Logan Square’s French Inhaler just put out “TV Love”, their debut single, and it’s a tight little gut-punch of a song. Mechanical drums, a bassline that’s doing more melodic work than you’d expect, synths that stay cool and spaced out rather than crowding the mix. Singer Ashvin Prakash sings the whole thing a little detached, almost flat, which actually works in the song’s favor given the subject matter: wanting someone you’ve basically built out of screen light and static.
That’s the part that got me. The lyrics are about that specific kind of modern loneliness, watching someone instead of knowing them, but the track doesn’t sound mopey or far away. It still moves. Adam O’Leary’s bass and Zane Chao’s drums keep things physical and grounded, so even at its most paranoid the song never loses its pulse.
The Cure and Joy Division comparisons are obvious and the band clearly knows it, but they’re not just doing an impression. There’s a clear point of view here, not just a mood board. “TV Love” is the first single off their album Practiced Lines, due out this summer. If this track is the floor, I’m curious what the ceiling looks like.
Follow French Inhaler: Instagram – Spotify.
