Amberly: As a Hozier super fan, keeping up with every little thing he does is on my daily to do list. These three songs just keep on with Hozier’s record of never missing and making beautiful and fun music. This EP is yet another add-on to his previous album that was heavily influenced by the iconic Dante’s “Inferno.”
Tristan: Hozier is an artist who took me by surprise during the pandemic. I knew of his hit single “Take me to Church” from 2013, but am ashamed to say I fell away from his music. His artistry is so rare and so pure, something that shines through in this EP. It touches on societal problems like war and community, but also the most universal emotions like passion and desire.
“Nobody’s Soldier”
Tristan: I have been waiting for this song ever since Hozier released a teaser of it a couple weeks ago on social media. I love how versatile his artistry is. He loves his slow, heartwarming ballads, but he also adores being able to showcase his passion in his more upbeat, powerful tracks. This one is definitely the latter, and I want to see it so badly brought to life on the big screen. Especially since this song deals with the idea of rejecting violence and war.
Favorite Lyric: “Sick to my skin watching the news again/ Whatever you choose, you lose out in the long run.”
Andrew: While I’m not a diehard Hozier fan, listening to the chorus behind Hozier in Nobody’s Soldier in combination with its powerful illustrations of war sends chills down my spine. The polarizing choices an 18-year-old can make when choosing whether to enlist is one of controversial topics this song brings to mind. The bass line is the icing on the cake with this song, making the song seem just that much more menacing.
Favorite Lyric: “I don’t wanna choose between being a salesman or a soldier/ Just let me look a little older/ Let me step a little bolder.”
Amberly: The first song on this EP shows the more upbeat side of Hozier’s, but as always, the lyrics mean so much. This song is so danceable yet hits so hard. Hozier sings throughout the song how much he desires for everyone to just let him be. The production is some of the best Hozier has had since “It Will Come Back”.
Favorite Lyric: “Choose between being a butcher or a pauper/ Honey, I’m taking no orders/ Gonna be nobody’s soldier.”
“July”
Tristan: This song has soul. I can foresee it playing in those indie cafes and hidden bookstores, which is an honor in itself. I love that this song is a promise. It touches on the idea of hopefulness that comes from looking forward to that one specific event. Just knowing that something is coming is what inevitably keeps you going. In Hozier’s case, he is addressing the aftermath of COVID in Ireland and the plans to lift restrictions back in July of 2021 that had to be delayed. This song is interesting in its ability to be related to so many different experiences.
Favorite Lyric: “You can keep a dream in your mind, only to find it’s the hope that was killing you.”
Andrew: July is definitely giving off a coffee shop-esque vibe, and I’m here for it. Almost like a lofi beat with some smooth lyrics to match. The chorus reiterates that July is coming, and for me, July is meeting my friends at Chicago Cafe after work, grabbing coffee after an exam, or going on an early morning walk before a long study session. It’s an optimism between the good and bad, and that there will always be something to look forward to.
Favorite Lyric: “Or all alone he sank like a stone/ Took root where he fell and started to grow.”
Amberly: The next song takes more of a mellow tone, but the production is absolutely insane. The sister song “Wildflower and Barley” touches on the loneliness and isolation felt by all during the pandemic of 2020. When artists are locked away, they have nothing else to do but create.
Favorite Lyric: “Blooming beyond us like the promise of July, July.”
“That You Are”
Tristan: These two artists’ voices are undeniably beautiful together. They mesh like absolute heaven, and they convey so much emotion. This feeling of longing that the pair sings about is universal and easily recognizable. It definitely reminds me of Hozier’s other songs that contain a kind of prophetic pining, such as “Movement” and “Like Real People Do.”
Favorite Lyric: “This city locked into the song of prayer that finds no melody.”
Andrew: Man. This song is very pretty. Hozier and Bedouine’s harmonic verses in the chorus almost put me to sleep through the slow yet harmonic pacing. An unfulfilled wish of two lovers who can’t be with one another is also incredibly illustrative and theatrical.
Favorite Lyric: “The prayer is all of me, all of me.”
Amberly: As a melancholy girl, we have reached my favorite song of the EP. “That You Are” is one of those songs where Hozier just lets his lyrics and vocals speak for him. Not only that, but he highlights the other artist, Bedouine, as well. Their harmonies are hard not to smile at. When Hozier writes a love song, he puts everything in it, and this was no exception.
Favorite Lyric: “It’s the sound of it that brings me there/ This city locked into the song of prayer.”
