Inhaler’s third studio album, “Open Wide” is a confident step forward for the band, blending their signature guitar anthems with a more mellow sound.
With this album, Inhaler begins to move away from the swooping anthemic tunes that have become expected from them, perhaps due to their comparisons to U2 (lead singer Elijah Hewson is Bono’s son) or of their own accord. Whichever may be, it mostly works to their benefit. Producer Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Florence + The Machine, Maggie Rogers) smoothed out Inhaler’s alternative edges to create their sleekest record yet.
Opening track “Eddie in the Darkness” sets the tone for the album, drawing upon the energy of their previous work before moving into more experimental tunes as the tracklist goes on. “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah),” named after bassist Robert Keating’s brother, soars with a thumping drumbeat and wandering bassline. In these particular songs Inhaler expands their lyricism, using characters to delve into themes of getting older and navigating relationships.
Lead single “Your House” features a gospel choir and synthesizer, and characterized the band’s new sound from the beginning. Despite the different energy, Inhaler continues to deliver the expected messages of love sickness in “X-Ray” and the typical youthful cliches in “Still Young.”
The album tends to float in some areas; it feels as if the pop-leaning production can only go so far, and a few tracks suffer because of it.
The singles and more rock-centric tunes hold their ground, but the other half lacks direction, paling in comparison to the songs that are reminiscent of their earlier work. The production seems to lack the passion and energy of their prior albums.
Building up to its release, the band emphasized that “Open Wide” was their most prideful record yet. They spoke repeatedly about how experimental it was, building up a sense of anticipation for this to be a real risk-taking record. However, none of their choices are outlandish enough to consider this experimental. “Open Wide” simply blends their previous sound with a more mature energy. It just isn’t as groundbreaking for their sound as they made it out to be.
Throughout the whole album, I found myself hoping that they’d just let loose a little. Though they’ve never been a heavy rock band, their previous music was a bit more unpolished and just a little louder.
This album, by comparison, feels more contained than 2023’s “Cuts and Bruises,” which expanded upon their debut record to create a full-of-life album full of arena ballads.
“Open Wide” misses out on the passionate energy of their previous albums, choosing to explore other creative avenues instead. It’s a natural evolution for the band that sacrifices some of their youthful energy for a more relaxed, self-assured sound.
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