Taking a deeper look at Hozier’s new album Unreal Unearth

Recently we were blessed with the arrival of Unreal Unearth, Hozier’s long-awaited third full-length studio album. 

The album was released on August 18th, and was heralded by the release of four singles.

These singles, coupled with a recent round of interviews and press, gave us some insight into what to expect from Unreal Unearth. 

And considering Unreal Unearth is perhaps the most highly anticipated Irish album release of the year, we wanted to take the opportunity to have a look at the singles, and try to piece together an idea of what to expect from the Irish musician’s new album. 

A little bit about Hozier

Just in case you’ve recently emerged from the rock you’ve been living under for the past ten years, here’s a little recap to get you up to speed on Hozier. For bonus points, check out our recent article on him here. 

Born Andrew John Hozier-Byrne in County Wicklow, Ireland, Hozier’s musical journey began at a young age. Influenced by blues, soul, and gospel music, he honed his craft and developed a distinct sound that defied easy categorization. However, it was in 2013 when Hozier’s breakout single, ‘Take Me to Church’, took the world by storm and catapulted him into the limelight. His sophomore album, Wasteland, Baby! showcased a maturation of his sound while still staying true to his folk roots. 

What do we know about Unreal Unearth? 

In a recent interview on the Zach Shang Show, Hozier shed some light on some of the personnel involved in, and themes underlying, Unreal Unearth. 

Producer Daniel Tannenbaum, also known as Bekon, worked extensively on the album – already credited on ‘All Things End’ and ‘Eat Your Young’. Bekon is a veteran American producer and songwriter, perhaps most well-known for his work on Kendrick Lamar’s seminal LP DAMN. 

One evident result of this collaboration is Hozier allowing more musicians into the songwriting process, with nine writers having been credited as writers on ‘Eat Your Young’. 

During the same interview, Hozier also shed some light on the themes of Unreal Unearth, namely the influence of the pandemic years on his mindstate and creative outlook, and the overt reference to Dante’s Inferno on ‘Francesca’.  

Listening to Unreal Unearth’s singles

‘Unkown/Nth’

The most recent single from Unreal Unearth, is the gorgeous ‘Unknown/Nth’. Hozier is a multi-talented musician for sure, but this track really just reaffirms the strength of his vocal performances. Hozier at his very best.

‘Francesca’

With a direct literary reference to the second circle of hell straight out of Dante’s Inferno, ‘Francesca’ is a defiant love song. A powerful track with a suitably larger-than-life arrangement to accompany it.

‘Eat Your Young’ 

Interestingly, Hozier cited ‘Eat Your Young’ as having an unreliable narrator during his interview on the Zach Shang Show. There’s a touch of the devil about this one, for sure. ‘Eat Your Young’ screams single, with its earworm hooks and silky smooth arrangement. 

‘All Things End’

‘All Things End’ is perhaps the most overt R&B influence we’ve heard in Hozier’s music to date. The video is beyond surreal, with Hozier dying during open heart surgery about one minute of the way through it. Great stuff.

Unreal Unearth is out now.