Grade: B+
The first song I heard by the alt-pop band Wet was a Branchez remix of a somewhat widely-known song they had released. Little did I know this song that had been remixed two or so years ago would find itself on Wet’s recently released album, “Don’t You.”
This album is a relaxing and melodic collection of electronic pop music. With sensual lyrics that express feelings of love, heartbreak and everything in between, the album features instrumentation from a wide range of live and computer-produced instruments including guitars, synths, various percussion instruments and live pianos.
The album’s opening song, “It’s All In Vain,” sets the mood for the entire album. It begins slowly and dreamily, and includes a strong vocal feature describing a suffocating relationship. Something heard specifically in this song, but as well as throughout the whole album, is the perfect production of vocal harmonies.
The eventual speed up and electronic mixing gets thrown into the blender throughout “It’s All in Vain.” However, the changes of pace and mood are subtle, with the song’s varying components meshing together into a unified track, setting the stage for the following song. This might be because it seems that their songs are very similar: there are always synths, guitars, percussion and the heavy addition of mixing in the studio.
The third song on the album, “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl,” is the song I alluded to being remixed by Branchez. This song, one of the catchier on the album, is relaxed but evolves into a complex percussion and harmony-driven song by the end.
“Weak” is the first song in which a live instrument seems to be heard with the soft playing of piano. Eventually, a live drum kit begins playing, creating one of the only rock-esque songs on the album. However, a good deal of electronic effects are still present.
Wet captures the sound of bands like The Postal Service. This is specifically noticed in the New York City-inspired song “Island.” Though this song seems to have a different, softer and darker sound than perhaps other songs on the album, it is followed by another catchy song that sounds somewhat similar to “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl.”
There is a wide-ranging selection of instruments and effects used in “All The Ways,” and if you listen closely enough you can even hear a note or two of what seems to be a saxophone at various times.
The second half of the album features more guitar as the singer creates strong imagery of mountains and seas. However, one can hear the sounds are perhaps now becoming too similar and repetitive. This album’s quality, however, is saved by the second to last song, “Body,” which is the first noticeably bassy song of the album. This somehow mixes very nicely with the concluding song of the album, which starts with a somber piano and strings section mingling together in the background of the song.
Though the album seemed to get a bit repetitive near the end, it regained its excitement and newness by the end. Wet offered a collection of songs that should be admired for its creativity, expressive lyrics and unique fusion of many different sounds and instruments.
