QR music review: Hozier - Nina Cried Power

Back after a four-year hiatus, Andrew Hozier-Byrne aka Hozier released his newest EP Nina Cried Power on September 6th 2018. Unfair as it is for one the of the worlds foremost cult heroes to release a teaser, it is rare that one finds an EP so utterly packed to the brim with content. Known for his vulnerable honesty, subtle bite and poetic lyrics, Nina Cried Powerpicks up and builds on the success of 2014’s mega success, the self-titled Hozier. No longer restricted to the jagged reaches of the human soul, Hozier reaches colossal new heights while maintaining that all too homo sapien penchant for pain and love that made his eerie charm so accessible.  

In typical fashion, the Irish singer-songwriter is impossible to pin into one genre or other, with frequent switches between triumphant defiance ('Nine Cried Power'), moody malevolence ('(Nobody Fuck’s With My Baby') and body swaying blues ('Moments Silence'). Less a composer now and more of an architect, Hozier’s evolution from bog gothic analyst to rock star-slash-philosopher is more present than ever in Nina. Lyrics layered with homages to musicians and the political sacrifices they made (chiefly Nina Simone, for whom the EP is named), deeply emotive love ballads and sophisticated guitar arrangements sprinkled throughout the blues, gospel and folk influences that form the foundation of the Church of Hozier.

It is this varied approach to writing as well as the consistent outstanding results that makeNina so exciting. 'Moment’s Silence (Common Tongue)' sees Hozier in an unfamiliar persona, snappy and full of bite, but brash instead of his usual reservation. Reminiscent of The Black Keys, this low slung swagger couldn’t be more different from the gloomy danger of 'NFWMB', with its implied menace and tender lyrics laden with promise, or the soaring celtic prestige of Shrike. It is the titular track however that is most impressive. The addition of civil rights activist Mavis Staples only adds to the towering emotion of Nina Cried Power. A tribute to those who came before, the resonating vocals, of Hozier, Staples and their group of backing singers, is enough to have hairs on ends. Nina may be crying power, but I am crying for more.

By Benjamin Magee