Unreal Unearth

Hozier wrote the album during the COVID-19 pandemic and stated it was his way of "mak[ing] sense of the experience of the last two years". It was inspired by Dante's Inferno, which he began reading at the time; he framed the album around Dante's concept of the nine circles of Hell. He called the album "quite eclectic" and stated that there is "something of a retrospective in what the sounds lean into". He also said that the three tracks on the preceding Eat Your Young EP were "not representative of the entire album".^[1] Hozier also draws from characters and logic seen in Flann O'Brien's novel The Third Policeman.^[4] Unreal Unearth as a whole signifies a journey through Dante's nine circles of Hell and coming out at the other side, with each song referring to a specific "universal theme" or feeling.^[5]

The album features Hozier writing and singing lyrics in the Irish language for the first time.^[6] In an interview with The Irish Times, he said that "there's so much that cannot be expressed outside of that language, that language can express that we're unaware of".^[7] The track "Butchered Tongue" refers to attempts by the British administration to destroy the Irish language through colonialism.^[8]

On 14 March 2024, Hozier announced the Unheard EP, which includes four songs originally recorded for Unreal Unearth: "Too Sweet", "Wildflower and Barley", "Empire Now", and "Fare Well". The tracks represent the stages of gluttony, limbo, violence, and ascent, respectively, from Dante's Inferno, but did not make the final cut for the album.^[9]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.6/10[10]
Metacritic	76/100[11]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Exclaim!	8/10[12]
The Line of Best Fit	9/10[13]
Mojo	[14]
NME	[15]
Paste	8.2/10[16]
Pitchfork	5.0/10[17]
The Skinny	[18]
Uncut	7/10[19]

Unreal Unearth received a score of 76 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 14 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.^[11] Caitlin Chatterton of The Line of Best Fit found that "as well as uplifting Irish culture, the album is keen to demonstrate that Hozier is well versed in the classics" and concluded that "from the folk twang of 'First Time' to the torrential clapping on 'Anything But', this is a Hozier album to the hilt: considered, earnest, and moving".^[13] Rho Chung of The Skinny remarked that "Hozier's far-reaching vocal range is on full display" on the album, which Chung called "an eclectic and meandering meditation on love at a time in which our continued existence often feels at odds with the planet's".^[18]

CT Jones of Rolling Stone stated that "Hozier doesn't just succeed in exploring that dark emotional world; his painful ascent makes the listener immediately want to climb with him. Even harder, he successfully delivers a third album that doesn't shy away from any topic, even when he doesn't have the answers."^[20] Maddison Ryan of Exclaim! described the album as "a journey" that "even without prior knowledge of the album's roots in classic literature, it feels part of a greater mythology", ultimately calling it "the kind of music that people can escape into; the soundtrack to feelings not even Heaven can hold".^[12]

Aliya Chaudhry of NME remarked that Unreal Unearth "traverses a variety of styles from softer piano ballads like 'Butchered Tongue' to up-tempo folk-pop 'Anything But' and fuzzy-guitar rock stomp 'Francesca'", making the album "a product of going where the song takes you".^[15] Uncut complimented tracks as well, writing that "'De Selby Part 2' shows he can stylishly bring funk and R&B influences to bear. But most distinctive are the Afrobeat touches that lace 'Damage Gets Done' and 'Anything But'".^[19]

Sam Eeckhout of Paste stated that the album is "packed full of poetic lyricism, heavyhearted remorse, hopeful anticipation and an honest expression of the joys and sorrow of being a human" and has "a sharp balance" that makes it "never top-heavy" nor "ever stagnant".^[16] Mojo wrote that "Hozier's audacity can feel outsized and overbearing, but his tandem of earnestness and eccentricity here is more winning than not".^[14] Pitchfork's Peyton Thomas described the album as a "mishmash of mythology and past-date pop that leaves [Hozier] sounding like an interloper".^[17]

Hozier announced the Unreal Unearth tour on 17 March 2023, alongside the release of the Eat Your Young EP.^[27] The initial leg of the tour spanned across North America and Europe from June through December 2023. On 9 November 2023, Hozier announced a second leg of the United States tour, adding 37 new dates between April and September 2024;^[28] 14 new shows were later added on 29 January 2024^[29] followed by an additional 6 dates announced on 29 February 2024. The Teskey Brothers, Victoria Canal, Madison Cunningham, Brittany Howard, Lord Huron, and The Last Dinner Party joined Hozier as openers during the initial leg of the tour. Hozier also brought his father, John Byrne, on stage to perform in the encore during the September 30, 2023 performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Allison Russell is set to open on the second US leg of the tour.^[28] An Australian and New Zealand leg of the tour was announced on 11 March 2024, with Joy Oladokun as the opening act.^[30]

The Unreal Unearth Tour setlist included songs from the Unreal Unearth, Wasteland, Baby!, and Hozier albums. The main set openers included songs "De Selby (Part 1)" and "De Selby (Part 2)". "Take Me to Church" and "First Light" closed the set. "Work Song" functioned as the show's encore.

Hozier worked with Production Designer Steven Douglass and Tour Director Duchess Iredale to create the Unreal Unearth tour visuals. The show focuses heavily on the use of projections and lighting. The main stage background features animated projections on a piece of metal mesh; the projections follow the album's journey underground and into Hell.^[31]

Note

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional producer

Musicians

Technical