Wet - Letter Blue

‘Letter Blue’, the third album from plaintive New Yorkers Wet, is a predictably pretty listen, full of delicate melodies, languid piano and whispered synths. ‘On Your Side’ layers harmonies and choral pads to be later joined by a gentle acoustic guitar: the track moves but never really goes anywhere in particular, and even the addition of bass and a feather-light drum beat can’t change its course. Creaking synths and chiming loops mark out ‘Clementine’, and there’s insistent piano and pitch-shifted yelps across ‘Far Cry’. Yet for all these differences the tracks meet smoothly, blending into one another and making for a mesmerising listen. This isn’t to say it’s boring, though: there’s a playfulness that runs through, even when the lyrics don’t mirror it. ‘Only One’ surprises with a garage-inspired beat, sounding at odds with the track’s mournful vocals, removing them from centre-stage. ‘Letter Blue’ is the sound of a band enjoying what they’re doing and having fun with it, and despite the occasional misses you can’t help but enjoy it right alongside them.