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moisturizer is the bold, second album from Wet Leg, the Isle of Wight five-piece founded by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. Joined by Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, and Joshua Mobaraki, Wet Leg has spent the past few years on the road, evolving into a feral, electrifying live force. This new record captures that energy, delivering a sound that’s tighter, bolder, and more self-assured, yet still brimming with the same quick wit and raw, unrefined energy.

Isolated in a remote house in the countryside, moisturizer was written in a creative frenzy, diving into themes of obsession and all-consuming love. While their 2022 debut earned Grammy wins and chart-topping success, moisturizer brings the bite: brash guitars, heavy beats, and a fearless devotion to feeling everything—all at once.

With the addition of longtime touring members Henry Holmes, Ellis Durand, and Josh Mobaraki to the lineup, Wet Leg are no longer just the cheeky duo of Hester Chambers and Rhian Teasdale. On Moisturizer, they're a full-fledged band in the business of making full-fledged albums, not just virally catchy singles like "Chaise Longue." They still excel at that, though: "Catch These Fists," a spiky anthem for anyone who's been harassed at a club when all they wanted to do was dance with their friends, is the album's most typical Wet Leg moment. They discover new shades of sass on the scornful strut of "Mangetout," where Teasdale's delivery of lines like "Good job/Give you an A" lands like a withering eye-roll. More often, Wet Leg let their bravado slip. As anyone who prides themself on being independent knows, trusting someone with your heart can be terrifying. On Wet Leg, the band compared being in love to sickness; on Moisturizer, they fight those feelings, give in to them, and ultimately realize how great love can be with the right person. Their deadpan vocals and frenzied playing capture this emotional sea change perfectly, mirroring feelings that can no longer be suppressed. Siren-like synths and surging riffs accompany Teasdale's breathless confessions on "CPR," which depicts love as an emergency that's half panic, half euphoria. Teasdale, Chambers, and company may be head over heels, but they haven't lost their tongue-in-cheek attitude. There's still an edge to heartfelt moments like Chambers' "Pond Song," and when they daydream about someone special on "Liquidize," their inimitable cool is intact. Wet Leg's expanded lineup also lets them stretch their sound to express the different flavors of love. "Pillow Talk" stage dives into grungy lust, with Teasdale laying on the innuendo as thick as the distortion; later, she scales angelic heights on "11:51," a surprisingly delicate ballad that reinforces how much Wet Leg's range has grown since their debut album. Even the pop culture references feel more varied, spanning the subversive feminist allusions within the sensuous shoegaze of "Jennifer's Body" to "Davina McCall," which wraps nods to the Big Brother host and Shakira in guileless indie pop. Moisturizer isn't always softer or smoother than Wet Leg, but it is more candid. Teasdale's newfound awareness of her queerness led her to open up in her songwriting with appealingly approachable results on songs like "Pokémon," where irresistibly silky choruses and whimsical lyrics ("you just gotta choose me/yeah I'll be your Pokémon") deepen the emotions instead of diluting them. By the time the album closes with "U and Me at Home"'s rowdy celebration of domestic bliss, Wet Leg have let down their hair -- and their guard -- completely. Even without a breakout hit like "Chaise Longue," Moisturizer is more confident, and more revealing, than Wet Leg's debut. These are love songs for people who don't want to fall in love, made by a band that sounds more comfortable in its skin than ever.

1. CPR
2. liquidize
3. catch these fists
4. davina mccall
5. jennifer's body
6. mangetout
7. pond song
8. pokemon
9. pillow talk
10. don’t speak
11. 11:21
12. u and me at home