It has been four years since Bray, Ireland-born Andrew Hozier-Byrne, released his debut album that was met with a worldwide success. But the wait for Hozier’s new EP, “Nina Cried Power”, was very much worth it. While his new EP has only four tracks, its filled with emotional depths while also serving a powerful message; Hozier stays true to his unique and intelligent style of music with consequential lyricism.

While Hozier has been busying creating music, he’s also been politically active and was even seen singing with other protesters in the Stand For Truth papal protest in Dublin. Hozier has always been involved in creating songs with a political message and this can also found in the titular track “Nina Cried Power”, named for the late singer Nina Simone. “Nina Cried Power” is a song of political protest served in the form of an invigorating and thundering duet with gospel legend Mavis Staples. While listening to the song, it almost feels as if it has lit a spark inside of you as Hozier and Mavis Staples list off influential artists such as Nina Simone, John Lennon, and James Brown who were all political activists. The strong voices of Hozier and Mavis Staples are accompanied by what sounds like a gospel choir; this is characteristic of the choral energy that can be found in many of Hozier’s songs including his Grammy nominated “Take Me To Church”.

In the second track “NFWMB”, Hozier explores more tender emotions with a love song that's been described as one “for the end of the world” by The Irish Times. “NFWMB” is acoustic but still holds Hozier’s usual vocal and emotional power through his use of haunting harmonies and stark imagery in the lyrics. The third track, “Moments Silence (Common Tongue)”, is more upbeat that its predecessor it continues with this album’s dark yet commanding undertones. In this song, Hozier is making a statement about physical love with another person while also using a contrasting religious imagery. The final track on Hozier’s EP is the delicate “Shrike”. “Shrike” is about a lost relationship where the classic trope of realizing what you have only when it is gone. Containing heart wrenching lyrics like “ Had no idea on what ground I was founded/All of that goodness is going with you now” the pain that Hozier sing of is palpable and his wish to be able to be better. To me, “Shrike” is very evocative of Hozier’s haunting love ballad “In A Week” where he makes dark subjects--such as lost love and mortality--deceptively beautiful.

This EP highlights all of the best parts of Hozier: his raw emotion, political awareness, and artistry. Whether or not you are a fan of Hozier, there is something in “Nina Cries Power” that everyone can connect to and feel. The fact that an EP of only four songs covers such expansive and complex array of subjects, from political protest to a gentle whispering of a lost love, is enough for me to be able to call “Nina Cried Power” a huge triumph. Hozier is set to release a full length album in 2019, and if anything “Nina Cried Power” is an indicator that we should expect something truly remarkable.