Unaired

Following the runaway success of 2024’s “Too Sweet”—an off cut from the *Unreal Unearth* album released the previous year—Hozier’s stock value is higher than ever. Far from playing it safe with his investments and returning with more of the same, the *Unaired* EP finds the outspoken Irish singer-songwriter steeped in recent world events. On the soulful opener “Nobody’s Soldier” he bristles with contempt for warmongers and profiteers, defiant in his refusal to “choose between being a butcher or a pauper.” In contrast, the beautifully orchestrated midtempo “July” captures the enlivening promise of better days ahead, while “That You Are,” a delicate duet with nomadic folk artist Bedouine, speaks to finding home in people rather than places. Despite its brevity, *Unaired* bears all the expected hallmarks—religious imagery, the exaltation of love in all forms, a strong sense of social justice—condensing the overall Hozier experience into three well-measured and flawlessly written songs.