By Fred Spanner
Inhaler: “Open Wide” ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dublin lads Inhaler are back at it again, proving once more that they’re more than just Bono Jr. and his mates. Ryan McMahon, Eli Hewson, Robert Keating, and Josh Jenkinson have stepped up their game, delivering an album that’s slicker, bigger, and built for massive festival singalongs.
From day one, these boys set the bar high, churning out guitar anthems so catchy they should’ve come with a health warning. Matching that energy for a third album? A tough ask. But, lads, they’ve only gone and done it.
Yeah, the production’s a little shinier this time around, but don’t fret, they’re not selling out. If they’d churned out the same old formula, some moany git would’ve called them a one-trick pony anyway. This is evolution.
“Eddie In The Darkness” kicks things off with a bang, primed to go off live, while “A Question Of You” has Hewson’s vocals hitting that sweet spot, with more than a whiff of his old man’s DNA.
And then there’s “Your House,” which, thanks to a well-placed gospel choir, will squat rent-free in your brain for weeks. The title track slows things down before “All I Got Is You” and “Still Young” bring the energy right back up. Expect sweaty crowds screaming every word by the time festival season rolls around.
But the real dark horse? “X-Ray”, is an 80s-inspired slow burner that feels like a lost U2 deep cut. It’s dreamy, hypnotic, and impossible to skip.
Open Wide isn’t just an album, it’s a statement. It’s a “look how far we’ve come” moment. And let’s be honest, in these grim times, we could all do with a bit of positivity.
Stand-out tracks: “Your House”, “X-Ray ”.
