ALBUM REVIEW: Hozier ā Nina Cried Power EP
Hozier has returned triumphant. The Irish singer-songwriter released Nina Cried Power, a four-song EP, on September 6. Itās his first new music since 2016ās āBetter Love,ā and a precursor to his next album, to be released in early 2019. The EP might only be seventeen minutes long, but it includes everything that made Hozier a superstar.
Nina Cried Power makes its presence known from the outset. The title track features legendary gospel singer Mavis Staples, and pays homage to social justice icons from the past century. Hozier and Staples name-drop stars from Nina Simone to John Lennon, borrowing Simoneās āSinnermanā lyrics as they laud their subjects for ācrying power.ā Hozier, famous for his powerful vocals, yields the spotlight to Staples in the bridge. With passionate vocal fry and a sarcastic laugh, Staples sings, āPower has been cried by those stronger than me / Straight into the face that tells you to rattle your chains / If you love beinā free.ā Cello and bass underscore the lyrics, while an ethereal choir provides vocal accompaniment. The result is a complex, powerful anthem that wouldnāt be out of place in a church service.
The second track, āNFWMB,ā opens with a chord progression reminiscent of āSomeone New.ā From there, it takes a very different tack. Unlike his high-energy blues rock, āNFWMBā features Hozierās falsetto, contrasted by rich, deep piano. The vocals are mixed in the left and right channels, creating an all-encompassing sound that immerses the listener. The melody leads the charge, with far-away percussion and deep synth providing subtle texture. The instrumentation drops out almost entirely on the title line: āNothing f**ks with my baby,ā Hozier sings, making profanity sound debonair. The song comes to a slow close, fading out on a humming string.
āMomentās Silence (Common Tongue)ā is the second of Hozierās sexual spirituals. It falls in the same category as his quintuple-platinum single āTake Me to Church,ā using religious imagery to discuss physical intimacy. The song opens with a funky guitar riff and snaps, leading into a cheeky lyrical twist: Hozier sings, āA momentās silence when my baby puts her mouth on / Me and my babe relaxinā, catching manic rhapsody.ā Throughout the track, he criticizes conservative leaders who condemn physical pleasure, instead referring to love as āthe common tongue of your lovinā me.ā The lyrics are syntactically complex, contrasted by the unpretentious percussion and bluesy guitar.
The final track, āShrike,ā is reminiscent of āFrom Edenā: both songs begin with similar twangy strings, and feature heartbroken lyrics that border on disturbing. āShrikeā takes its name from a bird known for impaling its prey on sharp spikes. Hozier compares himself to the shrike, and his lost love to the thorn. After hearing the preceding tracks, āShrikeā sounds muted, but the lyrics and Hozierās passionate delivery make it far from filler.
Nina Cried Power packs Hozierās signature sounds into a concise bundle. Itās a tantalizing first look into what heās been doing for the past four years, and just enough to satisfy the worldās curiosity before his sophomore album is released.
- Hannah Lowe
