Album review: Inhaler, ‘Open Wide’

When Inhaler released their latest album and third entry into their ever-increasing discography, I did what any overly-enthused fan does and listened to it straight away. However, I decided to combine the listening experience with going for a run, which in hindsight meant I focused more on trying not to collapse due to a stitch than the music. A couple weeks roll around and I’m about to see the band live in Manchester’s 02 Apollo. I couldn’t have been more excited and less prepared, having learnt the lyrics to all the singles but not giving the full album the proper time of day yet. I wouldn’t have to be embarrassed when trying to sing along to the latest tracks, however, as unfortunately the gig was postponed on the day due to illness in the band.

As Thursdays tend to be a slow day for me, uni wise, I decided to cycle on down to Sefton and listen to the album with only my headphones and an easy-peeler orange; no distractions.

The Singles

The first glimpses of a return to the music scene following their 2023 album ‘Cuts and Bruises’ came in the form of a single (as is often the case). The track, titled ‘Your House’, delivers a fluid blend of marching drums and a distorted keyboard line, which progresses to reveal an entirely new sound for the band. Gospel-inspired backing vocals and a staccato electric guitar line serve as the main hooks in a track that evolves and pushes itself towards the closing chorus lines. Elijah Hewson’s vocals are on full display here, with superb delivery that almost forces the listener to sing along.

The next single to follow and title track ‘Open Wide’ falls slightly flat in the verses and bridge section. It does, however, see the band take on more instrumental experimentation, with a vaguely dreamlike percussive intro that just might be the best part of the song. ‘A Question of You’ and ‘Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)’ are the final singles in a fairly hopeful series of them. The pair of these tracks find their hooks in the elegantly plucked guitar lines, a feature which has become a bit of a calling card for the band’s style. The former of the two is a radio-ready indie hit, designed to get the listener up and moving (which I’d say it more than does). The latter is certainly the slower of the pair, yet a decent enough vocal line in the chorus gives the track reason to be the final single.

The album at large

Fortunately, this album is more than the sum of its parts. ‘Eddie in the Darkness’ opens with the tight drumming of Ryan McMahon that Inhaler fans have come to expect. The rest of the track follows a fairly predictable structure for an indie tune, yet in doing so doesn’t seem to offer much beyond the chorus lines.

Track five, titled ‘Even Though’ blends an 80’s inspired hazy keyboard intro that harks back to the Cocteau Twins with two sharp, overlapping guitars and a delightfully sludgy bass line. The effect of this is an encouragingly danceable track that picks up from where the singles left off, even offering itself up to be considered one of the album’s best tunes.

‘Again’ offers a break from the pace-setting of the early portion with a slower, more easy-going number, which while not offering much out of the ordinary, similarly cannot be faulted for much. Some subtlety is on display in ‘All I Got Is You’ whilst still retaining its pop-rock sensibilities, making it yet another solid mid-album hit in the Inhaler catalogue.

Three-track run

From here, the album then takes a favourable turn – three back-to-back hits of indie enjoyment. ‘Still Young’ begins this run and rolls like an 80’s Springsteen tune with some pretty fun lyrical rhyming. ‘The Charms’ follows this up with some more inspired lines, none more evident than the song’s guitar hook which gently darts around just like Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Knee Socks’, a comparison that does not take away from the song whatsoever. ‘X-Ray’ then finishes off this short run with a melodic yet driving urgency, the combination of which leads to a powerfully sung chorus. While it is a fun song, like much of the album the predictability of it leaves something to be desired.

From here the album seems to peter out, with ‘Concrete’ and ‘Little Things’ failing to bring anything that has not already been heard from the past eleven tracks. ‘Little Things’ attempts to drive back some pace, but doesn’t succeed in bringing anything new to the table to warrant it’s position as album closer.

The Verdict

With ‘Open Wide’, Inhaler have put out thirteen tunes designed solely to entertain for 48 minutes of runtime. They have largely accomplished this aim; many of the tracks succeed in being pleasant, exciting tunes yet there feels not much else to sink one’s teeth into. The band offer some decent indie fills, but can’t seem to grasp any real thrills. By doing so, much of the album feels like B-sides to their previous works. Instrumentally, the album offers limited progression or diversity. Inhaler seem to opt for the mantra ‘Consistency is key’, yet a bit more daring in structure and instrumentation would surely go a long way.

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All images belong to Lewis Webb.