INHALER: Open Wide (POP): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

“Open Wide” is the third volume in the adventures of Inhaler, a band led by singer Elijah Hewson, son of a certain Bono who needs no introduction. Produced by Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles), the album is the logical follow-up to “Cuts & Bruises”, and shows a young band who have decided to slightly evolve their indie pop into something more consensual.

Judiciously placed at number one, the energetic 'Eddie In The Darkness' allows regulars to rediscover Inhaler's characteristic style and begin this “Open Wide” with confidence. The next track shows the slight evolution the band had in mind, a bouncy, slightly melancholy ballad that could have appeared on “Cuts & Bruises”.

Resolutely electro-pop, 'Your House' and 'A Question Of You' finally show Inhaler's new face. The former, with its stripped-down verses and liberating choruses enhanced by female backing vocals, is sure to find its way onto many a playlist, as is the more organic 'A Question Of You', which takes up many of the codes that made the first tracks of “Open Wide” such a success.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't have the same emotional impact, and apart from 'Open Wide', which comes close to 'Your House' in its construction and provokes a certain amount of emotion, the songs pass by without really arousing any interest. While 'Even Thought' and 'All I Got Is You' are typical of the band's previous albums and remain pleasant to listen to, 'Again', 'Still Young', 'Concrete' and 'Little Things' are far too generic and instantly forgettable.

Neither good nor bad, “Open Wide” is neither the revolution announced nor the stagnation feared. With the exception of the first part, which brings together the most elaborate tracks, the album can be listened to without triggering any real passion. Inhaler seems to have lost a little of its soul by trying too hard to keep up with the fashionable music of the moment. - Official website

INHALER

OPEN WIDE

UNIVERSAL

POP