Many people know him as the “Take Me to Church Guy.” Others know (and have affectionately named) him as “Bog Father.” He is Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, or simply, Hozier: Irish musician, singer, and songwriter.
Hozier, in 2023, released the album “Unreal Unearth.” He is now going on tour along with Allison Russell for Unreal Unearth, and will also be performing at the Hinterland Music Festival in Saint Charles, Iowa, along with Vampire Weekend, Noah Kahan, and many others.
Hozier’s music is heavily inspired by folk, soul, and blues music, along with artists such as Billie Holiday, Solomon Burke, and Van Morrison according to Apple Music.
Another motif in Hozier’s songs is religious imagery and references. In, “All Things End,” from Unreal Unearth, the chorus of the song from the middle to the end is sung in a way that sounds very gospel-like. In the music video, the scrubs worn by the surgeons (backup singers and dancers) transition into outfits that are reminiscent of those usually worn by gospel singers.
The use of religious imagery and references are not written the way usual gospel music is. Hozier himself is agnostic, meaning (according to Merriam-Webster): “a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable.” He does not hide the fact that he does have religious trauma, either.
The majority of his music, if not all, is inspired by his views on religion.
Hozier’s main inspiration for Unreal Unearth was, according to GRAMMY.com, time spent in quarantine. Quarantine was not the only inspiration, however: “…Hozier used his lockdown time to dive into some literature. Little did he know, it would inspire his third album… Hozier muses about his pandemic experience through the lens of Dante Alighieri’s famous poem Inferno.”
According to The Observer, “Unreal Unearth’ as a whole descends through the nine circles of hell as depicted in Dante’s “Inferno.” Each level has a different grouping of songs, and many of them feature characters or ideas discussed in “Inferno.” “Francesca” is one example of this, illustrating the real story of an Italian noblewoman…”
Along with biblical references, Hozier also incorporates references to myths in his album. In “I, Carrion (Icarian),” (one of my favorites) the entire song is a reference to the story of Icarus. Icarus is the son of an inventor, who were both taken captive in a high tower on an island. They craft wings of wax and feathers. Icarus flew too close to the sun while enjoying his flight, and his wings melted. He met his watery death soon after.
Hozier takes this story and words it beautifully. He uses the story of Icarus and compares it to love, singing (bridge):
“I do not have wings, love, I never will Soarin’ over a world you are carryin’ If these heights should bring my fall Let me be your own Icarian carrion If the wind turns, if I hit a squall Allow the ground to find its brutal way to me”
— Hozier
Hozier’s songs, all across the board, take religion and myth and use them both to portray love and devotion that transcends how any other musician (that I have heard, at least) portrays love.
When Hozier sings about topics such as death, love, and the end of the universe, he does so in a way that makes everything terrifying seem comforting and beautiful.
He can take traumatic or scary events, such as the one that inspired “Abstract (Psychopomp)” (when he was younger, he witnessed an animal get run over. The driver comforted the animal during their last moments), and write about them in a way that is so beautiful.
He sings, in Abstract:
“The memory hurts, but does me no harm Your hand in my pocket to keep us both warm The poor thing in the road, its eye still glistening The cold wet of your nose, the earth from a distance … Sometimes, there’s a thought like you choose what you’re doing But it comes to naught when I look back through it I remember the view, streetlights in the dark blue The moment I knew I’d have no choice but to love you … Darling, there’s a part of me I’m afraid will always be Trapped within an abstract from a moment of my life The weeds up through the concrete The traffic picking up speed All my love and terror balanced there between those eyes”
— Hozier
He ties the story of the death of this creature and the terror he felt to the love he felt for someone. This was done in such a masterful way, and in a way that can make the listener feel many emotions at once.
Many of the songs in Unreal Unearth have a tragic but devoted tone. They also give the feel of yearning, as most of Hozier’s songs do.
In “Unknown / Nth,” Hozier sings (bridge):
“Do you know I could break beneath the weight Of the goodness, love, I still carry for you? That I’d walk so far just to take The injury of finally knowin’ you?”
— Hozier
He says that he still loves this person so much that the weight of his love is one he could break under. Despite this, he would still “…walk so far…” to get to know his person. He says that some people are better unknown, as well.
It is incredibly difficult to choose a favorite song from Unreal Unearth. The messages Hozier sings about, and the way he sings them, it is no surprise his fans relate him to a siren. His powerful voice and emotion make his lyrics stand out and give them much more meaning.
Hozier, once again, has created an album that was simply unreal in every way.
