Irish indie-rock singer Hozier’s latest album “Unreal Unearth” is a modern retelling of “Inferno”, where the poet Dante explains his journey through the nine circles of hell.
While the theme of the album is hell, the listening experience is nothing but heavenly.
Drawing lyrical and thematic inspiration from Irish literature, Hozier, born Andrew Hozier-Byrnem shows the extent of his versatility as an artist.
The album opens with “De Selby (Part 1)”, a dark acoustic song that introduces the first circle of hell, Limbo. The track is melodic and the instrumental guitar set up the introduction for Hozier's beautifully haunting vocals.
The album then switches to funk-filled electro-pop on “De Selby (Part 2)”, which summarizes the neediness and urgency that comes with Lust, the second level of hell.
Hozier dives deeper into this theme with the lyrics “I’d still know you, not being shown you / I only need the work of my hands / Do you understand?”
“Francesca,” named after an adulterous character in the poem who was murdered alongside her lover, is full of helplessly romantic lyrics that build more on the ideas and themes of Lust. The reference helps get Hozier’s message of the damned lovers across to fans that missed the heartbreaking love songs that filled his last two albums.
The first single off the album, “Eat Your Young” not only symbolizes the next level of hell, Gluttony, but is also a bold political statement about the military regimes that make money while exploiting the young people sent to fight wars.
This is the first song I listened to off the album and although it isn’t my favorite, the message behind it has followed me for days.
“Damage Gets Done” is the only song on “Unreal Unearth” with a feature.
Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile brings back the folk style that was prominent in Hozier's early works. There was no competition between artists' powerful voices in this song. They work well together and explain the story of two lovers who once lived frugal lives. Their happy relationship soured when greed made them feel like they were missing something more than just love in order to be satisfied in their relationship.
The next seven songs that represent the three remaining levels of hell all felt like a blur to me. Although extremely well produced, I couldn't help but realize that the excitement that I originally felt while trying to connect the themes and songs together diminished over the album’s runtime.
I was able to listen and recognize that these were very powerful and meaningful songs, but nothing stuck with me long enough to remember why exactly they were so significant.
This feeling immediately left when “Unknown/Nth” began.
The song is about the heartbreak that happens when you’re betrayed by someone you love. It is an ironically angelic song about a topic that many can relate to.
For many in relationships, their partners are seen as angels that can do no wrong - right up until betrayal happens. The lyrics “And there are some people / love, who are better unknown” was the perfect healing moment for a devastating song.
The final song on the album “First Light” serves as the album’s grand finale. It feels like the end of the story, or the light at the end of the tunnel where Hozier can move on and grow from his past relationships.
While that perspective of the song has a very optimistic ending, I couldn’t help but think of this song as the beginning of the cycle. The lyrics “but after this I’m never gonna be the same / and I am never going back again” remind me of all the times in my life where I tried not making the same mistakes while still falling into the same pit again and again.
The cycle of trying to find love and quickly getting into whirlwind relationships is reminiscent of the journey into the darkness of hell and the light that comes afterwards.
“Unreal Unearth” is a well produced and written album. While there were a lot of stand out tracks off of it, the pit of repetitive songs and emotions takes away from the experience for me.
The inspiration from classic literature is an overall interesting and unique concept for an album. Hoziers lyricism and attention to details tell the story of the nine circles of hell effortlessly.
The production is beautifully done though the repetitiveness of songs in the middle of the album left me feeling like more could’ve been done with such a modern and fresh take of a story.
