Inhaler ‘Open Wide’ review: The Irish band's freshest & boldest work yet

Following the resounding successes of their first two albums ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ and ‘Cuts and Bruises’ that saw the Dublin four-piece earn a UK No.1 album and a UK No.2, Inhaler rose to prominence thanks to their brand of guitar-driven indie-rock.

In the past number of years, they’ve opened for the likes of Sam Fender, Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon and the Arctic Monkeys to name a few and went onto headline the 3Arena in Dublin. However, in their latest album they have steered away from the indie-rock sound and it has produced arguably their freshest, boldest and most experimental album to date.

Working alongside producer Kid Harpoon, who has worked with the likes of Harry Styles, Kings of Leon, Florence & The Machine and Miley Cyrus, ‘Open Wide’ draws on themes such as love, changing and growing up and it dares to push the boundaries of reinvention whilst retaining the elements that put Inhaler on the map.

But it’s safe to say that the desire to incorporate pop elements and fresh influences into their guitar-driven sound works in the band’s favour.

Tracks such as the T-Rex-influenced ‘Your House’ highlight the band’s growth. The song combines synth sounds, catchy drum beats from Ryan McMahon and gospel singers to complement the sharp and silky vocals of frontman Eli Hewson to create a glam rock hit. Whilst the upbeat love song ‘A Question of You’ is fuelled by a memorable riff, funky grooves and hypnotic drum beats. It’s certainly another track that would not feel out of place on a T-Rex record.

Throughout the album, it feels like you are in the midst of a rollercoaster of emotions thanks to the aforementioned themes explored. ‘Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)’ feels like a track from the 1980’s. It has a gorgeous pop melody and features a catchy guitar line from Josh Jenkinson. The song highlights feelings of self-doubt and almost a fear of being infatuated - the lyric “If I come a little too close, should I back away?” feels particularly poignant.

‘Again’ deviates from the style of pop-rock and provides an opportunity as Hewson sings about themes of change and parenthood. ‘Still Young’ feels influenced by Fender and Bruce Springsteen and provides a reassuring touch that growing old doesn’t mean losing your identity. Whilst ‘Concrete’ touches on themes of having a more stable life, ‘Eddie in the Darkness’ reflects on temptation and after a brooding piano-led start, it erupts into a backdrop of shimmering guitars.

‘Open Wide’ and ‘X-Ray’ serve as major highlights on the album. The former features a heavy dose of McMahon’s kick drum to complement funky guitars and a gorgeous bassline in a track that explores toxic relationships. As for ‘X-Ray’, it is a festival-ready anthem track driven by a riff that sounds Depeche Mode-esque.

The album finishes with the anthemic and grunge-infused ‘Little Things’, which will no doubt become a fan favourite thanks to its harmonically rich guitars and a soulful vocal melody from Hewson.

In the end, ‘Open Wide’ is as described - the quartet expressing their desire to evolve their sound, explore a wide range of influences and merge the old with the new in the beginning of a brand new era that may result in Inhaler bringing rock back to the mainstream.