Guess whose back back back, back again gain gain, Hozier’s back!!! I haven’t heard anything from him since 2014. Everyone was so fixated on his number two hit song, ‘Take Me To Church‘ at the time it was released. Now he’s released his debut EP ‘Nina Cried Power‘ but is it a patch on his last album?
It’s definitely very different but I absolutely am in love. NFWMB (which is an abbreviation of nothing fucks my baby) definitely has those Fleetwood Mac vibes. This is a heavily folk inspired track. He’s mentioned in interviews that he got his folk inspirations from Ireland.
The lead single on the EP and title of the EP, Nina Cried Power, is inspired by the legacies of musical icons like Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Billie Holliday, James Brown and Mavis Staples who the song features; The EP is a “crediting the legacy of protest.” He worked with people who actually marched with Martin Luther King JR. during the civil march movement. This is the most powerful song on the EP and includes strong drums as well as him shouting meaningful lyrics. He cleverly uses the gospel voices as backing vocals which compliment his voice amazingly. This song actually touched me and it felt like we were transported to a civil march and all the pain, anguish and anger seeped through.
‘Moment’s Silence (Common Tongue) starts of with just clicking with a guitar being introduced shortly after. He’s taken inspiration from old classic rock n roll music; the song and makes you want to get up and dance. It also has vintage blues tones to it as well.
This is an EP that he has delved deep into the routes of black music including rock n roll, blues etc…You can tell he appreciates the legacy of black musicians. A lot of people don’t give props to to the fact a lot of music genres originate from black culture.
A full album will be coming out in 2019 so keep your eyes peeled.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/nina-cried-power-ep/1434397134