This album starts off with “Still Run”, and let me tell you this really isn’t where I wanted to hear them start. Sure, Kelly Zutrau sounds totally fine in her vocal performance, even great. But this instrumental is horribly clumsy. The accosting strumming in the background just isn’t needed, and this entire track could have been so much more chilled out. As a ballad, this is one of the most boring tracks here, and at the end of the day, just sounds like a track that just wasn’t good enough to make the band’s debut album. Now, to be honest, “There’s A Reason” as a much more straightforward and charming Pop tune is so much more in the realm of what I want to hear. I love the bouncy vocals and just how focused they all sound. And not to mention, tracks like this are easily some of Wet’s most catchy and engaging tracks all around. And yes, lyric-wise they really do have to start branching out. But for now, this doesn’t sound bad at all. There’s even a sort of throwback singer-songwriter feel to this that I can’t say no to. Overall, this is a very pleasant track. On the other hand, “You’re Not Wrong” gets Wet out of their shells even further, and has them working with some much more upbeat and positive sounding material. And it’s alright, for one of their more pop-oriented tracks, it’s really not terrible. But they have a real talent of getting some really cool grooves rolling with their tracks, and I really sort of wish they just went back to that. This just ends up being super positive to the point of it being cheesy. On the other hand, “Lately” is exactly what I want to hear from them. I love the throwback synths and the very chilled out vibes to this one. It’s sleek, and Kelly sounds at her steamiest and most confident. It’s passionate and has just so many awesome sounds to it. This once again also has a very retro vibe, like an overlooked 80’s Pop tune. But hell, it’s a good one, not to mention Kelly sounds so much stronger than usual. All around, I have nothing bad to say about this one.
Now, with tracks like “Softens”, Wet seem right on their way to making yet another really likable track. The atmosphere is wild and really chilled out. But as this one rolls on it’s just so ridiculously boring. It’s so sluggish, and there isn’t an emotion to be seen for miles. Like, this track is well over 5 minutes, but I absolutely have nothing to say about it. It’s terribly boring, and nothing grabs me even slightly. On the other hand, “11 Hours” has such a stillness to it that I’m actually interested. Sure, you can argue that this one is just as quiet as the last track. But at the very least, this one brings together some genuine tension, and that emptiness just sounds so vast. Kelly ends up sounding her most bluesy, and this track has some of the album’s biggest showings of emotion. But it’s tracks like “This Woman Loves You’ that constantly make me shake my head and make me want to put away my laptop. This is unbearably cheesy in every way and sounds like a rejected song from the new Kacey Musgraves album. But at the very least, Kacey made those songs sound good. I will give “This Woman Loves You” this, it does have a very cool instrumental that’s super playful and creeps along so slowly. But in moments like this, I just have nothing but doubt for the future of Wet. And “Out Of Tune” is an even more breathy, completely drab ballad. Like, sure, Kelly’s vocals are very beautiful and pure. But to say that they could have done a little more with this atmosphere would be the understatement of the year. There are some cool moments, like the very dreary guitars and strings, that’s all gravy. But everything else on “Out Of Tune” is an absolute travesty. Not to mention, at this point I feel like they’re recycling track after track, and these lyrics are just abysmal.
And let me tell you, right about now there is literally nothing I wanted to hear less than yet another stripped down overly-emotional ballad. But “Visitor” starts off to be just that. It’s just so sappy and heartless, even if Kelly’s vocals continue to be very pretty. However, when some of those drums come pounding in, this one does pick up quite a bit. I mean, in Wet’s case, I guess that’s just the answer, more and more instrumentals. Because it’s when we get these very still moments that I just have more and more issues. But with this album’s finale “Love Is Not Enough”, I’ve had it. I’m absolutely fucking done. No more ridiculously cheesy breakup ballads, I’ve had one too many of them. And this literally is the most heartless and emotional track here by far. Even Kelly is so incredibly out of her element. And the worst part about “Love Is Not Enough”, is that in the distance we do have some very sinister synths that are actually really cool. But, no, no thank you, I don’t need any more of this.
Rating: 5.8/10
Give A Listen To: “There’s A Reason”, “Lately”, “11 Hours”, “Visitor” (FOR THE MOST PART)
Least Favorite Track: “Love Is Not Enough”
Genre: Synth Pop / Indie Pop
Overall Thoughts: I mean, hey, if literally the blandest, most emotionally barren Synth Pop and Indie Pop is your thing you’re going to love this. Sure, some of the band’s more solid singles are one here. But ballad after ballad, heartache after heartache is just not something I’m into, at least not from Wet. The vocals here are great, and when they decide to bring some hazy Alternative R&B beats things actually get funky and fresh. But too much of this album just seems like recycled tracks that weren’t good enough to make the first album.
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