On March 17, 2023, music artist Hozier released a new album with three new tracks for fans to enjoy. “Eat Your Young,” “All Things End” and “Through Me (The Flood)” are all, as always, amazing songs coming from an extremely talented artist known for his emotional and meaningful music style. With a depth of meaning and clear storyline which threads throughout Hozier’s music, the artist no doubt has worked long and hard on crafting this latest album.
These three new tracks conjure one word in my mind: struggle. The lyrics of each song tell the story of some sort of struggle, pain and chaos perfectly matched by the instrumentals. In “Eat Your Young,” Hozier paints an image of a meal for a starving man. Fire, desperation and sacrifice seem to be the main themes of this piece—perhaps commenting on the struggle for survival in a world where people only look out for themselves. Whether this describes our world or not is up to interpretation, as with all good music. According to Hozier, however, this song is representative of the third circle of hell: Gluttony.
The next song on the album, “All Things End,” is all about loss and new beginnings. In reference to a romantic relationship in particular, Hozier says in his lyrics “if there was anyone to ever get through this life/with their heart intact, they didn’t do it right.” However, he goes on to say this loss, the heartbreak that comes with the inevitable end of something, should not get in the way of a new beginning. In this, Hozier recognizes that all things do end eventually, but at the same time there will be a new start, a new day and a new opportunity ahead. According to the artist, this sign embodies the sixth circle of hell: Heresy. Personally, I find this track to be my favorite, as the message is something which can easily resonate with many.
Lastly, Hozier concludes his new album with “Through Me (The Flood).” This track once again deals with loss, but also perseverance even when all seems lost. Hozier apparently wrote this song during the pandemic, inspired by the ways in which people faced immense loss—of their family, friends and lifestyle—yet also continued to push themselves in new ways, especially during quarantine. While not my favorite track on the album, I feel this is another stellar track which any listener can relate to. So, for those who aren’t already Hozier fans, this album in particular might resonate with them. I would absolutely recommend this album to anyone looking to expand their tastes and experience fresh, new music.
