Following the runaway success of 2024’s “Too Sweet”—an offcut 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.