Album Review: Hozier’s “Unreal Unearth”

Credit: A H via Flickr

The last album Irish musician Andrew-Hozier Byrne (known as Hozier) released came in the spring of 2019 — before the world shifted in an irrevocable way, which Hozier reflected on in an interview with The Independent earlier this month.

“It was funny, because in some ways I thought I’d spent enough time [on his favored themes of life and mortality], and then we were thrown into these new conditions,” said Hozier in the interview. Now, Hozier delivered his long-awaited third studio album Unreal, Unearth.

Hozier conceded in the LA Times that he and other musicians share an “allergy” to the idea of a pandemic album, but he also notes that it would be inappropriate to not credit the intensity and breadth of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hozier has used literary works for inspiration before, which makes the use of the 14th-century poem Inferno by Dante Alighieri to offer structure to the record a thoughtful choice.

 Inferno follows Dante and his guide, Roman poet Virgil, as they take a visceral journey through the layers of Hell that Dante creates. The layers house the souls of the dead and their associated sins, with each descending layer reserved for the worst sins of them all. Although a fictional depiction of Hell (well, maybe), the thematic parallels of living through a litany of suffering are not far from the reality of the last few years for many people navigating intimate moments of loss, heartbreak and change.

Unreal, Unearth speaks truth to the worst of the pandemic without it becoming a crutch and tackles the human experience of heartbreak and loss in an intimate way. Hozier is no stranger to delving into the intensity of the human experience, but this record is layered with intimate subjects that Hozier and his songwriters work with expertly.

Unreal Unearth begins with “De Selby (Part 1)” which features a growing composition from the soft, falsetto voice of Hozier leading into a chorus of voices and a section in Gaelic. Then, a masterful transition into “De Selby (Part 2)” with a ride cymbal guides listeners into the heavier of the two De Selby tracks.

“First Time” brings listeners the first glimpse of heartbreak that Hozier uses as a consistent element of the record. “Francesca” is the most direct reference to Inferno with the real story of Francesca Di Rimini that Dante includes in the work. Hozier takes on a passionate tone over the reverb-heavy, more rock-influenced selection. It’s the anthem of yearning; a yearning for love that despite the consequence of eternal suffering, is begged for with lyrics like “Though my heart would break, I’d tell them put me back in it”. 

From here, the sound and lyricism follow a similar descent into the lower layers of Hell as Dante envisioned. Hozier’s first single of this record “Eat Your Young” uses an unreliable narrator to create the image of children being exploited for the gain of others in a world A Modest Proposal would approve of. 

“Son of Nyx” is an instrumental piece used to signify the transition from the upper layers of Hell to the lower echelons of sin and eternal suffering. “To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuarithe)” pulls from inspiration around the ability to use natural body heat to warm a cold bed the Gaelic term “Uiscefhuarithe” that Hozier in the lyrics explains as meaning “the feel of coldness only water brings.” A piece that sonically nods to Tom Waits through chord structure and subject matter that offers a stripped-down selection to the record. A notably more intimate selection on the record, Hozier wrote this piece for someone in a warm climate he was involved with.

“Unknown/nth” is arguably the most personal track on loss that pulls at the heart of anyone who knows the feeling of betrayal or what it is to have loved. “Do you know I could break beneath the weight, of the goodness love I still carry for you?” is one of the most poignant lines featured in this record, and is responsible for the tear-stained cheeks of many (including myself). The structure of the record makes this song coincide with the final layer of Hell that is reserved for the sin of betrayal as envisioned by Dante. The beginning features a guitar riff that sings throughout the song with a layered, synth repetition of “sha-la-la’s” that reads as the fading memory of a lover's voice. 

The final track “First Light” signifies the end of the journey of Dante and Virgil (and now, the listener of this record) through the nine layers of Hell. The voices of a choir and a full ensemble of instruments create a beautiful image of the first break of sunshine through a pitch-black landscape.

It is difficult to conclude what this record is or what it is not. As I write this, I can only come away with an appreciation for its complexity and the range of emotions it evoked. There is no right or wrong way to appreciate the songs, even with the guidance Inferno offers as to the structure of the record. Unreal, Unearth is crafted to allow listeners to take what resonates and leave what is yet to be understood.