2xLP BLACK VINYL

A song cycle inspired equally by the COVID-19 pandemic and Dante's Inferno, Unreal Unearth confirms that underneath all of his outpouring of emotion and roots-music flair, Hozier yearns to be an art-rocker. He has ambition and a yen for atmosphere, emphasizing feel not only on the surface but in the rhythms, a combination that makes Unreal Unearth feel thick and murky even though it lacks neither hooks nor heart. It also doesn't skimp on eclecticism, winding its way from cloistered funk and plaintive ballads to soaring arena rock, slyly switching between widescreen and small-scale perspectives. Hozier provides a guide through the murk, accentuating his empathetic murmur with full-throated pleas. His singing provides a human connection, but Unreal Unearth often gets swallowed up by its own vibe. A bevy of producers, highlighted by Jennifer Decilveo (Bat for Lashes, Anne-Marie) and Daniel Tannenbaum (Kendrick Lamar), do admirable, evocative work, but the songs and feeling get lost under the layers of sound, particularly at the album's hour-long running time.

Descent 
A1 De Selby (Part 1)
A2 De Selby (Part 2)
First 
A3 First Time
Second 
A4 Francesca
A5 I, Carrion (Icarian)
Third 
B1 Eat Your Young
Fourth 
B2 Damage Gets Done
Fifth 
B3 Who We Are
Sixth 
C1 Son Of Nyx
C2 All Things End
Seventh 
C3 To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)
C4 Butchered Tongue
Eighth 
D1 Anything But
D2 Abstract (Psychopomp)
Ninth 
D3 Unknown / Nth
Ascent 
D4 First Light