release date: Apr. 8, 2022
format: digital (12 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Dan Carey
label: Domino Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Being in Love" - 2. "Chaise Longue" - 4. "I Don't Wanna Go Out" - 5. "Wet Dream" - 8. "Ur Mum" - 10. "Piece of Shit" - 12. "Too Late Now"
Studio album debut by Isle of Wight-founded duo Wet Leg consisting of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter Rhian Teasdale and lead guitarist Hester Chambers who appears to have formed the duo in 2019. Several singles have been released from this album - actually, no less than six singles preceded this release with "Chaise Longue" issued as the duo's first hit already in Jun. 2021 followed by "Wet Dream", Sep. '21, and then the double-single "Oh No" / "Too Late Now" followed in Nov. '21. In early 2022 "Angelica" (Feb. 2022) and "Ur Mum" (Apr. 2022) all were issued prior to an actual album release. Despite being promoted as a duo, the two are backed by a list of stable names, which include multi-instrumentalist Joshua Mobaraki, bassist Michael Champion, drummer Henry Holmes, and producer and keyboardist Dan Carey.
Musically, the duo embrace a simple garage rock and indie rock sound, which to my remembrance sounds inspired by stylistic variations from both sides of the Atlantic: a late 1980s / early 1990s college rock / indie rock / grunge rock-inspiration stemming from US artists and what could be British indie pop / dream pop / post-punk-sources from the same period. And then of course there's that something else, which makes it quite a refreshing cocktail, although, I keep getting that echo from former songs and bands when listening to this.
The album was met by general acclaim going all the way to the number #1 spot on the UK albums chart list, number #14 on the US Billboard 200, and it won the Grammy category as 'Best Alternative Music Album' in 2023, which is why I gave it a listen and I do enjoy it, although, I don't find it a strong original album, it's nevertheless worth more than a spin or two.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 7,2 / 10, The Observer 3 / 5, NME 5 / 5 stars ]
