By Lucia Cinquino, Staff Writer
Artist: Inhaler
Album: Open Wide
Favorite songs: “Eddie In The Darkness,” “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah),” and “Concrete”
For fans of: Sam Fender, Blossoms, Wunderhorse
My Ears Are Open Wide for Inhaler’s New Album
Open Wide, Inhaler’s third album, is a very compelling testament of nepo-babies proving themselves. Even if the band’s sound is sometimes reminiscent of the U2 rock stylings of lead singer Elijah Hewson’s father, Bono, the four-piece shows how artfully they can develop their own unique sound in their most recent project. I was a bit hesitant at my first listen, but after listening to the album again, I really came to love the driving and dynamic soundscape of the album.
Frontman, Elijah Hewson, has credited this album being a reflection of his quarter-life crisis, the internalized conflicts of getting older, as well as the magnetic forces of young love. The lyrics touch on topics such as the feelings of being lost in life, sometimes using characters to portray their message, such as in the opener “Eddie In The Darkness” or the second track “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah).” This album shows their range and development in a multitude of ways, and I think this is only the beginning of their rise to success.
Building Their Sound
Open Wide takes all of the good pieces of their previous albums, Cuts & Bruises and It Won’t Always Be Like This, but features built upon and mastered songwriting. The smooth vocals of Hewson accompanied by the driving instrumentals of the band remain consistently great. With Robert “Bobby” Keating on bass, Josh Jenkinson on guitar, and Ryan McMahon on drums, the energy backing up the robust melodies turns into palpable musical energy. Especially in “Eddie In The Darkness,” the chorus ignites the elevation of their sound, establishing an incredible passion continuously apparent in the 12 following tracks.
It is clear that on this album they were unafraid of trying new things and experimenting with styles and sounds that haven’t really appeared on their previous albums. Synths reminiscent of the 80s are a general trend of the 2020s, and Inhaler is continuing to hop on the trend. In tracks such as “Even Though” and “All I Got Is You” the humming synth in the background mixed with the articulation of Jenkinson on the guitar adds pops of color. Their sound is full, and it lends itself to listeners being enveloped in the soundscape that has been created. The bits of funky bass and layers of sound make for such a thorough listening experience. I know when it comes to my preferences for albums, I am a sucker for bands that know how to use unique sounds and small detailed effects that fill the ears of their listeners.
Another unique addition to their sonic display is the use of the House Gospel Choir on three of their singles, “Your House,” “A Question Of You,” and the title track “Open Wide.” This small detail brings a whole new depth to the vocals, truly displaying the band's inspiration from 70s rock music with the layered vocals to show an earthier tone. The mix of synths and the choir also contribute to the evident soul and psychedelic rock influences sprinkled throughout the album. This does wonders for their sound. Although they are taking influence from older rock stylings, they are clearly inputting their own style and expression within the production and performance.
The Final Four
The one thing that I can say about this album is that it takes you on a sonic journey. The last four tracks of Open Wide almost feel like a completely different album, yet still fit perfectly into the sound that Inhaler has made for themselves. Beginning with “The Charms” the instincts of pop shine through a bit more than in the rest of the album. Dare I even say that some elements remind me of folk rock music, such as the drawl of the guitar and the rhythms in the bass.
I know some people in their fanbase would be upset by such claims, but in “The Charms” and “X-Ray” I can’t just look over those influences. Inhaler are not a total stranger to this folk rock sound. Specifically in “If You’re Gonna Break My Heart” on their previous album Cuts & Bruises they show off similar drawls and folk-inspired organ synths. All this to say, they clearly are taking inspiration and molding their creation around various pillars of music and not limiting themselves to simply “rock” or “pop.”
Although some may say this variation takes away from the cohesiveness of the band, Inhaler mixes sounds in such a way that seems very natural. It doesn’t take away from the listening experience and brings a wider expression of their lyricisms and musicality. Inhaler has never been a band that sticks to strictly one style, and because the band is so young, I can only imagine they will shape their sound even more in the coming years. Even though this is their third album, the band has a strong musical career ahead of them.
When the penultimate track “Concrete” started playing and my roommate and I heard it for the first time, we both looked at each other from across the room and said, “This one is going to be gooood.” Something about the spacey introduction and the start of the guitars and keys made me feel like I was levitating. That may be a bit dramatic, but the sounds within “Concrete” feel so nostalgic and take a more chill and laid-back route than some of their other music. The song definitely holds the position as one of my favorite tracks on Open Wide even just from the intro and instrumentals.
Last But Not Least
“Little Things” wraps up what I consider to be Inhaler’s best album or at the least, their most adventurous album. The final track brings their sound back into the rock and high-energy space that the album starts with, coming full circle. If your energy was brought down a bit from the last few tracks, this lifts you back up, makes you want to dance, and leaves you with a sweet aftertaste.
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