moisturizer
Wet Leg
Wet Leg sound more willing to mean it on moisturizer. The jokes and strange little phrases are still there, but the second album gives love and desire more room to become actual feelings. The band have also grown into a fuller, heavier sound, which helps the songs do more than deliver a good line.
CPR makes the change clear. The rhythm is strong before the guitars arrive, and Rhian Teasdale turns an exaggerated crush into a very effective opening song. The humour belongs to the feeling rather than standing in front of it. The chorus is large enough that the joke doesn't have to carry everything.
catch these fists brings a more hostile kind of energy. The guitar part is direct, the delivery is sharp, and the song has a physical confidence that suits the expanded band. It is catchy without losing the sense that somebody might actually be annoyed. mangetout is another highlight, using a tight dance rhythm and a strong hook to keep its attitude moving.
The softer songs make a useful difference. davina mccall has a more delicate melody than the title might suggest, and Teasdale handles that change well. don't speak, sung by Hester Chambers, gives the record another voice and a gentler guitar groove. These moments make the album feel more open than a simple repeat of the debut would have been.
11:21 is the biggest change of pace. The slower ballad shows more of what Teasdale can do with her voice, although it doesn't have quite the same pull as the stronger, more rhythmic songs. It is interesting to hear the band attempt it, even if the album briefly loses some momentum.
There are still repeated phrases and familiar tricks in the writing. Most of the time, the better arrangements give those habits enough support. The closing u and me at home is especially effective at letting affection survive the band's instinct to make a joke.
moisturizer has more muscle and more feeling than its casual manner first suggests. The best songs are funny, direct and properly memorable. Wet Leg are becoming a band with considerably more to offer than an excellent first impression.
