Music Marvels

Post date: October 2, 2023

By Connor Stockschlader

An artist like no other, Hozier has managed to once again revolutionize the music scene with his third studio album, Unreal Unearth. Released on august 18th after a four year absence, Hozier returns with grace and gold, creating a 16 song extravaganza that manages to capture the audience with a range of hits. Using Dante’s Divine comedy as a background, Unreal unearth is able to weave a tale of mythology, heartache, love, and the triumph of the human spirit. Famous for his 2013 debut single, Take Me to Church, hozier burst onto the music scene with a hit album, becoming grammy nominated. And it is clear that his work is not stagnating in any way, but rather only growing in monumental production, a gorgeous melody and almost Shakespearean lyrics. 

I had been somewhat familiar with his songs before, but after listening to some of the singles released earlier, such as all things end, Francesca, Eat Your Young, and Unknown/Nth, I had only begun to realize the strength of the upcoming album. During my first listen, I started to analyze every lyric, finding interesting interpretations.. And by the time the album was finished, I was left starstruck. In a work that can seem so large at times, Hozier has a way of making such songs feel deeply personal. And in fact, they are. Taken from both his own personal experiences, as well as his feelings towards the world and the threat of disasters such as climate change. After listening to the album multiple times over, you can see different themes presenting themselves in every lyric. Not to mention the ongoing journey through the different circles of the underworld as shown in Dante’s inferno. And one of the best parts of it, in my opinion, was how Hozier presents human kindness in the face of our own cruelty. In Butchered Tongue as Hozier describes the destruction of indigenous languages in different countries, he also shows the kindness of others and an ongoing movement of preservation in the culture. In the song Abstract (Psychopomp), even after describing an animal injured by traffic, Hozier is moved by someone’s rush into the same disaster to comfort the dying animal. I felt that the album gave a light on humanity in both its darkest and most kind moments, in its failures and its continuous journey to write its wrongs. I’ve listened to many genres of music and different artists. But never before have I listened to a musician with such a way of creating art. And this album is art in its truest form. Music can connect others and Hozier is a master at that. This album isn’t just something I recommend, it’s something I encourage people to listen to.