Wet — Still Run (07/13/18)
The alternative pop/R&B group out of Brooklyn continue with themes of heartbreak on their sophomore album. The band, led by the soft and beautiful vocals of Kelly Zutrau, started making waves in 2015 with singles like “Deadwater” and “Weak” before releasing their debut in early-2016. Those two tracks have gone down as two of my favourite soft-pop songs of the past decade, and sadly, their follow-up fails to give me anything to match. That’s not to say they haven’t come up with a few great songs to add to their collection. Lead single, “There’s A Reason” is one of the best songs the group has written, and “Lately” brings me back to their first album with its soft and emotional presence.
The album comes after the departure of founding member Marty Sulkow, who left based on creative differences. This may have contributed to the lyrical content, Zutrau seeming most comfortable singing about heartbreak and relationship struggles, whether that be romantic or professional. Possibly the best song of the album, “Visitor” has Zutrau opening her arms to love rather than running from it, supplying the most grandiose chorus of the bunch, with a fantastic delivery from the 30-year-old singer.
While Wet hasn’t done anything extraordinary to break themselves out of the shell of their first album, they seem to open up on these songs, with organic instrumentation and Zutrau sounding more self-assured. I would love to hear them branch out a bit more in the future, but for now, they are continuing to hone the craft of breakup pop. 7/10
