With a release date set for 11th July, the track is a first glimpse of Wet Leg’s next direction, preparing us for another summer of reclaimed, girls-gone-wild dance punk a la Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ message last year. However, Wet Leg turn up the feminine rage, depicting the all too familiar night out with your mates, rudely interrupted by a dark-fruit sipping suitor. The lyrics are cheeky, sarcastic and condescending - a very real threat to anyone who dares get in the way of Wet Leg when all they want to do is “dance with my friends”.
The song was released with a fairly minimalistic music video that is somewhat disjointed from the club scene depicted in the lyrics. The band are shown, dressed in white, dancing in front of a wooden building, and running to camera along a dirt track, before kidnapping one of the group. However, the final shot re-emphasises the key message, with a large CD player, wielded throughout by lead singer Rhian Teasdale, artfully dropped atop the kidnapped man’s head. As the song threatens, “He don’t get Puss, he get the boot”.
The track is playful, but the message is clear, and the frustration behind it sings through the electric guitar riff repeated throughout. Amidst heavy drums and a persistent percussive shaking, Rhian Teasdale’s delicately spoken lyrics feel all the more sinister, with no attempt to fight the rattling backing track. In fact, the band take pleasure in taking down unwanted advances, alluding to a gamic element, as each “Man down” allows the singer to “Level up”. It is a true ode to the modern party girl, prioritising friendship and carefree fun over the potential of a likely disappointing and fleeting romantic encounter.
Keep an eye out for further singles released before 'Moisturizer', the breadcrumbs leading towards a summer of Wet Leg. If they’re anything like ‘Catch These Fists’, it’s going to be one long night out with your friends you won’t want to miss… hopefully without the dark fruit sipping stranger, for your sake and theirs!
Teagan Booker
Image: Iris Luz
