Hozier: Unknown/Nth EP
July 9th, 2023
After starting his rounds of summer concerts, Grammy award nominee Andrew Hozier Byrne dropped the most delicious morsel of an EP “Unkown/Nth” after predecessor singles “Francesca” and “Eat your Young” back in 2022.
The EP is a melodic epic of cinematic proportions consisting of the four tracks: “Unknown/Nth”, “Francesca”, “Eat Your Young”, and “All Things End”. It is sure to break your heart and mend it back again all in its cool 16 minutes and 45 seconds of playtime.
The EP starts out with the twinkling riffs of “Unknown/Nth.” Manned with just a guitar, Hozier’s melancholic voice cuts through the air like a hidden thought finally leaving your lips. The song perfectly encapsulates the loneliness felt when you can't quite verbalise how much you idolize someone despite all the “scarlet flags” and pain they can bring to a relationship. Hozier pointedly illustrates the complexities of our internal worlds and makes the statement that: in spite of everything, you (the one you love) will always be perfect in my mind and it will never be able to be fully known.
After the tender reflections of “Unkown/Nth” the EP has a thunderous roll into song “Francesca,” which serves as an overt expression of love in the face of all obstacles. The verses are used as a jittered proclamation as to why the small “storms” of love mean very little to deter when placed in a lifetime of “hurricanes.” The Chorus acts as an explosion of drums that lead into Hozier’s confession that he would go spend every life jumping hurdles if it meant he had only a moment to hold his love again. This ballad ends in a final eruptive gasp of passion that leaves the heart full.
Third up comes hit single “Eat Your Young” which has racked up a staggering 73,257,438 listens on Spotify since its original release in 2022. Set to the pop backing of a string orchestra, this track supplies a brutally honest commentary on the consequences of greed at the expense of others. Hozier put it simply as “its quicker and easier to eat your young” rather than kill them slowly with wars, pollution, crime, and hate.
The EP ends with the quasi-R&B-gospel track “All Things End.” A sweet salute to the lessons we learn from the heartbreaks of life and the impermanence of all intentions. Hozier’s simple chorus unites everyone’s doubts at the end as if to say “Don’t worry darling, you’re not alone.”
If these songs are any indication of the blend of music that is ahead in Hozier’s upcoming album “Unreal Unearth” set to come out August 18th, 2023, then set your money aside now as this album will be a must-purchase.
Make sure you check out Hozier’s tour schedule below.
-Before Tomorrow
