Wet Leg

Week 29: Wet Leg- Moisturizer

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

Since their self-titled debut, which I reviewed, everyone has been longing for their follow-up, “Moisturizer”. I’ve heard a rumour that the band (which is actually a duo) is planning to release their own brand of moisturising cream, and this album has been released in conjunction with it. That could all be nonsense, but who knows? I must say, before I begin a more in-depth review, that I found it fantastic. It is fun yet tender, with catchy lyrics, playful references that we have come to expect from them, new soundscapes, uplifting, and plenty of love. As I mentioned earlier, they’re a duo, but I have just done some quick research and discovered they are now a five-piece band. It is always tricky to emulate the debut record, but they have avoided the second album blues. As I mentioned, it features new soundscapes, which make them more emotionally intimate, but they still retain their identity.


We begin with ‘cpr’, a song currently being played to death on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2. It is a song about falling in love set to a high-tempo beat, driving guitars, and full-on rock. Let’s examine some of the lyrics. There is a part where frontwoman Rhian Teasdale says, “Hello, 999, what’s your emergency?…Well, the thing is…I’m in love’ was delivered in her trademark raspy and gaspy vocals. It is both cheeky and clever lyricism. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, which is based around love. The soundscapes include 80s pop-punk and, of course, 90s indie rock. They have been discussing very deep and emotional things, but they still maintain their fun side, so the listener remains engaged rather than getting discouraged from listening.’


liquidize’ follows, a track about anxiety and wanting to desire without delay, for example. “It’s not like me to fall over heels-I melt for you, I liquidize- I want you to want me all the time’ speaks to the majority of us because when we are infatuated, we want to rush straight in, and push things forward in a relationship before it is given a chance to breathe. ‘catch these fists’ is up next, and I absolutely love it. The leading single features fuzzy guitars and garage-rock foundations, accompanied by flirtatious and sometimes threatening lyrics. It is in-your-face with plenty of attitude.


‘davina mccall’ is a soft, romantic track that leaves us pondering its connection to a television presenter. The band’s use of pop culture references, such as Davina McCall, in the chorus, is thought-provoking. They have a knack for transforming what might seem like ‘mediocre things’ into something deeply personal, which shows their creativity. This was previously demonstrated when they incorporated numerous Mean Girls references into their self-titled debut.’


‘mangetout’ sees the band further flirt with new soundscapes, as they turn into half-post-punk, half-sensical slogans, and half-whimsical daydreams. It is sure to be a success when performed live. One of the great aspects of the record is the balance between sincere vulnerability and the band’s playful nature. The tempo slows during ‘pond song’, with bassist/guitarist Hester Chambers confessing that she has “never been so deep in love” over tender guitars and a dreamy soundscape.

Then comes the extremely intense ‘pillow talk’. This raw track with pulsing addresses wanting to do everything imaginable with a crush.


The last three songs condense everything that has come before. ‘don’t speak’ uses clever language, ’11:21’ acts as someone eavesdropping on a personal, and intimate late-night call, and to complete the trio is ‘u and me at home’, which is a sweet love song. It serves as a reminder that even though the last three tracks are more tender and downtempo, they reflect that the loudest statements of love are often found in the quiet.‘


Of course, their debut was littered with songs about partying, crushes, film references, playfulness, comedy, sexual innuendos, and quick-witted one-liners. Well, their second record still includes all that and then some. The songs are bigger sonically, revealing a deeper side.


It is nice to see that the band is not a one-trick pony and will be around for a long time. This album showcases the band maturing, but just enough to preserve their fun and humorous side.


Song recommendations: ‘catch these fists’, ‘cpr’, ’11:21’

9/10

Week 15: Wet Leg- Wet Leg

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment
Yes, I know it is yet another cliché moment. I DID discover Wet Leg while watching Later…with Jools Holland in November last year. 

They performed their famous hit ‘Chaise Longue’, which I found extremely funny for its lyrical content, but I also loved its raw, punky sound, and the ladies singing had those typical punk vocals.

The duo hails from the Isle of Wight and consists of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. Of course, other members feature on the album, but they are regarded as session musicians and touring members. 

