Y'ALL. I am not even going to try to be professional about this: I have been waiting for a studio version of "Cheer Up Baby" so long it feels like I've turned to dust. So many late nights listening to YouTube videos of it live on repeat. It feels surreal to finally be able to stream it!
This freshly-recorded "Cheer Up Baby" is a beautiful culmination of Inhaler's work as a band thus far. I love the idea that this is an old track that they've gotten the chance to revisit with adult eyes and new experiences in both their careers and their personal lives. They've really honed their sound, and it's almost immediately recognizably Inhaler, right from the first couple of wiry guitar licks. An impeccable blend of pop and rock and roll, it's a song you can chuck on and let play for hours without realizing how long it's been - a theme I've noticed with a lot of Inhaler's songs; they seem always to blend seamlessly back into themselves - and also without getting tired of it. Additionally, the juxtaposition of the title with the subject matter of the track is not lost on me.
On the tune, frontman Elijah Hewson said, “It’s just a great pop song...I think it really takes us back to our roots as a band.” Knowing they formed as 15-year-olds while they were still in school and learning their instruments, this sentiment is quite sweet. The lyrics are equally as sweet - and sad, don't get me wrong - and almost juvenile, in a purposeful, sentimental way: "Did you meet someone else? / I've been more than a friend / I don't know what you meant / Are we close to the end?" Hewson croons before the last chorus, laying out for us a relationship falling apart in real time, miscommunication and stubbornness and, ultimately, if you take into account the age at which this song was penned, the naivety of youth all leading to its inevitable demise. Fragmented lyrics that show only part of the story and invite us to read between the lines is slowly becoming a signature songwriting technique of Inhaler's, and I love it.
Inhaler have been teasing their debut album for the better part of 2021 and the exciting news has finally dropped - their debut album, It Won't Always Be Like This, is out July 16th, 2021 via Interscope Records. It can be preordered here. There's a couple of different beautiful variants for the vinyl - including a signed store exclusive with an alternate cover, as well as an Irish edition available only on The Record Hub - of which I have already preordered multiple copies, oops.
This band are only at the beginning of their career and have already exceeded the expectations of everyone who knows them. They truly have potential to be unbelievably massive. They've announced a string of live shows to (fingers crossed) take place across the UK and Ireland this summer, which will only skyrocket their popularity. Preorder a copy of the album off their official store by next Tuesday to get access to ticket preorders!
Check out the official music video below - and make sure to head over to the official Late Late Show YouTube channel to watch Inhaler's American television debut (that makes me emotional to say!) as well as an interview with James Corden re: It Won't Always Be Like This.