On March 14, 2024, Hozier released the “Unheard EP,” a continuation of his previous album, “Unreal Unearth.” This EP includes four songs that allude to Dante Alighieri’s “Dante’s Inferno”: “Too Sweet,” “Empire Now,” “Fare Well,” and “Wildflower and Barley,” which features Allison Russell.
Hozier first gained popularity with his debut single, “Take Me To Church,” in 2013, which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, earned him a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year, and kept him at the top of the Hot Rock Songs chart for seventeen weeks. Since then, Hozier has continued to release a vast amount of music, all being hits and keeping him in the spotlight and in people’s earbuds.
The first song on this EP, “Too Sweet,” utilizes a mixture of melodic bass lines and angelic vocals. In a video on Hozier’s YouTube channel, he explains that this song was an alternative to the track on the main album that refers to the third circle of hell: gluttony. The Voice (the name Hozier gave to the person in the song) talks about how instead of giving up their overindulgence, they reject their counterpart for being too put together and disciplined. The Voice tried to stray her from her ways but realized that her resolve was too strong to waver.
This track is Hozier’s first to reach the Billboard Top 100 since “Take Me To Church,” and has gone viral on TikTok for the chorus.
The final song on this EP, “Fare Well,” is about seeking temporary happiness. Throughout the song, there are parallels to animals partaking in acts that will ultimately kill them to enjoy short-term satisfaction—like cats sleeping in car engines and dogs eating chocolate. Though the song is said to not represent any circles of hell from Dante’s “Divine Comedy” like the other tracks, I cannot help but link it to the first track on this EP, “Too Sweet.” The short-term satisfaction reminds me of the overindulgence mentioned in the aforementioned track, leading me to conclude that this song isn’t just about satisfaction but slowly giving into temptations that will follow in your downfall, landing you in hell.
Overall, I liked this EP. The allusions to “Dante’s Inferno” really made you need to look at the lyrics and I think that once you begin to understand the meaning behind the songs, they only get better. That being said, even if you don’t dig into the lyrics, this EP is a beautiful listen.