moisturizer by Wet Leg

A lot can happen in three years. Wet Leg, the duo out of Isle of Wight in Great Britain, had an insane blast-out-of-a-cannon year in 2022. Shortly after their self-titled debut album came in at #8 in 2022 on the Top 31, they won Best Alternative Music Album at the Grammys and Best New Artist and Best British Group at the Brit Awards.

Since then, Rhian Teasdale (vocals, guitar) and Hester Chambers (guitar) have expanded the band outwards to a fully-fledged group of five, adding Henry Holmes (drums), Josh Mobaraki (rhythm guitar, synths) and Ellis Durand (bass). Together, they’ve put together an unexpectedly great sophomore album called moisturizer, demonstrating they’re not going to be labeled as one-hit wonders, held back by the insane success of their debut single “Chaise Longue.”

To my ears, there’s a straight line from their debut album to moisturizer. The same soft and loud vocals, mixed with a boisterous attack in their songwriting can be found on both albums. It feels odd to use the words “unexpectedly great” yet place the album all the way back at #30 for the year. I have enjoyed listening to this album since it came out in July, but it hasn’t had the draw of quite a few other albums. But I accept that my personal take on the album isn’t the only one available — KEXP listeners voted moisturizer their #1 album of 2025.

They’ve released quite a few videos for the album, most of which have a sameness that mirrors the music: Teasdale front and center, dressed in a bikini top and short shorts, singing in slow motion while mugging for the camera (see “CPR”, “catch these fists”, “mangetout,” and “pokemon”). Of that group of videos, “pokemon” at least has a narrative that breaks the mold a bit, but it’s the video for “davina mccall” that I’ve featured above that is entirely different – stop motion animation for the win! That song has the added benefit of being a stand-out from the rest – allowing Teasdale to stretch her vocal range in a more bubbly pop wrapper.

If you’re not ready to commit fully to the band, I recommend you check out their live performance at the KEXP from September. They play the four singles featured in the videos I link above, and it plainly shows the fantastic musicianship of the new members of the band. And it gives you a good taste of what they’re capable of. You’re going to like it.

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TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Nine Inch Nails

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Wet Leg by Wet Leg

Some years have its “indie darling,” a new-to-the-scene band who far exceeds its station. The kind of band that gets booked for the smaller stage at the summer festival and when the festival rolls around a few months later the band has acquired an audience overloads area the band is playing in. Idles in 2018 is a prime example. Or the Fleet Foxes in 2008, even. For 2022, that band is Wet Leg, with their self-titled debut album. And oh, what an album it is.

Wet Leg are an indie-rock duo from the Isle of Wight, Great Britain. Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, who met while attending the island’s Platform One College of Music, have been performing together as Wet Leg since 2019. Their album bounces seamlessly between different sub-genres of indie pop, from slacker rock (“Angelica”) to surf rock (“Wet Dream” and “Ur Mum”) to glam rock (“Oh No”) and punk pop (“Too Late Now”), with their post-punk anthem “Chaise Longue” the best of the bunch (featured in the video above).

I got to see Wet Leg at THING, the annual PNW music festival held at Fort Warden in Port Townsend, in the middle of the first day with an amped up, crammed in crowd. They duo have a full backing band providing the rhythm section to the antics of the two charismatic leads. It must be fun to be in your first year of existence and already have the audience shout-singing your lyrics back at you. It sure is fun for the audience.

Wet Leg have started something big. Well crafted pop rock is a fine place for any band to make their start — it’ll be interesting to see how they continue to pique our collective interest. For now, I’ll continue to enjoy Wet Leg, the album. And I know you will, too.

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9. Chloë and the Next 20th Century by Father John Misty
10. Big Time by Angel Olsen
11. Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road
12. Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To the Sky by Porridge Radio
13. I Walked with You a Ways by Plains
14. The Last Goodbye by Odesza
15. A Light for Attracting Attention by The Smile
16. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar
17. Inside Problems by Andrew Bird
18. Laurel Hell by Mitski
19. Full Moon Project by Phosphorescent
20. Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C.
21. I Love You Jennifer B by Jockstrap
22. Too Much to Ask by Cheekface
23. Dripfield by Goose
24. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief
25. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow by Weyes Blood
26. NOT TiGHT by DOMi & JD BECK
27. Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain
28. Live at KEXP, vol. 10 by Various Artists
29. All You Need Is Time by Daisy the Great
30. Cool It Down by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
31. CAPRISONGS by FKA twigs

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#30 on the 2025 Bacon Top 31 — Wet Leg

#8 on the 2022 Bacon Top 31 — Wet Leg