Open Wide (album)
| Open Wide | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 February 2025 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:11 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Kid Harpoon | |||
| Inhaler chronology | ||||
| ||||
Open Wide is the third album by Irish rock band Inhaler. It was released through Polydor Records on 7 February 2025, and was met with favourable critical reception.
The album debuted at No.2 on the UK Albums Chart, earning the band its third top-ten effort on the chart, following 2023's Cuts & Bruises (No. 2) and their chart-topping It Won't Always Be Like This (2021). Open Wide entered atop the Irish Albums Chart, marking their third consecutive number one in the native country.
Background and release
[edit]In an interview with The Independent, Inhaler frontman Elijah Hewson said that Open Wide reflects his "quarter-life crisis".[1][2]
Open Wide was released through Polydor Records on 7 February 2025.[3]
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[5] |
| The Independent |   [1] |
| MusicOMH |  [6] |
| NME | [3] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Open Wide received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[4] It received positive reviews from The Independent,[1] NME,[3] and Clash,[5] as well as a mixed review from MusicOMH.[6]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Elijah Hewson, Josh Jenkinson, Robert Keating and Ryan McMahon, with Amy Allen as an additional songwriter on "Eddie in the Darkness" and "Open Wide".
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Eddie in the Darkness" | 3:35 |
| 2. | "Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Your House" | 3:47 |
| 4. | "A Question of You" | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Even Though" | 3:18 |
| 6. | "Again" | 3:36 |
| 7. | "Open Wide" | 4:48 |
| 8. | "All I Got Is You" | 3:44 |
| 9. | "Still Young" | 3:21 |
| 10. | "The Charms" | 3:45 |
| 11. | "X-Ray" | 3:23 |
| 12. | "Concrete" | 3:49 |
| 13. | "Little Things" | 3:14 |
| Total length: | 48:11 | |
Personnel
[edit]Inhaler
[edit]- Elijah Hewson – vocals, electric guitar (all tracks); background vocals (tracks 2, 8)
- Robert Keating – bass guitar (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 5–8, 10, 13), synth bass (3)
- Josh Jenkinson – keyboards (all tracks), electric guitar (tracks 1–8, 10–13), background vocals (1, 2); acoustic guitar, organ (9)
- Ryan McMahon – drums (all tracks), background vocals (track 1)
Additional contributors
[edit]- Kid Harpoon – production (all tracks), synthesizer (tracks 2–13), Hammond B3 (3), background vocals (7, 8)
- Randy Merrill – mastering
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
- Brian Rajaratnam – engineering
- Liam Hebb – recording, engineering assistance
- Emi Trevena – additional engineering
- Andrea Cozzaglio – additional engineering (tracks 1–12), additional production (track 9), engineering (track 9-10), piano (track 10), programming (tracks 2, 9, 10)
- Matt Wolach – mixing assistance
- Tommy Turner – mixing assistance
- Natalie Maddix – choir arrangement, alto vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Daniel Thomas – choir arrangement (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Laura Leon – alto vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Shayanne Campbell – alto vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Siziwe Sayiya – alto vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Cleo Stewart – soprano vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Leanna Leid – soprano vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Roslyn Adonteng – soprano vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Vânia Lima – soprano vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Anton Denny-Brown – tenor vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Charles Dawson – tenor vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Christian Jamieson Idos – tenor vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
- Dean Patron – tenor vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9)
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[7] | 50 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[8] | 8 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[9] | 51 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[10] | 8 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] | 18 |
| Irish Albums (OCC)[12] | 1 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] | 2 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] | 64 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[15] | 2 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Album reviews: Olly Alexander – Polari and Inhaler – Open Wide". The Independent. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "Inhaler singer Elijah Hewson: 'I'm 25 now – I'm getting old'". The Independent. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Shutler, Ali (7 February 2025). "Inhaler – 'Open Wide' review: blissed out guitar anthems from a band coming into their own". NME. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Open Wide". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b Hansen, Susan (6 February 2025). "Inhaler - Open Wide | Reviews". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b Livesey, Donovan (4 February 2025). "Inhaler - Open Wide | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Inhaler – Open Wide" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Inhaler – Open Wide" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Inhaler – Open Wide" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Inhaler – Open Wide" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Inhaler – Open Wide" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Inhaler – Open Wide". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 February 2025.