A bold move it is to keep the best tracks off your latest album. Too Sweet has eclipsed anything Unreal Unearth could provide despite its natural tones and powerful obsession with betrayal. Unearthed was a chance to dive into the songs which did not make the cut – and the argument for including each of them on the main body of work for Hozier’s third studio album can be made. Can the same be said for Unaired? Three more tracks for the hungry fans and it begs the question of a physical EP release when paired with Unheard. Inevitably these are the spare parts which, when looked at the first time, did not make the cut for extra pieces. But demand is high, and the Hozier stock is much-loved. He can do no wrong in the eyes of his fans and for those passive listeners, Unaired is going to do very little to damage that feeling.
Three songs of acceptable quality. A step down from the suddenness of Too Sweet, which appeared everywhere and is yet to recede into the hole it crawled out from. Nobody’s Soldier is a shock to the system. Not at all the sort of sound expected from Hozier but for those who have heard him live, his instrumental sense has been drifting closer to these harsher, bass-led and muffled occasions. It suits his lyrical work well. Upbeat in spots despite its anti-war message, the power Hozier has with this one is an electrified organ plodding away in the background. Unaired may be the second serving of leftovers but there is still a fundamental quality to them – particularly in the politically charged discourse Hozier creates.
Salesman or soldier makes no difference – they are the same to those who fear being a cog in the machine. July moves on from the anti-war themes right as it approaches the apex. Hozier has found the instrumental crunch which brings new life to his work. It is a massive improvement over his first two records and the additional pieces are more for the sake of understanding the process than listening to anything refreshing. A Bedouine collaboration on That You Are is the best of the bunch. It has been three years since her last release and this appearance on Unaired is a reminder of her talented vocals. Hozier and Bedouine complement one another’s vocal strengths well and make for a song which side-steps its more predictable romantic pitfalls.
The well has run dry. It is time to leave Unreal Unearth and all its excellent songs in the ground. Hozier will run through this once more and then, perhaps, that is it. A finality to the showcase of his excellent third album and all the spare parts which came with it. Too Sweet remains the best of all yet made no appearance on the album. Funny how it all works. Ultimately it is more of Hozier doing what he does best, soothing and skilful instrumental pieces attached with the tearjerking purpose his lyrical qualities always showcase. It is no surprise, and therein lies a slight problem for Unaired. That fundamental joy in hearing new works from Hozier is starting to diminish not because his work is any worse or better but because Unaired offers little more than the other additional tracks.
