WET LEG, MOISTURIZE

After a whirlwind debut that made them indie rock’s most unexpected breakout voices, Wet Leg returns with Moisturizer, a sophomore album that’s sharper, offbeat, and somehow even more fun than their first. Where their 2022 self-titled record leaned into cheeky disaffection, Moisturizer feels like a deeper, more deliberate dive into their quirky, evolving sound. The Isle of Wight duo, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, still revel in inside jokes, surrealist lyrics, and deadpan delivery, but this time they push their sound further. The guitars are leaner, the synths more present, and the grooves hit with more purpose. It’s still playful, but with more intention behind the chaos.

Lyrically, they’re still allergic to sincerity in the best way possible. “You’re so vanilla, I could cry,” Teasdale purrs on one track, before the chorus shifts into something louder and more insistent, like the tension finally spilling over. But underneath the snark, there’s a sense of creative control that wasn’t always front and center last time around. “We wanted this record to feel like when you put too much bubble bath in the tub,” they said. “A bit messy, but kinda magic.” And that’s exactly what Moisturizer delivers, overflows of distortion, joy, and discomfort, all bubbling at once.