Aside from a few shows and festival performances, Hum has been largely quiet since the release of 1998's Downward Is Heavenward. Outside of "Stars" (from 1995's You'd Prefer An Astronaut), the band never really trafficked in the mainstream, but during their absence Hum's legacy and influence have only continued to grow.

With Inlet, the band has created another epic masterpiece that further reinforces Hum's place of honor among the shoegaze/alt-rock elite. "So many bands have borrowed from this group's pioneering blend of heavy prog, shoegaze, and post-hardcore, but within a few seconds of their first album in 22 years, it's clear nobody does this sound like Hum... The arrangement, the performance, the song, the album, the band: It's all perfect. Let it wash over you." - Stereogum ("Waves"; 5 Best Songs of the Week) "The inscrutable shoegaze legends return with a towering reunion album, their first in 22 years. Unexpectedly, it is their most emotionally accessible music yet." - Pitchfork (7.8) "Hum are now a prime example among the bands from their generation that have made good on unfinished business and shown there are different ways to have longevity in music." - Under the Radar