Irish indie-rock stars Inhaler are back with their highly anticipated third studio album, Open Wide. Whatever remaining shackles were on this band have come off. The result? A sound that is both expansive and liberated. Inhaler exhaling.
The album opens with “Eddie in the Darkness,” and it’s immediately evident that the band’s signature, guitar-driven style is alive and well. The track sets a tone that is later to be countered. It follows a protagonist who, weary from life’s challenges, seeks refuge in solitude and retreats into the night. What follows in the album is a journey through themes of hope, despair, and emotional turbulence as the character grapples in the knowing that they need adventure yet can’t help but cling to safety in the known.
Standout tracks include “Your House” and “Again.” The keys in Your House are euphoric and it’s lyrically clever. Again is the warmest, most all encompassing embrace you never knew you needed. For those who loved the band’s debut, these tracks will undoubtedly resonate. Eli Hewson’s biggest songwriting strength has always derived from his ability to look inwards.
In stepping back to assess the album as a whole, I can’t help but feel some top-heaviness. The singles carry this album as best they can, but not one track stands out amongst the others. There are tracks on the back-end of the album that feel like filler and lack the infectious hooks that have defined Inhaler’s strongest moments. The album is littered with adventurous choices – some of which hit their mark, while others fall short.
Looking ahead to the summer, Inhaler will headline St. Anne’s Park. It will be fascinating to see how much of Open Wide makes its way into the setlist, given how well the material from the first two album’s still goes down.
Though there are moments on Open Wide that could benefit from more direction, it’s clear Inhaler are heading in a promising direction themselves. The band has clearly undergone a sonic maturation and has broken down more barriers to experiment with fresh ideas. With this newfound freedom on Open Wide, fans will only be eager to see where they will push this sound to next.
‘Open Wide’ opens up nicely with a 7.5 out of 10
Reviewer – Myles Dunne @mylesdunnephoto