Everything He Creates Is Gold: Hozier – ‘Unaired’ Review

Words: Kimmi Naidoo

It’s an understatement to say the past year has been huge for Hozier, having released his third album ‘Unreal Unearth’ this time last year. He has toured the world extensively including multiple nights at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium and a huge show at London’s Finsbury Park and has now released his second EP of material that was left off the album.

There were big expectations with the release of ‘Unaired’, with ‘Too Sweet’ from Hozier’s previous EP having huge success and giving him his highest charting song since his debut. Just two weeks ago, Hozier debuted a new song entitled ‘Nobody’s Soldier’ at Lollapalooza in Chicago and later confirmed that this would be part of a new body of work. A week later, the official announcement of ‘Unaired’ hit social media, shocking and exciting Hozier’s fans that the new music was coming just a few months after his previous EP, ‘Unheard’.

The first of the three songs on the EP, ‘Nobody’s Soldier’ is a perfect display of what Hozier does so well. Lyrically, the song addresses the issues in the modern world, a topic Hozier has been vocal about at his live shows, which matches perfectly with the almost anxious quality about the verse which has a stripped back sound with a simple drum beat and a quiet yet high pitched vocal. The chorus is the true show of Hozier’s talent, as it builds with the addition of guitar and a choir, the song takes a more anthemic route before a horn signals the return of the verse. The other two songs on ‘Unaired’ show the more mellow side of Hozier’s artistry. ‘July’ is aptly reminiscent of a Summer’s day and is exactly what you would expect from Hozier in terms of vocals and lyrics, expressing the feeling of longing much like ‘Wildflower & Barley’ from ‘Unheard’. My only gripe with the song is the lack of change in beat makes the listening experience feel a little repetitive. Completing the trio is ‘That You Are’ which features Bedouine. This song is Hozier at his most vulnerable with just guitar, vocals and strings which really emphasises what a match made in heaven this collaboration between the vocalists is.

As a whole, the songs on ‘Unaired’ sound different enough from Hozier’s previously released work to not seem like he is unnecessarily dragging out the album cycle but also have some similarities that fit them perfectly into the world of ‘Unreal Unearth’. Being the second EP of extra material, this body of work proves that everything Hozier creates is gold, as it is hard to imagine how he could have left these brilliant songs off the album.