Irish singer-songwriter Hozier was on track to release his third studio album more than three years ago, but when the pandemic hit and he experienced a flood of emotions—love, loss, and loneliness—he decided to take a step back.

Ahead of the 10th anniversary of his debut single “Take Me To Church,” Hozier finally unveiled “Unreal Unearth” on August 18th. Much of the original album was scrapped. What he left us with is a grounded—but sometimes erratic—evolution of his unique genre-defying style defined by his striking vocals and distinct production.

Vulnerable as ever, this album is guided by the central theme of heartbreak. It is clear that Hozier’s new album is his most personal work yet. Though, beyond the strong messaging, this album is wildly inconsistent when it comes to the quality of the production and songwriting.

Both “Butchered Tongue” and “Unknown / Nth” are astonishing showings of Hozier’s growth as a songwriter. As the only solo-written tracks, the two songs feel refreshingly honest on an album overflowing with literary imagery. Many of his most successful songs are underlied by covert literary narratives, but with “Unreal Unearth” the artist finds more success when he allows himself to break that pattern

The album samples from all areas of Hozier’s musical interest, from the bold and rocky “Francesca” to the ethereal folk ballad “I, Carrian” immediately following. When Hozier and MEDUZA teamed up for EDM track “Tell It To My Heart,” many fans were bewildered. Still, the collaboration achieved surprising success for an artist who had never ventured into the genre. He takes this even further with his third album, brought together not by the structure or sound of the songs on it, but by the meaning of the music.

“Unreal Unearth” spotlights both Hozier’s maturity and growing pains as a person, and offers a disparate glimpse into the mind of an artist at odds with a changing world. While it is more messy than his previous albums, Hozier fans are sure to cherish this “unreal” collection of songs.