Hozier’s New EP ‘Eat Your Young’ is Apocalyptic in Scope with His Signature Style of Poetic Soul

To lay my cards on the table here, I am a Hozier fan through and through. His 2014 self-titled album was the first CD I bought with my own money and I have been obsessed ever since. Now, he is following a similar release schedule of an EP before releasing the album later in the summer. As ‘Nina Cried Power‘ was a prelude to ‘Wasteland, Baby!‘, ‘Eat Your Young‘ preludes ‘Unreal Unearth.’ Furthermore, on this EP, Hozier has looked upon the current times and seen red.

‘Eat Your Young‘ begins with its titular track, providing a warbling vocal hook over a groove-filled bass and synth, with lyrics dripping in poetry. In a high falsetto, he tells his audience that ‘puttin’ food on the table sellin’ bombs and guns/ It’s quicker and easier to eat your young’. Here, he indicates that temporary greed is eating away at our future. The words also highlight how in this scenario, children are not people and that they have become a resource to feed yourself now everything else is gone.

‘All Things End‘ takes production notes from 2000s R’n’B. It ambushes you into thinking, ‘Am I listening to a Lighthouse Family track right now?’ Laid-back drums and a stripped-back production indicate that the track is building. Then when the gospel choir comes in on the back end, it turns the sound from intimate and close, to powerful and anthemic.

‘Through Me (The Flood)‘ has a beautiful warbling intro. With a lonely and theatrical sound, this is a lament. Further to this, the chorus is backed by a gospel choir and sharp and rhythmic drumming. Hozier here is contemplating the great and unquantifiable loss of the Pandemic. In particular, the line, ‘measure the silence of a house/ the unheard footsteps at a doorway,’ trips off the tongue. To quote my brother, it is a lyric that is very Hozier.

‘With each grave/ I think of loss and I can only think of you.’

Hozier– ‘Through Me (The Flood)‘

Hozier’s brand of deeply political alt-rock is very necessary after the pandemic. Besides, after seeing governments failing to handle the situation, Hozier has turned to lament the past without wallowing in it. Furthermore, with the aftermath of the pandemic and the news feeling tumultuous, Hozier delivers new perspectives in lyrical and poetic form. His music is anthemic and draws on heavy soul and rock influences. Through this EP, we get a great taster for the new album.

Hozier is on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Also, you can read another one of our latest reviews of the new Nia Archives EP here.