Although I have never tried drugs in my nearly 30 years of
walking this planet, I think it would be a safe thing to say that
Inhale, the debut release from Los Angeles-based songwriter
James Michael, is the equivalent of a good joint.
How can little “Mr. Clean Living” make such a bold claim?
Simple: This is an album which is to be savored in private, then
shared with as many people as you can before claiming it back for
additional pleasure.
And, truth be told,
Inhale (scheduled for release on September 12 in America)
might be the kind of disc that you’ll want to “bogart,” keeping all
of the disc’s 12 pleasurable tracks for yourself. But, c’mon, this
kind of thing has to be shared with everyone you know — even
people you’ve never met before.
Handling most of the album’s chores himself (including playing
most of the instruments), Michael opens his soul and pours it out
for almost 43 minutes, revealing more raw nerve endings than an
episode of “Trauma: Life In The ER.” Whether some of the songs deal
directly with use of, aah, certain substances, you can determine
for yourself. I tend to think that tracks like “Inhale” and
“Chemical” are more metaphors for the way certain situations in
one’s life can become addictive.
Michael’s voice is solid with just a touch of rawness to it,
giving his blend of rock music a solid kick in the tush that one
rarely hears these days. With tracks like “January,” “Another Trip
Home” and “Down” serving as examples, Michael proves that his style
of rock is destined to be around for some time, and that it is
something which has been sorely missed in this genre.
But Michael also dares to pay homage to the New Wave which he
grew up with, coming in a cover of Joe Jackson’s “Is She Really
Going Out With Him?” It’s a track of Jackson’s which has been sadly
overlooked over the years (despite it being his first real hit),
and Michael does it justice in many ways. If anything, Michael’s
cover may just serve as the spark to re-awaken interest in
Jackson’s music.
Inhale is the kind of album you’ll immediately get hooked on
with one listen, but it is with repeated listens that its sheer
beauty is revealed. Tracks like “Simple Thing” and “Inhale” are
great the first time around, but you’ll undoubtedly pick up
messages the second or third time that you just can’t get in one
shot.
Inhale is the album that Michael was born to make, and even
if he never tops this release, we should all be thankful that he
got the chance to record and release it. Here’s hoping this is just
the beginning of a rising star in the rock scene.
