Once in a while, when the stars align and the time is right, a song comes into your life that you just can’t escape from. Something about the melody or the lyrics just clicks, and it becomes all you can think about, all you can listen to. You wonder how someone could possibly make a piece of music that sounds so perfect, and it worms its way into your ears for days or maybe even months. I have personally been guilty of finding one of these new “obsession songs”, as I call them, and forcing those around me to listen incessantly over the course of a week or so, hoping they can also experience that feeling of awe, like finding a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle. The reason I love listening to music, and spend an ungodly amount of time expanding my personal catalogue, is because I’m chasing that high. So when a song comes around that has that mystical quality, that ability to stick with you, I pay close attention.
So when the thumping bass line and Rhian Teasdale’s unaffectedly cool vocal kicked in upon my first listen to Wet Leg’s first single “Chaise Longue”, I was all ears. This quirky yet assured song is unmistakably fun, and subtly sardonic. My personal favorite lyrics include, “Is your mother worried? Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?” and “I’ve got a chaise longue in my dressing room / And a pack of warm beer that we can consume”. The observant, cynical, yet whimsical nature of their songwriting is reminiscent of Courtney Barnett’s best work, and the punchy, aloof instrumentals add a touch of Riot Grrrl. The pair have expressed their penchant for French disco, which is definitely the foundation of “Chaise Longue”, but also draw on a variety of eclectic influences ranging from Björk to Ty Seagall to The Ronettes. But Wet Leg’s first single honestly evades comparison, with a unique sonic atmosphere and contained, yet playful visual aesthetic.
Wet leg is the duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, natives of the Isle of Wight, a small island off the south coast of England. Adding to the eccentric lore of the band, the two met at the summit of a Ferris wheel. It was atop this carnival ride that they decided to form a band. That was quite the fruitful idea, considering they soon signed to famed indie label Domino Recordings, who have famously housed Arctic Monkeys, Blood Orange, My Bloody Valentine, amongst others.
They have already lined up tours with the likes of Declan McKenna and Willie J Healy, and secured sets at Latitude and Isle of Wight Festivals. It seems everyone is as desperately excited as I am to find the next band that will speak to them in that way only the best music can. And even though this is only the first single from the duo, its exceptionality and verve leads us to believe we might have just found our next “obsession band”. We can’t wait to hear where Wet Leg will take us
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