It’s not often an upholstered piece of furniture, supermarkets and the healing power of a humble bubble bath are recognised, but these — and other insights into modern life — are explored in the debut effort of the Isle of Wight indie-rock duo Wet Leg.
The relatively unknown duo caused a stir in the music world last year when they dropped two bombshell singles ‘Chaise Longue’ and ‘Wet Dream’ in quick succession, blowing up on an international scale with their post-punk guitar-laden tracks littered with sarcastic one-liners and a sense of fun we were all craving amongst global chaos. Their first album is more of the same edgy rock which certainly packs a punch.
Opener ‘Being In Love’ is a delicate rock track with honeyed vocals, where vocalist Rhian Teasdale likens anxiety to the familiar sensation of falling for someone: “I lost my appetite /I cannot sleep at night /I cannot concentrate /I do not feel too great /The world is caving in /And I’m kinda struggling /But I kinda like it ’cause it feels like being in love.” Whilst the band might be known for their witty one-liners, this track feels more personal and insightful- a step away from the sense of fun present in their earlier singles.
‘Being in Love’ is followed by ‘Chaise Longue’, the breakout single with post-punk riffs and undeniably catchy (if slightly absurd) lyrics like “Is your mother worried? Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?”.
Sliding through the jangly sound of ‘Angelica’ and the softer Bowie/Nirvana riffed ‘I Don’t Wanna Go Out’, we reach ‘Wet Dream’. ‘Wet Dream’ is full of thumping drums and roaring guitar beats, a cheeky nod to exes with their trademark humour laced in the vocal harmonies. Reflecting on exes, the band use fun instrumentals and the repeated refrain “3,2,1, let’s begin” to grab the listener’s attention for the second half of the album.
On ‘Convincing’, things start off with a casual drawl and gradually build to become a tonally different, yet equally exciting track. Things veer off to almost ballad territory with ‘Loving You’, with only little pokes of humour “I hope you choke on your girlfriend” there to remind the listener this is still a Wet Leg record.
‘Ur Mum’ and ‘Oh No’ bring fun back to the album, with plenty of witty one-liners laced throughout. Things take a moody, scathing turn on ‘Piece of Shit’, a not quite aligning jigsaw of soft instrumentals and harsh lyrics “Yeah, like a piece of shit you either sink or float/So you take her for a ride on your daddy’s boat.”
The penultimate track ‘Supermarket’ is a stand-out, with the hushed vocals and soft, bluesy guitars laced throughout. Aside from the previously released singles, this is the one that’s guaranteed to patch a punch live.
Album closer ‘Too Late Now’ is a mingling of jangly guitars and almost whispering vocals, taking swipes at big companies, apps and the highs and lows of modern lives.
Wet Leg might be enjoying a meteoric rise in the music world but, through the well-produced pop-punk tracks of their debut effort, they bring themselves back down to earth. They might be prairie dress-wearing women changing the face of the genre but at the heart of the band (and their debut effort) is just two friends having fun, something you really get a sense of from Wet Leg.
09/04 Brighton
Chalk
10/04 Bristol
Rough Trade
11/04 Nottingham
Rough Trade
12/04 Birmingham
HMV, Vault Birmingham
16/04 Newcastle
Northumbria University, Newcastle
17/04 Edinburgh
The Mash House
19/04 Leeds
Brudell Social Club
20/04 Manchester
Gorilla
21/04 Bristol
Trinity Centre
23/04 Birmingham
o2 institute
24/04 Norwich
Norwich Arts Centre
26/04 Camden
Electric Ballroom
27/04 Portsmouth
The Wedgewood Rooms
Words by Jennifer Rose
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