ALBUM REVIEW: Cuts and Bruises - Inhaler

Cuts and Bruises - Inhaler

My apologies for missing last week, friends. That's on me. I was in Europe and didn't feel like writing a blog post while I was eating my body weight in pastries and gelato.

I can't be too sorry, though, because without that trip, I wouldn't have found this album.

I was in Portugal for a week-long study abroad with my school. One of the other students and I were talking about our favorite music (because that's all that I talk about), and she asked if I had ever heard of Inhaler.

Who?

I told her I hadn't, and she STRONGLY recommended this album. She told me that she thought I would love them. I promised to give it a listen, not expecting anything to come of it.

I don't think I've ever been so happy to be wrong.

I fell in love with this album. So in love that after listening to four songs, I texted the other student and we bought tickets to see them at the end of the month.

I think I just found one of my new favorite bands.

BACKGROUND

Inhaler formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 2012, when vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson (whose dad is Bono from U2 ???), bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson, and drummer Ryan McMahon were just kids. They released their debut album, It Won't Always Be Like This in 2021 on Polydor Records. It entered at #1 in both the UK and Irish official charts and became the fastest-selling debut album on vinyl by any band this century.

Since, they've been praised by and have toured with the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon, played Glastonbury, and earned their own spring headline tour. They're also playing more dates with Arctic Monkeys, playing London's Brixton Academy, hitting Reading and Leeds Festival, and even opening for Harry Styles this June.

Released on Polydor Records in February 2023, Cuts and Bruises is the sophomore album from the Irish four-piece.

OVERALL SCORE: 8.23

This might crack the list of my top ten albums of all time. It's so cohesive, authentic, and well executed. The sophomore slump doesn't exist for Inhaler.

TRACKLIST RANKING

1. If You're Gonna Break My Heart

2. Just To Keep You Satisfied

3. Valentine

4. Dublin In Ecstasy

5. The Things I Do

6. These Are The Days

7. When I Have Her On My Mind

8. Now You Got Me

9. Perfect Storm

10. So Far So Good

11. Love Will Get You There

THE GOOD

GUITARS, GUITARS, GUITARS

Noticing a theme in every review I do? I love a good guitar riff.

Cuts and Bruises is full of groovy, intense, guitars that demand your attention. It's hard to not fall in love with them.

BASS LINES THAT ROCK

Like the guitars, the bass lines on this album are insane. Especially on So Far So Good and These Are The Days.

While not as demanding as the guitar parts, the bass is so freaking good.

DIVERSE, COHESIVE TRACKS & A SOLID IDENTITY

We see it in music all the time. Bands spend years making the debut record, figuring out what they want to sound like, and establishing who they think they should be. By the time they get to the second record, they feel rushed and the identity can get lost.

Not here.

Each song has a distinct identity. They don't all blend together. However, this album is also so cohesive. Every little thing works so well together. You leave the album feeling like you know exactly who Inhaler is.

THE BAD

UHH...

I'm gonna be honest, I don't know what to put for the bad. Sure, there were some weird synth-like sounds that I wasn't the biggest fan of, but can I write a whole section about that?

No.

Like my review of When We Were Friends by The Backseat Lovers, it was hard for me to come up with something for this section. When an album is as cohesive, self-aware, and just good as this one, weird synths can be forgiven.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This album is good. Good. I had a hard time limiting myself on what to put in "The Good" section. I wanted to write everything that I thought: insane vocals that remind me of Brandon Flowers, cohesive track listing, and so much potential for future success.

Inhaler is about to break the American scene. It's already starting (on TikTok, no less), so there's never been a better time to start listening to them.

You'll regret it if you don't.