French Inhaler – TV Love

Sometimes we crave some nostalgia. It’s part of human nature. As much as we love hearing fresh and innovative music that breaks all the rules and pushes all the boundaries of what music can be, our hearts and souls always return to the music that reminds us why we fell in love with it in the first place. And do not get me wrong, there are plenty of fish in the pond, and there’s something for everyone, but retro sound that brings back eighties pop culture works the best. Paired with all the qualities that only contemporary music production could bring, the retro nostalgia can sound as fresh, unique, innovative, and exciting as it was back then when you heard it on the radio for the first time. But as is usually the case, not all artists and bands can manage this sound properly. It takes a lot of nerves, ideas, creativity, and experience to make it right. Thankfully, we recently stumbled upon French Inhaler, a marvelous Chicago-based trio that immediately transported us back to the eighties, better than any time machine. With “TV Love,” their latest standalone single, released via streaming platforms on June 6th, they reinvent that catchy, memorable, hypnotic, addictive retro futuristic sound. It’s an emotional rollercoaster packed with outstanding musicianship and brilliant ideas, suitable not only for those who grew up blasting music through boomboxes or Walkmans, played arcade and pinball, or waited patiently for Back To The Future to appear in local theaters, but also for anyone who appreciates perfectly crafted and flawlessly performed music. Sonically, this composition packs everything you dearly love about synthwave, synth pop, new wave, and post-punk. You’ll notice how each style plays a significant role by enhancing, accentuating, and decorating particular segments or the entire song. And the band so carefully, thoughtfully, tastefully crafted everything, thinking of even the tiniest details, nuances, layers, and elements. It’s a work of art by all means, proving that French Inhaler consists of experienced musicians whose knowledge, skills, talent, and creativity go beyond comprehension.

As soon as you press play, this composition immediately wraps around your listening apparatus and refuses to let go long after the last notes and beats fade away. The song arrives with a perfect structure, decorated with clever arrangements, profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and outstanding orchestrations. Each vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuver has its place and purpose. But let’s talk about the synth works first. As an absolute piece of art, those synth themes, melodies, harmonies, sequences, and other sonic maneuvers not only create a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon but also define the direction of the song. Each layer contributes depth, detail, and melody to the overall ambiance, making this composition so hypnotic, addictive, and irresistible. And the best part about these sonic maneuvers is how they exclude unnecessary distortion. Unlike many other contemporaries, who tirelessly try to reinvent or mimic this particular sound by stacking enormous layers of distortion on their instrumentations, French Inhaler know how to craft themes, melodies, and harmonies that are as clean as polished as possible. Still, even without that excess distortion, they sound so memorable and powerful, proving that you do not need gain to sound so good. The vocals are the definite centerpiece of this composition, elevating everything to new heights, commanding attention, and guiding listeners on an epic journey through the expansive sonic universe. The impressive vocal range effortlessly balances low, mid, and high notes with such precision and finesse, emphasizing everything the band intended to achieve with this song. Besides decorating all those segments and orchestrations, the vocals also contribute more than necessary emotional depth and complexity over an already intricate song structure. Besides already mentioned synths, the bass guitar is one of those instruments that definitely deserves a lot of praise, mainly because its solely responsible for all the groove, warmth, depth, and power in this composition. You’ll notice all those vividly hearable, warm-sounding, clean, intricate basslines rumbling beneath the synths and contributing detail and groove while simultaneously acting as a binding element between the mentioned instrumentations and rhyhtmic patterns. By delivering continuous splashes over the cymbals, accentuations over hi hats, kicks on the bass drums, and punches on the snare, the drummer keeps the remainder of the band in line while offering more groove and detail. Every beat, break, fill, accentuation, and other percussive acrobatic plays a significant role here in keeping time and making this composition more dynamic and nuanced.

“TV Love” is an absolute masterpiece. French Inhaler has created an eighties-inspired gem that brings everything you dearly love about that era. It’s one of those songs that immediately wraps around your listening apparatus with its catchy melodies, beautiful vocal harmonies, intricate basslines, and groovy beats. With this catchy tune, French Inhaler has proven they’re capable of delivering captivating pieces that resonate both emotionally and sonically. If you love your music soulful, energetic, complex, and fascinating, then “TV Love” will be right up your alley. Do not miss it!