Audio File: Inhaler Proves The Third Time’s A Charm with “Open Wide”

Written by Anna Porter. Graphic by Anna Porter.

After their first two album releases and loads of tour legs over the first half of the 2020s, Irish bandmates Elijah Hewson, Robert Keating, Ryan McMahon, and Josh Jenkinson entered the studio and said “Let’s go at this again.” Open Wide is indie rock band Inhaler’s third album, and proof of the musical maturity the band has developed throughout their first two album cycles. 

While listening to Open Wide for the first time when it was released on February 7, I could tell it felt different, in a good way. At first, during the release of the four lead singles, I couldn’t get an idea of what the album would be like. Songs like “Your House” and “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)” felt like lighthearted indie-pop, straying away from the rock direction I hoped for in this third album. Much to my surprise, the full album delivered exactly what I wanted– louder bass (thank you, Bobby Skeetz,) heavier instrumental sections, and 80s-inspired riffs. The non-singles at first felt disconnected from the rest of the album, but the more that I listened to it, the more it fit together.

The album kicks off strong with “Eddie In The Darkness,” a catchy track that tells an interesting yet vague story (a recurring stylistic direction.) This song stands out to me because of the specificity of the title– it’s intriguing and makes you want to listen. The next two songs, “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah),” and “Your House” are singles that are perfect for driving with the windows down. In personalized messages from the band members, Robert and Josh both dubbed “Billy” as their favorite track. 

My personal favorite single was “A Question of You.” The song begins with a catchy drum beat and guitar riff. The pre-chorus guitar riff sounds Strokes-esque, which would make sense, regarding the fact that The Strokes is one of the bands’ favorite inspirations. This song is one of the instances in the album where a gospel choir comes in at the end to add in some extra vocal layering, solidifying the outro. 

Now, we get into the substance of the album at “Even Though.” At this point, I started to hear the 80s influences, most likely influenced by lead singer Elijah Hewson’s father, Bono of U2. I’ve found the chorus of this song getting frequently stuck in my head: “Even though she’s got the brains to know // And a body that moves // like there’s nowhere to go.” Hewson stated in an Apple Music interview that the lyrics of this song are one of the only ones on the album written from a specific experience. The sixth track, “Again,” also feels more lyric-heavy than instrumental-heavy. Hewson explained later in the Apple Music interview that this album was when he got more into the flow of writing lyrics, whereas in earlier Inhaler albums, lyrics were an afterthought. Therefore, I’m left confused at the end of the song when he sings, “Ghostwriter // this again // rewrite it,” Despite my confusion, this line is one of my favorite moments in the album.

Later down the tracklist arrives my top favorites: “Still Young,” “The Charms,” and “Concrete.” When I heard “Still Young,” I was convinced that this album would be cemented in a timeless rock sound. The driving guitar riffs have been mentioned to be reminiscent of Springsteen, as it is a youthful rock anthem. Bassist Robert Keating stated that “‘Still Young’ feels like the dark horse on the album,” and that its’ simplicity is elusive. I truly believe the simplicity of the song is what will make it last for generations to come. “The Charms” sounds sonically smokier, yet picks up tempo at the chorus. To me, this song is the one with the most storytelling– starting with the lyrics “Scene one, started with a girl and her gun.” 

“X-Ray” may be Inhaler’s most sonically true rock song to date. The strong riff at the beginning descends to a heavy bass line, supporting the lyrics, “I will chain myself to your soul.” This is the heaviest part of the album, and track twelve, “Concrete,” is the beginning of the more upbeat end. The intro to “Concrete,”  sounds like an alternate intro to a song on The Stone Roses’ self-titled album, which is distorted vocal layering. 

Hewson wrote in his personalized letter that “Little Things” is the perfect song to end the album because of its resolved feeling. I completely agree with this– I think it combines all of the best parts of the album, and the instrumentals are catchy yet layered, anything but surface-level.

“Anything but surface level,” is the best way to describe this album in full. After a few listens, you can’t deny the endless effort Inhaler put into the production of Open Wide, alongside their producer Kid Harpoon. The lyrics tell stories that may never become evident to the listeners, but they are eloquent nonetheless. This album gives me the confidence that Inhaler will establish themselves as a critically acclaimed rock band, shaping the sonic landscape of future indie-rock bands.