10 Debuts of Note: 2022
Debuts of Note’s seventh annual look at our 10 favorite debut albums
SongBook
Sounds Like: Tame Impala, Pond, Tempessst
Favorite Tracks: “Fuzz Jam”, “Where’s My Brain???”, “Cheesy Love Song”
Homebase: Sydney, Australia
Quiet The Room
by Skullcrusher
Sounds Like: Weyes Blood, Gia Margaret, Phoebe Bridgers
Favorite Tracks: “They Quiet The Room”, “Whatever Fits Together”, “You Are My House”
Homebase(s): Los Angeles, CA & Mount Vernon, NY
Listen to Quiet The Room: Spotify / Apple / Pandora / Bandcamp
There Is No Neil Frances
by Neil Frances
Sounds Like: Neon Indian, Toro Y Moi, Classixx
Favorite Tracks: “be free.”, “it’s like a dream”, “dancing”
Homebase: Los Angeles, CA
Listen to There Is No Neil Frances: Spotify / Apple / Pandora / Bandcamp
Topical Dancer
by Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul
Sounds Like: Sudan Archives, Blood Orange, Nilüfer Yanya
Favorite Tracks: “Ceci n’est pas un cliché”, “Blenda”, “HAHA”, “Mantra”
Homebase(s): Ghent, Belgium via French-Caribbean island of Martinique
Listen to Topical Dancer: Spotify / Apple / Pandora / Bandcamp
Wet Leg
by Wet Leg
Sounds Like: Le Tigre, Courtney Barnett, The Veronicas
Favorite Tracks: “Being In Love”, “Ur Mum”, “Piece of Shit”, “Too Late Now”
Homebase: Isle of Wight, England
“I think we had that when we were younger, that feeling of: ‘Oh, electric guitars aren’t for us,’” says Rhian Teasale of Wet Leg during an interview. “It was really important for us to see other female musicians when we were, like, 16 or 17,” her bandmate Hester Chambers chimes in. These types of subliminal ideas presented as ‘fact’ in society — that electric guitars aren’t and/or cannot be a ‘girl thing’, for example — are at the center of Wet Leg, a band of two Isle of Wight gals (plus a backing band of three lads) playing against type while simultaneously coloring just outside the lines.
In an NPR article from back in the spring, they compare a comment of music critic Joe Levy’s about Pavement from 30 years ago to Wet Leg today: they are a band “that feels simultaneously like it came from nowhere and everywhere.” If that comparison seems apt, it’s because it’s precisely the case. Much like The Strokes (another buzz-y band 20 years ago), Wet Leg feels like it arrived fully formed and prepared to rock out, but only after appearing from the ether.
There’s a punk-esque quality to these Brits that seethes through every track, letting you know they mean business. The album can play as a cheery, breezy way to pass a half hour, but just beneath the surface it also subtly criticizes the patriarchal nature of how some believe female rockers should present themselves and their art. And while their cultural arrival via TikTok has left others with “industry plant” suspicions, their innate ability to craft perfect pop tunes shouldn’t be met with such skepticism. Sometimes, you just have it. Wet Leg sure do.
Although the girls knew each other while growing up, Rhian and Hester each had their own separate history with music prior to beginning Wet Leg. Hester started out on drums before moving on to acoustic guitar; Rhian, meanwhile, learned keys before landing on guitar too. Each was working in separate music acts at honing their artistry. Then, after a spate of musical malaise, a Ferris wheel ride changed it all:
“It’s quite a twee origin story,” says Rhian of Wet Leg, “but we did go on a Ferris wheel and… there’s something about, um, being a bit drunk and kind of, like, rotating ‘round and ‘round, like, with the night sky above your heads that, um, kinda makes you feel like you can do anything and so… that’s when we decided to stop being scared of, like, making a band of our own and, yea, made the pact to start a band.”
The first time you listen to Wet Leg’s self-titled debut, “Being In Love” (an iconic album opener) is followed by “Chaise Longue”, an early single (that I had somehow missed during the rollout). There may not be a more impressive 1–2 punch for any album openers this year. Each track is incredibly self-assured. Not in a cocky way — more like a ‘shrug, who cares?’ way. Yet, it’s not indifference to the music; rather, it’s indifference to giving a shit whether or not others enjoy it.
The debut also excels at juxtapositions that don’t feel like they should pair, but somehow do — and not just lyrically. The Sinead O’Connor-esque jam session during the bridge of rockabilly “I Don’t Wanna Go Out”; or the staccato (accordion-laden) verses of “Loving You” giving way to a light ‘90s pop rock chorus. Maybe the Mean Girls shout-out turns you off, or the ultra-of-the-times references (like pizza rat) — but even if that’s the case, try to tell me you didn’t grin like an idiot the first time Rhian gently lilts to suck her dick in “Ur Mom”? Speaking of — is there an award for best scream in music each year?— because that track’s absolutely a contender if so.
Despite the landmines of darker subtext underneath the punk rock sheen, what makes Wet Leg such a great album is that you can press play, turn your mind completely off, and have an incredible listening experience. And if you want to further investigate the interiority of each track, you’ll come to appreciate some of the sly turns of phrase and clever double entendres even more. Edward Wright and David Byrne-approved, Wet Leg’s debut truly is as whimsical and polished as that combo suggests. ‘Good times all the time’ is the motto that Rhian and Hester attach to the band Wet Leg. So when you’re feeling down and need a pick me up, fill up the tub and throw on Wet Leg — after all, you’re only a bubble bath away from a higher path.
Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order):
Art Moore / Art Moore
BRONZE AVERY / SOFTMETAL
Naima Bock / Giant Palm
Ethel Cain / Preacher’s Daughter
Courting / Guitar Music
HAAi / Baby, We’re Ascending
Heavy Gus / Notions
Samm Henshaw / Untidy Soul
Ravyn Lanae / HYPNOS
Liss / I Guess Nothing Will Be The Same
Mallrat / Butterfly Blue
Amber Mark / Three Dimensions Deep
Alex Pachino / Out There, In Here
Night Palace / Diving Rings
Yard Act / The Overload
