The EP expresses the struggle and emotion felt by civil rights activists. The opening song ‘Nina Cried Power’ delivers us a strong and deftly defiant homage to political protesters throughout the world. As always Hozier uses celestial lyrics in his music and ‘Nina Cried Power’ is no different. One could view it as a gospel to the political upheaval of the current moment. With the addition of Mavis Staples’ powerful vocals in the chorus, the song comes together as a tribute to the strength and strive of the social and political warriors of our time.
Following the outburst of ‘Nina Cries Power’, Hozier delivers us with a slowed down blues track ‘NFWMB’; An acronym for Nothing F*cks With My Baby. This track uses multitrack falsetto creating an ominous sound that can only come from the husky vocals of Hozier himself. Using the intimate, acoustic sounds found within ‘NFWMB’, Hozier creates a track that you would expect to hear in a smoke-filled tavern in small-town America. In ‘Moments Silence (Common Tongue)’, Hozier revisits the blues/rock sound that featured heavily in his self-titled debut. Although the track is a toe-tapper, the vocals sound rather generic on the back of the power shown in ‘Nina Cried Power’.
Hozier leaves us on a winner with ‘Shrike’. As an easy listen with sophisticated guitar melody and the artist’s raspy vocals, you cannot help but feel relaxed. Hozier kept us waiting, but managed to deliver an EP that will no doubt rival the success of his previous album.
Rohan Coleman