Wet Leg: Wet Leg (Domino)

With a string of superlative singles to their name, the expectations for the first LP by indie pop specialists Wet Leg are, to make a colossal understatement, somewhat high. Comprising of Isle of Wight denizens Rhian Teasdale (lead vocals, guitar) and Hester Chambers (guitar, vocals), the duo easily repay the plaudits flung their way with their eponymous debut.

While much comment has been passed on the band’s brilliant lyrics, the pair are easily able match musically. The track that announced the ‘Leg’s arrival Chaise Longue, (“Is your mother worried? / Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?”) combines the garage rock rattle of The Strokes with the treblely melodicism of Boys Don’t Cry-era Cure.

A recurrent lyrical theme of being burnt out from having a “good time”, cf : Well the ambience was overrated at the party / I want to run away before its even started” reaches its summit on Angelica, the sound of Joanna Newsom fronting My Bloody Valentine. Inverting the standard practice of minor chord verses that shift to sunny major chords for the chorus, I Don’t Wanna Go Out shares the same mood “It used to be so fun / Now everything just feels dumb / I wish I could care”.

Switching from deliberately ramshackle viz: Pavement by way of Blur sashay Supermarket, to motoring straight ahead: the Stereolab-esque chug of Being In Love, these along with the languid stroll of Convincing which sees Hester step up to take lead vocals, showcases the group's dynamism. Amongst the already issued singles Wet Dream is a solid gold indie disco banger, as is UR Mum which crams enough hooks for approximately half a dozen tracks into three minutes, twenty-two seconds. The woke up still feeling slightly drunk shuffle of Piece of Shit showcases how emotionally direct the duo's lyrics can be, as does the aerated indie pop of Loving You, a wrenching tale of love gone sour, “I hope you choke on your girlfriend”.

Tackling information overload, the bludgeoning guitar riff of Oh No provides the backdrop for a tale of over dependence on mobile devices, “I went home / All alone / I checked my phone / and now I’m inside it”. Too Late Now meanwhile sets all that aside in favour of simpler pleasures on one of their most memorable lyrics, “I don’t need no radio, No BBC, No MTV / I just need a bubble bath to set me on a higher path” as the track accelerates towards the album’s finishing line. Making light work of all the weight of expectation stuff, Wet Leg already stakes a strong claim for one of this year’s best LPs . 4/5