The internet’s favorite fae Prince of the Woods and Bogs has returned to us bearing the gift of his third studio album. Hozier’s Unreal Unearth hits stores today, and it is a journey. Hozier wrote Unreal with a concept in mind, mixing feelings from the COVID-19 pandemic with themes from Dante’s Inferno. The 16 songs are a soundtrack, accompanying listeners on a descent through the nine circles of Hell—and then we ascend.
The songs are a modern interpretation of Hell and aren’t weighed down by too many religious analogies. As Hozier fans know, nothing is ever simple with his music. Even if the lyrics seem straightforward or the music gives a certain vibe, there are always layers and twists when you examine the songs. Unreal Unearth doesn’t resemble Hozier’s other two albums, but it still feels distinctly him. If anything, this endeavor is the most Hozier thing he’s released, as the singer uses Gaelic words in various songs and lets his Irish accent shine through. Let’s try to rank the songs of Hozier’s latest masterpiece, along with some helpful context about what each track represents in this phenomenal concept album.
16. “Son of Nyx”
Circle of Hell: Sixth – Heresy
“Son of Nyx ” is a beautiful instrumental piece that honors Nyx (the goddess of Night) and her son Charon as he ferries new souls across the river Styx to the underworld. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hozier also said it is a dedication to bass player Alex Ryan’s father, Nick.
15. “First Time”
Circle of Hell: First – Limbo
Limbo is where “virtuous pagans” and the unbaptized go when they are dead. “First Time” is about all the changes we undergo through the relationships we form. Each change brings our souls a little life and a little death.
14. “Who We Are”
Circle of Hell: Fifth – Wrath
“Who We Are” is all about the anger and wrath that comes from realizing your life isn’t your own. Living according to other people’s standards and fighting against the world just to make space for ourselves.
13. “Butchered Tongue”
Circle of Hell: Seventh – Violence
Hozier has said before that everything he does is shaped by his Irish heritage and history. “Butchered Tongue” underlines that point as he sings about the Irish Rebellion of 1798. This war ended native languages spoken in Ireland, but it is just a small piece of all the tongues lost to the machine of colonialism.
12. “Anything But”
Circle of Hell: Eighth – Fraud
Sometimes we don’t feel like being people anymore. “Anything But” is an ode to wanting to be part of nature and not the destructive force that humans tend to be.
11. “Abstract (Psychopomp)”
Circle of Hell: Eighth – Fraud
A psychopomp is a guide for souls. “Abstract (Psychopomp)” is a journey of the soul as told through a tragic encounter between a car and an animal.
10. “All Things End”
Circle of Hell: Sixth – Heresy
“All Things End” goes against what Christianity teaches. Hozier sings that all things will end, but not to worry because we’ll be reincarnated and have another shot at getting it right. In a post-COVID-19 pandemic world, it feels nice to hear.
9. “To Someone From a Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)”
Circle of Hell: Seventh – Violence
“To Someone From a Warm Climate” underscores the violence of the weather. We shake when it’s too cold. We search for relief through any means from the heat. I love the beautiful Irish word Hozier uses in this song, Uiscefhuaraithe, which means “the coolness of water.”
8. “Damage Gets Done”
Circle of Hell: Fourth – Greed
“Damage Gets Done” features the amazing vocal talents of Brandi Carlile. It’s all about how our souls are free as unencumbered youths without many financial burdens. As we get older and take on the weight of capitalism, that’s when the “damage gets done.”
7. “I, Carrion (Icarian)”
Circle of Hell: Second – Lust
I’m a sucker for any Icarus imagery. “I, Carrion (Icarian)” is about an Icarus figure falling to their death without realizing it. They are just carrion (decaying flesh) after trying to fly without wings, but they don’t mind as long as their love accompanies them.
6. “First Light”
Ascent out of Hell
“First Light” is an awe-inspiring take on the sunrise after a long darkness. Maybe the darkness is Hell, depression, or the recent pandemic. It’s a song full of hope and beauty that reminds us that morning usually comes.
5. “De Selby (Part 1)”
Descent into Hell
“De Selby (Part 1)” is the first song on the album and is the first part of an ode to darkness. Darkness and night are usually associated with bad things, yet Hozier speaks of the metamorphosis of self in the dark. Plus he sings in Gaelic at the end of the song.
4. “Francesca”
Circle of Hell: Second – Lust
In Inferno, Francesca is found in the second level of Hell for her adultery with her lover, Paolo. “Francesca” is told through her perspective, expressing how, even though she ended up in Hell for her actions, she would do it all over again for him. One of the best lines ever: “Heaven is not fit to house a love like you and I.” Yes, we are all swooning.
3. “Eat Your Young”
Circle of Hell: Third – Gluttony
For a song that starts out sexy (“I’m starving darling, let me put my lips to something”), “Eat Your Young” is a gut punch. The way we destroy the world through never-ending gluttony, it just seems easier to eat our young rather than leave them on a dead planet.
2. “Unknown/NTH”
Circle of Hell: Ninth – Treachery
You may not guess it from the light and simple music of “Unknown/NTH,” but this song is DEVASTATING. Hozier uses “angel” not as a sweet term of endearment as so many do nowadays, but in reference to the Biblical entity that is untouchable. The worst treachery isn’t being alone in an empty house, it is being “unknown” by the angel you love. (Am I the only getting strong Crowley/Aziraphale vibes off of this song?)
1. “De Selby (Part 2)”
Descent into Hell
The second half of “De Selby” is even better than the first. The music sounds so funky and cool, while the lyrics embody all the enjoyment people can have with darkness surrounding them and how we should celebrate it. Every line in this song is perfection. Hozier paints a fascinating picture of fading into the darkness of your lover when they fall on you “like night.”
(featured image: Columbia Records)