Going back to ‘Chaise Longue’, it was refreshing to hear a track that wasn’t by some fucking idiot who has no business in music just because their song went viral on TikTok because of some shit dance craze. ‘Chaise Longue’ is known for its bassline and guitar riffs instrumental-wise, but the lyrics are delivered with deadpan by leading vocalist and guitarist Rhian taking quotes from the film Mean Girls. Like I said earlier, I found some of the lyrics quite funny, especially the one about going to school and not learning anything but having sex (Listen to the song. You know what I mean.). The chorus wasn’t that great, with “On the Chaise Longue” repeated throughout, but somehow, it becomes a catchy hook that adds to the track.

I then listened to the band via live performances on YouTube during the earlier part of this year, and I was highly impressed by what I heard. The songs are short, but whereas some might describe them as Indie, they have more of the punk spirit. Funnily enough, I felt like I was listening to Amyl and the Sniffers sans the Australian accents.

I saw a tweet from the duo saying their self-titled debut was about to go to number one, and I was delighted to hear what the album sounded like. Unfortunately, I didn’t have to listen much because I had already heard the songs featured on their promotional tour. However, I checked out the streaming figures on Spotify and was amazed that they had amassed 13 million streams! I could not believe just how widespread this duo was when most of the videos on YouTube were them playing in dinghy bars and pubs. Although they have yet to do any significant events or play at big venues, they have done the Late night chat shows in America and were voted runners-up in the BBC Sounds of 2022 poll. Because of ‘Chaise Longue’, many will say that Wet Leg might not be more than just a fleeting moment. However, I disagree with them. The duo have other songs in their arsenal. Okay, they might be on the same level sonically and lyrically, but it is more than just one hit.

Okay, I may have gone overboard saying they are punk. They are like a soft version of punk. You can’t even say they are pop-punk because they sound nothing like bands like Green Day. They remind me of Lush, who were around in the 90s (If you can’t remember, there are videos of their performance of ‘Lady Killers’ on the short-lived Channel 4 show, the White Room. They have that same element of punk. I wouldn’t call them energetic rebellion as I have done for IDLES or shame. Staying with punk, their producer for the debut happens to be Dan Carey, who has produced for Fontaines DC, no less. You’re always onto a winner when Dan is involved. I recommend it if you have yet to hear Fontaines DC’s first two albums. The only difference between Wet Leg and Lush, I will even throw in Shampoo (Remember ‘Trouble’?) into the mix, is that the lyrical content is more based on 21st-century themes. 

For example, ‘Being in Love’ over punky guitars turns to delicate strumming as the song changes the subject mood. So, the music goes from, I imagine, Rhian/Hester or both being infatuated to them suffering from anxiety about the possibility of being hurt. The second example is ‘Too Late Now’, which, funnily enough, closes the album, whereas ‘Being in Love’ started it. This time, however, the girls feel alone and fret about missing out on opportunities. There is even a breakdown in the track where Rhian says, “I’m not sure if this is a song/I don’t even know what I’m saying/I’m not sure if this is the kind of life that I saw myself living” Now, I am not sure if she is talking about that music wasn’t the planned destination of her career, but it is powerful nonetheless.

You then have the psychedelic element on ‘Don’t Wanna Go Out’, like David Bowie’s ‘Hallo Spaceboy’.Although, Rhian talks about being in their late 20s and still living it up. ‘Angelica’ is about a girl at a party who thoroughly hates the idea of being there, and ‘Oh No’ seems to be about an individual trying to control a panic attack.

There are, of course, the punk tracks, which I mentioned earlier (Not the tracks. The element.) ‘Supermarket’ made me laugh because who hasn’t been stoned while shopping in one? Especially when you got the munchies. Then there is ‘Wet Dream’. That one doesn’t need a genius to work out the theme. Songs like these are more sinister than ‘Chaise Longue’, but their wit remains. One line that made me laugh on ‘Loving You’ was “I hope you choke on your girlfriend”. 

I also have to big up ‘Ur Mum’ just for the title alone, but the song is hilarious and reminds me of when I was young and using it as a light-hearted insult. That was my favourite, and it has been my favourite since I watched them perform a whole set via YouTube. 

I loved their debut. Okay, I didn’t have to listen to much of it because I had heard most of the songs performed live before its release. But it is an enjoyable, witty, sarcastic, punky record. The only qualm for me is that it needed to be longer.

Song recommendations: ‘Ur Mum’, ‘Supermarket’, ‘Loving You’

8/10