Album Review: Wet Leg - 'Moisturizer'
Moisturizer by Wet Leg – a fantastic and true to form follow-up about all-consuming love.
Wet Leg’s much anticipated second album, Moisturizer, is a fantastic follow-up that manages to be both wildly fun and surprisingly tender. It’s a record full of catchy lyrics, playful references, new sounds, and above all, a whole lot of love. The Isle of Wight duo, now a full five piece band, beautifully avoids the dreaded sophomore slump, delivering an album that feels undeniably Wet Leg while also pushing their sound into more intimate and emotionally honest territory.
The album kicks off with the previously released “CPR”, a rocky opener that throws us headfirst into the chaotic thrill of falling in love. Over driving guitars and a high tempo beat, frontwoman Rhian Teasdale gasps, “Hello, 999, what’s your emergency? … Well, the thing is… I’m in love”. It’s clever, cheeky, and instantly sets the stage for what is, at its core, an unapologetic love record. With its early ’90s alt-rock influences and playful nods to ‘80s pop-punk, it’s clear the band is still having a blast, even as they tackle bigger feelings.
The record continues with “liquidize”, a nervous and exhilarating song about anxiety and the urgency of desire. Lines like “It's not like me to fall over heels—I melt for you, I liquidize—I want you to want me all the time” perfectly capture the messy rush of infatuation, pairing it with a restless energy that’s hard to resist. That electricity carries into “catch these fists,” the album’s lead single and an immediate standout. It’s a fuzzy anthem that leans heavily into their garage-punk roots, with lyrics that could fit between flirtation and threat.
“davina mccall” emerges as one of the album’s softer, more romantic moments. Named after the beloved British TV personality, the song transforms mundane pop culture references into sweet declarations of love, proving Wet Leg’s gift for taking the ordinary and making it fun and personal.
“mangetout” is where the band stretches their sound the furthest. Half post-punk jam, half whimsical daydream, it pushes their fondness for half sensical slogans and playful repetition into new territory. The result is an impressive and addictive banger. What makes Moisturizer so compelling is how seamlessly it balances these chaotic winks with moments of sincere vulnerability. “pond song” slows things down, with softer guitar lines and a dreamy haze that lets Hester Chambers confess how she’s “never been so deep in love”.
Then there’s “pillow talk,” perhaps the album’s most intense take on love. Following a crush and the cycling desire of wanting to “sleep, dream, f*ck, and feel” with the person in question. It’s raw, immediate, and pulses with the messy desire that Wet Leg captures so well in their sounds.
The final trio of songs feels like a last, desperate attempt to pour it all out, every joke, every fear, every confession. “don’t speak” plays with clever language twists, while “11:21” is hushed and late night intimate that feels like overhearing someone’s private thoughts. Finally, “u and me at home” is a sweet domestic love song that strips everything back to simple. It’s the perfect way to close the record, suggesting that sometimes the loudest declarations of love are found in the quietest moments.
If their debut was about parties, crushes, and razor sharp one liners, Moisturizer offers all of that and so much more, showing growth and encapsulating the feeling of true and all consuming love.
Wet Leg proves once again that they’re more than just a fleeting sensation, continuing to shine and proving their place in the music scene with their usual sounds, but rebranded and now with something a little softer underneath. It’s a record that lets them grow up, just enough, without ever growing dull.
Words by Marcos Sanoja
