Hum's 2020 return with “Inlet” after 22 years out of the game was a surprising but triumphant one. Known for the 1995 alt-rock anthem "You'd Prefer an Astronaut" and song "Stars", Hum had long since faded into cult status, their myth perpetuated by die-hard enthusiasts and their influence on post-rock and heavy shoegaze. "Inlet" is overwhelming proof that they never actually left the musical world—"Inlet" is an album that not only looks back on their mythic past but also introduces their unique sound into rooms that are heavier, darker, and far more immersive than before. With an almost hour-long run time, "Inlet" is Hum's longest and most sweeping record to date.

From the first chords of the opening song, "Waves," it is abundantly evident that this album is not so much a step back into their past as it is a revolutionary reinterpretation of their sound. The slow and lumbering pace of the song, with a wall of monumental heavy guitar and the otherworldly and ghostly nature of the vocals, creates a frantic environment for an album that delves into post-metal and atmospheric sludge more than any previous release from this band. The two-tracked guitars whose tone is dense and heavy are played with exactness, and form a humongous and oceanic wall of sound that overwhelms everything in the room around the listener. Matt Talbott's far-off-sounding voice, greatly reverberated and gliding smoothly around the mix, makes it seem like it's entirely an echo from another world or plane of existence. "Desert Rambler" is the most savage and lovely of the tracks on "Inlet", keeping one's grip with an eight-minute ride that is full of spellbinding riffs and endlessly morphing musical texture. The track changes with self-control, as its whirling and circular guitar figures labor to sweep the listener into a deep trance. Hum has never done better at striking as much beauty as they possibly can with heaviness in their music, and on this song, they manage to get away with that creative trickery.

That sweeping landscape gives way to "Step Into You," which does the band's best work in capturing their big talent at creating music that is overwhelmingly heavy but somehow inspiring, producing a conflicted emotional response. The second half of "Inlet" continues in this gripping mix of deep gravity and lovely tune, bringing these two disparate items together with each other once again in its course.

On tracks like "Cloud City" and "Folding," the music is lightened, rendered more ethereal in a dreamlike fashion. This takes a cue from shoegaze music, where there can be added brief, but intense, moments of lightness and airiness breaking up an otherwise heavy overall mood of the album.

On the other hand, however, "The Summoning" is likely the heaviest song Hum has ever recorded to tape throughout their lengthy discography, featuring hulking and brooding riffs so heavy that they verge on funeral solemnity with their crushing majesty. "Shapeshifter" closes out the album on a full circle, fading into thin air, surrounding the listener in its sprawling sonic expanse. The recording at hand is nothing less than flawless, catching every nuance of understatement in Hum's heavy, swirling sound with a deep sense of warmth and definition that permeates every song. Each note in the music sounds supremely thought out, and each texture has been labored over to create a listening experience of real weight. "Inlet" is that amazing sophomore album that not only meets but surpasses fans' and critics' lofty expectations in new and exciting ways, solidifying Hum's elite status as a heavy melodic rock music master. If, worst-case scenario, this is their last work of art, then it is a good one—a record that is completely timeless and totally of its time in the history of modern music. If you liked this album you should check out “Buds” by OVLOV and “Traumerei” by Trauma Ray. 7/10