Wet Leg’s origins go back to 2019 on the Isle of Wight, when Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, both studying at Platform One College of Music, decided to form a band. Teasdale, originally hailing from Merseyside, had previously released solo music under the name RHAIN and was developing her career before reconnecting with Chambers.
Their self-titled debut album, released in 2022, surged to No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, earning them three Grammys, including Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance for the single, “Chaise Longue”. When a band has this relatively rapid rise combined with plentiful critical acclaim, approaching a follow-up record often sees the phrase “difficult second album” thrown around.
This time around, Wet Leg has expanded to an official five-piece to tackle the challenge. Bassist Ellis Durand, drummer Henry Holmes, and multi-instrumentalist Josh Mobaraki have become official members and have shared songwriting duties with the aim to expand the band’s sonic and compositional range. To focus on songwriting for this album, Wet Leg encamped to a remote Airbnb in Southwold, Suffolk. Together, they spent their days writing, nights enjoying horror-movie marathons, and developing an environment with an aim to create a worthwhile follow-up to their debut album.
Produced once again by Dan Carey, moisturizer sees Wet Leg exploring love and all its aspects and challenges, both beautiful and messy. Naturally, this is all viewed through the lens of cynicism, sincerity and a healthy dollop of sarcasm. We are talking about Wet Leg after all. This is encapsulated in the album’s opener, ‘CPR’. A suitably punchy opener, dripping with grungy guitars, Teasdale utters, “Is this love or suicide?” as the idea of committing to love can be both the beginning and end of life, depending on its outcome. A fine way to open your sophomore record.
“Love struck me down / The fuck am I doing?”, declares Teasdale, mixing flippancy with poignancy against a backdrop of strong post-punk guitars in ‘liquidize’. This is a good example of how this album plays out across its twelve love and relationship-themed tracks.
‘catch these fists’ was the lead single from this album, and it is a hard-hitting number, placing its gaze firmly on the issue of misogynistic attentions. “I don’t want your love / I just wanna fight”, asserts Teasdale as she squares up to the dickheads sadly found in every town and city. Blended with a rousing rhythm that reminds me of Franz Ferdinand at their best, this is Wet Leg at their finest.
Calming things down a little is ‘davina mccall’, a love song built upon gentle vocals and softer sonic layers. A charming song that tackles the idea of devotion, it produces a chuckle when Teasdale declares, “I’ll be your Shakira, whenever, wherever”. This is what Wet Leg do well – mixing fun and cheeky lyrics amongst harder hitting phrases. It keeps you guessing and leaves you unbalanced.
‘jennifer’s body’ is a brooding offering with a smearing of 80’s jangly indie guitar. A track that appears to be a form of confessional, it is a track that never really gets going and doesn’t really draw you in, leaving you feeling a little distant.
“You’re in our way, you bottom feeder/Too bad you cannot stay/You’re in our way/Get lost forever”, spits Teasdale with suitable disdain in her voice in ‘mangetout’. A straight-talking, no-nonsense track, firmly aimed at blokes who have now overstayed their welcome, no matter how short that stay might be. It is a rallying call to women to take control and show their strength.
Chambers takes the mic for glam-tainted, indie-soaked ‘pond song’, a track considering the long-debated subject of love at first sight. With playful keyboards and scuzzy guitar sounds, it’s an enjoyable three-minute wander through this old chestnut.
As ‘pokemon’ gets going, I’m reminded of that great band The Sundays. Although this has more sonic oomph, it took me back to the early 90s and has prompted me to dig out the band’s Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Teasdale tells a tale of new love, wanting to escape on a trip “From Isle of Wight to Tokyo”, just two people together, intoxicated by each other’s presence.
Lace up your kinky boots and delve into ‘pillow talk’, the raunchiest track on offer here. A gritty, dirty industrial soundscape blends with Teasdale’s rapid-fire sprechgesang. “Every night I hug my pillow, I wish I was waking with you/Every night I fuck my pillow, I wish I was fucking you”, Teasdale proclaims, demonstrating that this is a band that is happy to push boundaries and “go there”.
Chambers steps up again for ‘don’t speak’, a gentle and melodious bluesy grunge creation that delves into the point in a relationship when you realise that things are going well and may well just have a long-term future. “Yeah, we’ve been going steady for a bit/I’ve seen your dark sides and you’vе seen mine/Somehow though you don’t seem to mind/Neithеr do I”, Chambers gently sings, demonstrating her vulnerability.
’11:21’ is a ponderous, lumbering ballad with a slight James Bond theme feel. Whilst Teasdale pines for an absent partner, she unleashes a striking vocal range. It certainly adds to the emotion of the track as well as demonstrating her superb vocal talent.
To bring the album to a close, ‘u and me at home’ speaks of reintegrating back into ‘normal’ society after periods of touring – something Wet Leg have been doing a lot in recent times. I have never been in this position, but it must be a weird and disorienting experience. A catchy track with an ‘all aboard’ chorus, it brings the album to a satisfactory conclusion.
So, is moisturizer the ‘difficult second album’ that will be their downfall? Absolutely not. Will it launch them into even greater fame and fortune? I’m not so sure. The album will certainly satisfy the current fan base. There is plenty to like here. Tracks such as ‘catch these fists’, ‘mangetout’ and ‘CPR’ feel very Wet Leg. ’11:21’ and ‘don’t speak’ help to demonstrate their evolution as artists. I am less sure whether this album will see that fan base swell, as some of the tracks don’t quite live up to the stronger tracks on show here.
This album offers that archetypal Wet Leg approach – they whisper sweet nothings in your ear just before delivering a brutal throat punch when you least expect it. Whilst some lyrics really grab you, and at times assault you, some also feel a little cliché. It is musically interesting but occasionally a little repetitive.
‘moisturizer’ sees the band consolidate their position and create a more stable platform to kick on from in the future. You’ll enjoy this album, and you’ll add a few tracks to your various playlists (as I have done). Will it have the legs to keep receiving regular spins on your turntable (or media device of your choice)? That’s a tougher question to answer.
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