Oh, dear. I am about to piss off many a fan of Inhaler by mentioning the old cliché that lead vocalist Elijah Hewson is the son of U2 frontman Bono. Many fans hate this tired cliché of Inhaler being roped in with U2, but unfortunately, that’s the way it is. I first heard the Dublin outfit after seeing their name in a festival flyer I discovered on the festival wizard (Fucking brilliant little website!). I already knew their background but hadn’t given them a listen so far. The set was only about eight songs, but I was left impressed, and yes, just like this album, I could hear the comparison in the father and son vocals. Eli also looks a bit like his dad during the early years of U2. I would have described their set at that festival as ‘shoe gaze’, but this record surprised me because I could hear a more rock sound and, once again, drew comparisons to U2. In some of the tracks, you can hear the influence of U2 with the topics, bassline, obviously the vocals, and Edge’s riffs.

Inhaler has been making headway since they supported the likes of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Despite the obvious connections and being signed shortly after forming, this debut effort has more than justified their position in the industry. I tend to frown upon this, but the band has shown that they should be taken seriously. The album starts with the title track, and from there, I was willing to give them a chance to prove they are worthy of their status. The album remains on that level as it progresses. I especially liked ‘My Honest Face’ and ‘My King Will be Kind’. I loved the Indie rock sound to it. Of course, they go back to their usual shoe gaze momentarily, but it doesn’t suit the overall sonics of the record. Still, though, it was a good effort for a debut, and I enjoyed most of it. 

Momentarily, I did start to wander. I mean, it’s not the best album I’ve heard this year, but it is up there. At the moment, it’s the Snuts.

Song recommendations: ‘My King Will be Kind’, ‘My Honest Face’, ‘It Won’t Always be Like This’

7/10