Inhaler Proves Their Longevity with Sophomore Album, ‘Cuts and Bruises’
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Garnering maturity and a newfound sense of footing after releasing their first album mid-pandemic, Inhaler’s sophomore album comes in swinging with a showcase of expansive sounds and retrospective lyrics. Hailing from Dublin, the rock band has already made their own waves within the music industry, supporting the Arctic Monkeys and headlining their own tour through the U.S. They are now proving themselves adaptable by developing a sound both recognizable and exploratory, which can be experienced throughout the inner weavings of Cuts and Bruises.
Inhaler came on the scene with their debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This, a pandemic-filtered observation of the world in chaos. The album is full of ballad-like anthemic hits laced with lyrics of introspection and realization of the passing time. The album marks a moment when the world was in the midst of the unknown, facing uncertain environments and heated social debates. “When It Breaks” tackles social issues such as the Black Lives Matter protests and political tensions throughout the U.S. “Slide Out the Window” is most notably a song unlocked in quarantine, stemming from the boys dreaming of escape. Hewson tells NME that these situations were inspirations for the lyrics and overall mood of the album, which manifested as repetitive guitar riffs and static vocals, a sonic interpretation of the angst felt throughout these times.
Lockdown happened just as Inhaler gained their footing as a band. Having to resort to writing songs over Zoom calls challenged them to find new ways to look at the world and make music. Being in the midst of a pandemic and roaring social issues, the band was forced to grow up a little quicker, just like the rest of us and they wanted to broaden the topics they wrote about. “If we’re ever going to write about the world, surely we’re going to write about it now,” Hewson tells NME in an interview. This change in perspective brought about the mid-tempo drum kick we know and love, featured on the hit single “My Honest Face.” With the help of their producer, Antony Genn, they began to converge their newfound worldview with that of a truly cohesive rock band.
Cuts and Bruises follows the pendulum back to themes of connection, something that was yearned for in It Won’t Always Be Like This. Navigating a new world and now changed by the journey of a pandemic, their sophomore album peels back expectations to stay put and refocus on what’s right in front of us all: love and friendship.
The band wrote most of the album in mid-2021 in a little green walled house dubbed “The Nunnery,” decorated with art made by the boys; it was a sort of safe space for writing, brainstorming, playing and the occasional party. They had an urgency to live up to the hype and notions that their debut album created for them — a sort of double-edged sword. Caught between a post-quarantine stillness and the anticipation of the reception that a sophomore album could garner, the band found a sweet spot with electric guitar riffs and sultry vocals laced with undertones of reflections on self-realization and the bittersweet push and pull of intimate connection.
The record has an extended catalog of sounds, including the infectious melodic love ballads “If You’re Gonna Break My Heart” and “Love Will Get You There,” while the latter half of the album dives into a more psychedelic trancelike introspection seen in “Dublin in Ecstacy.” The songwriting on the album is highly intelligent, with a questioning of the self, yet it carries itself with an intuitive trust in the universe. Tracks like “Perfect Storm” and “When I Have Her On My Mind” explore the complexities of dizzying relationships often found in the early 20s, characterized by milky guitar riffs, hypnotic vocals and pulsating rhythmic drum kicks that glide you through each record, taking you through the feelings of uncertain youth and memories of nights together without ever looking up.
The Dublin band has already topped the charts in Irish radio and is quickly seizing the U.S. with a tour through crowded, smoky venues across the country. They’re making their way around the UK and Europe throughout June, as well as playing a few festivals scattered across the summer. With supporting shows for Harry Styles and Pearl Jam on the horizon, Inhaler is truly holding its own as an upcoming indie rock staple. They showed their immense talent with It Won’t Always Be Like This, but Cuts and Bruises dimmed the lights, setting the stage. ♦