Inhaler - It Won’t Always Be Like This (LP)

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So the album is out. What an incredible debut. It’s not perfect, but it is incredibly self-assured, mature and confident. Lots of 4 star reviews, and I have to agree with them. Catchiness weaved in with complexity and individuality. A loose ranking of songs with some impressions below:

A Night On The Floor - slinky, thumping, pulsing, and quite intricate. Lots of layers going on here with synths, guitar and vocal tracks adding atmosphere. Great solo. Lyrically quite a good take on American dysfunction while maintains political subtlety.

My King Will Be Kind - I’ve seen polarising reviews, but those who don’t think it’s a standout are focusing on a misinterpretation of the lyrics. Written as a critique of youth online anger culture, from the perspective of an incel. A brave, acidic take on youthful anger and intolerance. Vocally an absolute masterclass of melody in the chorus. Wish Bono still used his voice like this…

My Honest Face - has always been one of their best, and this is more a remaster than a re-record. Some cleaner drums, little guitar and synth layers not on the original, but largely the same song using the same tracks. Hard to improve on something that was already so strong.

It Won’t Always Be Like This - the re record did this song wonders. I never heard the flaws in the original until I heard this. It’s tighter, more dynamic, and more mature. Such a great tune too. It’s like the difference in the maturity between Boy and The Unforgettable Fire. There’s a level of polish that preserves character that is impressive for a debut record.

Slide Out the Window - dripping with later era Beatles vibes, this is a jam. Great guitar hook, complex, changing structures and sections that work so well together. Unlike anything we’ve heard from them before. Again, this as the depth and maturity you expect from a band on their fourth album showing growth over time. And they hit you with it on track three. The lads have balls.

Totally - I saw them reference a Britney Spears influence on this track in an interview - I hear more Alannis, but I think 90s alt/pop is the right vibe to describe the rolling drums, power chorus, and pre-chorus vocal melody manipulation. A real grower, and showed some real consideration to throw on as a late album momentum keeping track.

Who’s Your Money On - really fun. Great bass line, wild synths, rollicking first half. The change of pace into Plastic House is bonkers, but the vocals and atmospherics of the second half again show their maturity and ambition. They couldn’t have dreamed of producing a track like this 18 months ago.

When it Breaks - straight up, fun, energising, catchy. Big sing along chorus. It’s only let down by the quite overt pandemic references making me worried it is too positioned at a point in time, because the rest of this album is geared to endure.

In My Sleep - fans are going nuts, and it’s a fun, stonking finish. Shows some real musical maturity, and a broader set of influences than we see on the more pop tinged tracks on the record. Interesting closer, but one I feel needs time to grow.

Cheer Up Baby - the fact this is second last shows how good this album is. More of a reflection on it being a paint by numbers pop rock tune, than any lack of quality, I have a soft spot for this song, but I wouldn’t be using it as a first recommendation on getting into the band.

Strange Time to Be Alive - it’s at the bottom because it’s an interlude. Interesting that it came from a full song. Atmosphere and interest right through, but ultimately about being fancy rather than it adding anything substantial to the record. Would have been better to have just been a full song.
 
Haven't listened to the whole thing, but a few clips on YouTube; thanks for the primer.

Particularly impressed by Slide Out the Window and A Night on the Floor for starters.
 
Listening now. Damn. It is really, really good. I'd only heard two songs before the full release.

It's very interesting to hear the tone/delivery every once in a while of Bono in Eli's voice. Also that the album cover of their debut is a bit similar to the US cover of Boy.

Just going through song by song and enjoying it very much.
 
"A Night On The Floor" is a really fucking good song. The rest of the album is pretty good, not necessarily my genre but a really good debut album. Hopefully it catches some traction.
 
Meh I dunno. Bono’s kid seems like a bit of an asshole with these lyrics.



Which ones in particular? He’s been pretty clear in interviews that the songs are commentaries on the way people act, and lots of songs are based around characters he is critiquing rather than embodying.

He’s said the album is about that period between being a teenager and being an adult and how your attitudes are shaped by external influences while you learn how to become a proper functioning adult.

If you’re referring to My King Will Be Kind (I fucking hate that bitch) it’s about incels and the way they treat women. It’s quite the opposite of what you’re thinking.
 
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"A Night On The Floor" is a really fucking good song. The rest of the album is pretty good, not necessarily my genre but a really good debut album. Hopefully it catches some traction.



You’re a big fan of Biffy Clyro - were you ever into Brand New? My wife thinks In My Sleep sounds like U2 covering Brand New.
 
You’re a big fan of Biffy Clyro - were you ever into Brand New? My wife thinks In My Sleep sounds like U2 covering Brand New.


I do like Brand New as well. Haven’t really gotten into them but I can actually see her comparison!
 
Son of a bitch.

2 days away from seeing these guys for my first live show since pre-pandemic days and I just got this email:
The Inhaler show at Royale on March 12, 2022 has been postponed.

At this time, we don't have information on a new date. Hold onto your tickets; there is nothing you need to do and they will still be valid for the rescheduled date.

We are in regular communication with our event partners to identify a new date. As soon as we have new information, we will email you.

ETA: Apparently Covid outbreak in the "touring party".
 
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2nd album is out.

It starts a bit on the ‘meh’ side, but takes off once you get to ‘Dublin in Ecstasy’. Enjoying it.
 
How was the show?

Was very good. Played 75 minutes.

Set list:

These Are the Days
My Honest Face
Totally
So Far So Good
Just to Keep You Satisfied
When It Breaks
The Things I Do
My King Will Be Kind
Valentine
Love Will Get You There
Dublin in Ecstasy
Who's Your Money On? (Plastic House)
Cheer Up Baby

Encore:
If You're Gonna Break My Heart
It Won't Always Be Like This

Crowd really into it.
 
Inhaler were the last band I saw before Covid, and the first after things opened up again - i'll always remember gigs for this reason alone! They were great both times, and I said hello to all of them after the first show. It was such a small venue, I think it was in Islington. Eve and Jordan were there also and were keeping Eli safe from the excited girls!

I haven't listened to the new album yet....
 
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