Wet Leg - moisturizer review
Written by Beau Croxton
Wet Leg by Alice Backham
Wet Leg’s sophomore LP moisturizer proves their overnight success was no fluke or mere trend. The record doubles down on what made the band so interesting in the first place, and it flexes even more instrumental muscle and potent musical chemistry.
The Isle of Wight-based band Wet Leg is back this week to release their highly anticipated sophomore album, moisturizer. The record is largely characterized by new strengths the band has gained by touring and further developing their musical chemistry. Notably, for the first time, the record features writing contributions from all 5 members of the band.
Now…we all know Wet Leg achieved a wild, trendy, Grammy-winning, overnight success with their debut album. With this follow-up album, surely, there's going to be a staggering number of folks wondering if the band was just a flavor of the week. Well, to put it simply…with moisturizer, Wet Leg tells the notion of a “sophomore slump” to go f*ck itself. This record is full of undeniably catchy, punky and campy indie-sleaze-style rock that will surely put the “Wet Leg” band name in a much larger font on festival lineups. Most importantly, moisturizer doubles down on the catchy rockers served with deadpan delivery that made the band so irresistible in the first place, and it notably expands their sound. While lead single “catch these fists” and “mangetout” exude a bratty “get lost!” attitude, the record is mostly outlined by singer Rhian Teasdale’s bashful and direct exclamations on how she is “deep in love!”. moisturizer has every different type of love song you can think of…dreamy, obsessive, lustful, wholesome– you name it.
“CPR” gets things started with groovy verses and anthemic choruses. Some supremely catchy guitars (that sound like a slowed down version of “Man Made of Meat” by Viagra Boys) wail against some alarm-sounding synths . Sure, there are overly-campy vocals including an emergency 999 call, but ultimately the track is infectiously fun, just like their debut. The track explores love as if she's been infected with it — “I’m in love, and you're to blame! / Put your lips to mine, give me CPR”-- the demand for resuscitation checks out.
“liquidize” has a charming, sunny and strummy aura that recalls something you might hear on The Strokes album Room On Fire. It’s a bit of a head scratcher that this great song wasn’t a single, it’s a seriously pretty and magical track that stands out as a really well-written tune– it sounds highly considered. Rhian confesses – “I melt for you / I liquidize”. Melodically, the band strikes gold on tracks like these and this tune is note-for-note gorgeous.
“catch these fists” was a hell of a lead single– and it sits nicely on the tracklist. It’s a total dance-punk and indie-sleaze track with an explosive entrance that makes a splash. It has an undeniably great riff and its repetitive moans and cheeky vocals that are just begging for festival crowd participation. It’s a notable banger that will be very rowdy at their live show.
“davina mccall” doubles down on the pretty, Strokes-strummy nature of “liquidize”. The bridge brings persistent doubled up hi-hats that really bring the tune up a couple notches, and it's a very nice exploration of romance and devotion. “jennifer’s body” enters largely characterized by its heavily rhythmic and stuttering nature. It's paired next to more memorable songs– but it is still a very solid tune that grows with more listens. But even on first listen– toes will tap, and heads will immediately nod in approval to the beat.
moisturizer album art. Out this Friday June 11th via Domino
“mangetout” revels in its “get lost forever!” hook and attitude. Although the track is supremely catchy with a great Smashing Pumpkins “1979” strut, there are some questionable lyric choices, which is ultimately my only real solid critique of moisturizer. The record has a few lines that try to be spicy and cheeky, but sometimes they miss the mark. Ultimately, the record is pretty much an indie-radio-rock summer blockbuster, so a few lyrics hardly detract from the big picture . What the track does very well is weave between confidence and beauty- the bridge is a very pretty moment. It’s a confident, carefree, “cruising in the car with the windows down” type of track.
“pond song” yields some great distorted synths paired with bass. There are great guitar breaks in both channels that chat with each other after the first verse. “So sweet and I’m sour, you’re the sun and I’m a flower”— “pond song” is a very lovestruck tune, thriving in a celebration of love, with purely feel-good vibes.
“pokémon” is a total gem— soft lush, 80’s synths peer through the mix like cloud-mist emerging, and its lush mystique is pushed forward by a strong and quick backbeat. Its first few moments of synths and drums recall the vibe of the first few bars of “Young Turks” by Rod Stewart. “pokémon” is a dreamy song, with gorgeous synths and sweeping chorus vocals that are sung with an excellent vibrato– these choruses take you on a journey somewhere else. The vocal delivery in the verses is very rhythmically precise and catchy. When she sings “giddy up, giddy up!”, the hi-hats from drummer Henry Holmes pick up accordingly in a playful, suiting and well-coordinated fashion. Some magnificent synth arpeggios towards the outro lift the instrumental up to the stars, it’s a total stunner and a great summer tune.
“pillow talk” is a lust-themed beast of a track that carries a musically thunderous nature that is much closer to material on Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age than any other track on moisturizer. This track pairs cocky and horny lyrics with monstrous, distorted bass and muscular instrumentals that work marvelously to convey overwhelming and primal feelings of desire. It’s a powerful stand-out that’ll get the circle-pit spinning like mad on tour.
Wet Leg by Iris Luz
“don’t speak” pairs breathy and dreamy vocals with warped guitar riffs and busy tambourines. There is a very choice guitar solo moment– and it's another beautiful, classic-sounding and sunny standout track that's perfect for summer.
“11:21” has really beautiful high-pitch vocals paired with a very mellow structure and tempo. Tonally, it’s much similar to some gorgeous, tragic and stripped-back St. Vincent ballad from the early 2010s– it's a more mature and bold choice that is performed with grace. Its placement as the penultimate track is the perfect spot for it to be a fully absorbed moment.
“u and me at home” is a song about the comfort of finally being home after a long stretch of touring. It starts with break beats and boasts one of the album's most anthemic choruses– bringing the album out on an up-tempo bang. The track is full of celebratory camaraderie in the background, and it’s a warm goodbye that definitely gets stuck in your head long after the album is over.
Again, besides the great tunes– the most consistent thing on moisturizer is singer Rhian Teasdale heavily detailing how she is head-over-heels in love. If you are a romantic-type who loves the melodic side of the band, you will likely find the record very cathartic and enjoyable– it's an album of off-kilter love anthems in varying intensities. Despite being another somewhat simple record, there are very tight and elevated instrumentals that make for an even more refreshing ride this time.
Fans hoping for more ripping moments like “CPR” and “catch these fists” may be slightly disappointed, as more songs like those are a bit scarce. But ultimately, consistent quality is the headline, not intensity– there are note-for-note gorgeous tunes like “liquidize”, and “pokémon” among many other great, rocking tracks and “pillow talk” is right there if you need to rage even more than “catch these fists”. It all rocks– just in very different ways. On both their debut and moisturizer, Wet Leg makes mainstream-leaning rock with just enough campy deadpan delivery, quirky qualities, and punky flavor to keep things cool. With this album specifically, they have also found a beautiful maturity in their more melodic material. If this is the future of indie-radio-rock, then perhaps the kids are alright. Wet Leg’s moisturizer is a very solid sophomore effort that shows the band will be a mainstay for quite some time, and they are only growing stronger….my condolences to the Wet Leg haters this week, RIP.
Occult Highlights: liquidize, pokémon, catch these fists, pillow talk, CPR, u and me at home , davina mccall
(…but we recommend you spin the whole thing on a summer drive with all the windows down)