I’ve been a fan of Hozier for a few years now, but I became a fan after the release of his last album, “Wasteland, Baby.” Since then, Hozier has released a few singles, but his new Extended Play “Eat Your Young” is his biggest release since “Wasteland, Baby.” Along with the release of his EP, Hozier announced a tour spanning across Europe and the United States, as well as an album to be released later this year.

The three songs featured on the EP, “All Things End,” “Through Me (The Flood),” and “Eat Your Young,” give us a glimpse into Hozier’s upcoming album, called “Unreal Unearth.” While writing “Unreal Unearth,” Hozier reported to have been reading Dante’s “Inferno,” and its influence in his new music can be felt through its new dark and cynical tone.

Eat Your Young

The EP’s title track, “Eat Your Young” describes the greed of humanity and in my opinion references Jonathan Swift’s satirical essay “A Modest Proposal.” In his essay, Swift ironically suggests that parents should sell their children to rich landlords as food, as a commentary on the conditions of the poor in Ireland at the time. Just like Swift’s essay, “Eat Your Young” is filled with irony and double messages, including lyrics that could be both sexual innuendos and criticisms of greed.

In terms of the music itself, the song is dark and heavy, reminiscent of the earthy colors used on the EP’s cover. However, the end of the song shifts into an instrumental piece that sounds almost hopeful, which contrasts with the overall tone of the song.

I liked how “Eat Your Young” was relatively different from Hozier’s other work, and I felt like it defined the sound of the EP, as well as the new album. While his past music tends to be softer and slower, this song is more fast-paced, and I enjoyed seeing a different angle to Hozier’s music. “Eat Your Young” really showed that Hozier’s musical skill isn’t just defined by mellow songs, and I look forward to seeing him branch out to more types of music.

All Things End

The next song on the EP, “All Things End,” describes heartbreak, as well as the idea that the finite nature of things shouldn’t scare us from starting something new. The song tells the story of a failed relationship, but reinforces the idea that nothing is permanent. Although songs about heartbreak tend to take on melancholy tones, “All Things End” feels more hopeful, with an optimistic view of the end of a relationship. 

I really enjoyed the vocals throughout the song, which include a lot of harmonies, and the song is reminiscent of gospel music, which adds to its hopeful tone. As a whole, “All Things End” was the most similar to Hozier’s previous work, especially because of its message about love and heartbreak, but also because of the style of the music. Out of the three, this was my favorite song because it felt the most familiar.

Through Me (The Flood)

The last song on the EP, “Through Me (The Flood),” is more in line with “Eat Your Young,” but shares the storytelling lyrics of “All Things End.” Hozier sings about struggles and perseverance, starting the song with haunting vocals. He then shifts to singing, accompanied by an organ. As the song continues, more instruments are added, including an electric guitar and drums, which helps the song stand out from the other two tracks on the EP. 

Although Hozier is singing about continuous obstacles, the guitar and drums make the song sound more upbeat, which is similar to what he’s done in past songs. Hozier often contrasts the sound of his music with the lyrics, such as his song “Cherry Wine,” which sounds sweet on the surface, but is actually about abusive relationships.

My favorite part about this song has to be the mix of different instruments and vocals that only amplify Hozier’s voice and lyrics. If you only pay attention to the upbeat melody, you’ll miss the meaningful lyrics, and I like the hidden depth this adds. However, if you’re paying attention, the melody and lyrics work beautifully together and emphasize each other.

Overall

The EP as a whole had a continuous theme of hope contrasted with hopelessness, which was represented differently through each song. Although I preferred some songs over others, all three songs held up to the standards set by Hozier’s previous work. This EP is just a glimpse into a larger album, and it’s only made me more excited for the album’s release.