Review Summary: Deadwater.
A recent band coming up out of Brooklyn called Wet, delivers smooth sounds of R&B, Chillwave, and Synthwave; Or at least that's what they were planning to do on paper. Don't get me wrong, I really think this band has potential. When they came out with their Debut EP, 'Wet' last year, we got four tracks of great songs full of dark seductive tones and a great vibe that fits the bill with other bands in their niche genre. With a lot of room to grow, they release their debut album to the public, but does it hold up?
In my opinion, I don't think it holds up very well, and one of the problems I really have with the record is the production. It is very bland and forgettable, remindful of all those trap beats that are very common and just doesn't capture me into the music they're trying to make. The vocalist Kelly Zutrau, in my opinion, needs to brush up on her singing skills. Throughout the album, she sings in a very monotonous, quiet tone. Although it complements the production quite well especially on tracks like 'Don't Wanna Be Your Girl' & 'Small and Silver', it suffers from half of the album sounding like very boring filler. Tracks like 'Weak', 'It's All In Vain' and 'Island' have dreadful, repetitive lyrics that make the album feel less interesting than it already was.
This is a pop-oriented album through and through, and I can't just shake the feeling that a lot of these songs were made specifically to be played on the radio. They're easy to listen to, have easy lyrics to sing to, and an accessible sound that can appeal to a lot of people. In my case, I usually like something that can challenge me when I listen to it, and although I do love a lot of pop albums, those are interesting enough to keep my attention; Unfortunately this is not the case for this album. I do think the trio needs time to develop and there were a couple of catchy songs on here, but I believe they need to sit down and focus on something more grabbing to the ear, rather than just an average indie pop record.
