Wet Leg land at Number 1 on the UK Album Charts
Photo credit: Hollie Fernando
“It rushes with liberating, infectious joy that makes you want to grab your own partner-in-crime and speed off on an adventure to find somewhere that’s, as Angelica’s mantra suggests, is ‘good times all the time’” NME 5*
“An absolute blast” The Telegraph 4* Album of the Week
“The right amount of silly and strange, off-beam and familiar” Mojo 4*
“’Wet Leg’ is a charming, addictive début—wry, melodic, gleeful, smart, and cool” New Yorker
“This album is an unashamedly goofy celebration of fun, sex and romance, but also a bittersweet commentary on the price of pleasure, the cruel downside of love and the trials of being twentysomething women in 21st-century Britain” Uncut 8/10
“The Isle of Wight band’s debut recalls the Strokes’ Is This It: short tight songs, and the impression they are having a total laugh” The Times 4*
“The Isle of Wight’s greatest export” Sunday Times Culture
“The Wet Leg album is a thrashing good time” The New York Times
“Wet Leg’s album positions them as one of those acts gifted enough to transcend their moment, existing instead in continuum with the classics.” Stereogum Album of the Week
“A surreal, silly, super fun success” Evening Standard 4*
“Absurdist delights” The Observer Artist of the Week
“This debut does prove that Teasdale and Chambers possess the instincts of canny entertainers, ones who already know how to hook you into their prickly, raunchy, witty way of looking at the world” NPR Fresh Air
“Wet Leg arrive fully formed and ready to have fun” Esquire
“A thick slice of power pop” The I Paper 4* Album of the Week
“There are enough sardonic one-liners on Wet Leg’s eponymous debut to fill a musical comedy act” Loud & Quiet 9/10
“One of the best albums of the year” GQ
“Effortless” DIY 5*
“Riotously smart debut” Record Collector 4*
“Wet Leg really are everything we said they were” Dork 5*
“Wet Leg’s self-titled LP is the most infectious, alluring, irresistible, and downright fun debut record that’s come our way in a long, long time.” Clash 9/10
“On Wet Leg, existential ennui never sounded so fun” The Independent 4*
The album is called Wet Leg and it is Number 1.
Less than a year ago, Isle of Wight’s Wet Leg released their debut single; the infectious, tongue-in-cheek “Chaise Longue” alongside a suitably irrepressible video. It set Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers off on an unexpected journey.
“It all seems so long ago now,” says Rhian, still a little stunned by the rapid pace of it all. “It’s a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
That journey has taken in lobster claws, bubble baths and an elusive mop man alongside numerous TV performances and sell out tours all whilst racking up over 50M streams and 10M YouTube views.
The album was recorded and produced in the main by Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey (“Chaise Longue” and “Angelica” were produced by Jon McMullen and Josh Mobaraki respectively). The main focus was always “good-times-all-the-time” (“Angelica”) right from the start. Whilst the record is for the most part a representation of that sensibility, a dry and often dark sense of humour ripples through. Whether that’s eviscerating a pretentious ex-boyfriend who sends unwanted texts declaring he’s dreamt you were back together and happily married (“Wet Dream”) or being sucked into the 3am doom scroll on the magnificent glam-stomp “Oh No”, reminiscent of an 80s sci-fi film, distilled into two minutes and 29 seconds.
Wet Leg is sad music for party people, and party music for sad people. It is cathartic and joyful and punk and scuzzy and above all, it’s fun. “Wet Leg was originally just supposed to be funny” says Rhian. More and more people are now in on the joke with the two of them, but that spirit remains at the centre of what they do. “Home is now behind you. The world is ahead” concludes Hester.
The band’s UK tour starts tomorrow night. Watch Wet Leg Live on The Porch here.
Watch the videos for “Ur Mum” and “Too Late Now”.
Album tracklisting:
1. Being In Love
2. Chaise Longue
3. Angelica
4. I Don’t Wanna Go Out
5. Wet Dream
6. Convincing
7. Loving You
8. Ur Mum
9. Oh No
10. Piece of Shit
11. Supermarket
12. Too Late Now
Wet Leg is available to buy on vinyl, cassette, CD and digitally. A variety of merch (T-shirt, print) is available as a bundle too. Buy: Wet Leg Store | Digital
Upcoming live dates
16th April – Newcastle University, Newcastle – sold out
17th April – The Mash House, Edinburgh – sold out
19th April – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds – sold out
20th April – Gorilla, Manchester – sold out
21st April – Trinity Centre, Bristol – sold out
23rd April – o2 Institute, Birmingham – sold out
24th April – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich – sold out
26th April – Electric Ballroom, London – sold out
27th April – The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth – sold out
28th May – Neighbourhood Weekender @ Victoria Park, Warrington
16th June – Isle of Wight Festival, Newport
23rd June – The Louisiana, Bristol – Independent Venue Week/sold out
9th July – TRNSMT @ Glasgow Green, Glasgow
13th November – UEA, Norwich – sold out
14th November – O2 Academy Bristol, Bristol – sold out
15th November – O2 Academy Liverpool, Liverpool – sold out
17th November – SWG3, Glasgow – sold out
18th November – Leeds Beckett Students Union, Leeds – sold out
19th November – O2 Ritz, Manchester – sold out
21st November – O2 Institute, Birmingham – sold out
23rd November – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London – sold out
24th November – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London – sold out
25th November – Rock City, Nottingham – sold out
27th November – Limelight, Belfast – sold out