuring upbeat guitar strums and juxtaposed lyrics. Despite the gruesome lyrics, the song is hopeful and tells listeners that everything will be okay. 

The EP is now available on all streaming platforms.