Album Review: moisturizer by Wet Leg

Spikier, sleazier and sexier, the Isle of Wight duo defy second album syndrome When Wet Leg first emerged in 2021, the Isle of Wight duo were a refreshing burst of life in a genre that was lacking a commercial crossover act at the time. The rapid trajectory they’ve experienced since has been nothing short of remarkable. Following the release of their self-titled debut album to near-universal acclaim, they swiftly amassed two Brit Awards and three Grammys, ascending them almost overnight from dingy clubs to stadiums, where they opened for the Foo Fighters and Harry Styles.

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But when brought together as a quirky moniker they connote witty lyrics, infectious choruses and an unmatched stage presence. The duo - Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers - unlike most indie bands that claim overnight fame - genuinely came out of nowhere. Where "Chaise Longue" catapulted them into unprecedented success, "Wet Dream" concreted their place, even gaining the attention of pop king Harry Styles.

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It's been four years since Wet Leg began their path to indie superstardom with the bizarre yet utterly infectious Chaise Longue. Just how far they've come since (two Grammys, two Brit Awards, half a billion streams) is rather remarkable for the self-proclaimed "oddball" five-piece. Now, with their hotly anticipated second album moisturizer, they're more fiendishly fun than ever.

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Back in 2021, Wet Leg arrived like a bolt from the blue with their debut single "Chaise Longue," a brilliantly absurd anthem that perfectly captured the post-lockdown zeitgeist. Their self-titled debut proved they were no flash in the pan, but with their second album, moisturizer, came the inevitable questions: could they conjure another distinctive record without retreading old ground? Would their off-kilter charm still hold up if stretched across a second full-length? This time around, they trade some of the bite for something more vulnerable, revealing more of their eccentric worldview while keeping their jagged edges intact. Written communally in a remote Southwold Airbnb while binge-watching horror films and tuning out the world, moisturizer finds Rhian Teasdale, Hester Chambers, and their now road-hardened bandmates Ellis Durand (bass), Henry Holmes (drums), and Joshua Mobaraki (guitar, synth) leaning into instinct, sharpening the claws glimpsed on their debut, and building on their live chemistry.

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Much like any indie-rock band of the last decade, Wet Leg return with a slight weight of expectation following their wildly successful debut, which bagged them three Grammys and two BRITs. Yet rather than reinvent their sound, the Isle of Wight five-piece have astutely built upon their strengths, bolstering rather than overhauling everything that made them such a refreshing presence when they debuted in 2022. The result is a confident, exuberant record that solidifies their status as one of the UK's most distinctive musical voices.

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If the bawdy songs on Wet Leg's 2022 self-titled debut sounded like they were conceived between bong rips, the band's second studio album, Moisturizer, sees them getting vulnerable about matters of the heart. Singer Rhian Teasdale has "never been so deep in love," as she proclaims on "Pond Song," and wants everyone to know it. The romantic modes she explores throughout the album run the gamut from infatuation so intense it feels indistinguishable from "suicide" ("CPR") to contented domesticity ("U and Me at Home").

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