Wet Leg moisturizer 2025, Haim I Quit 2025

I'm an old guy, and while I try to listen to new music, much of it leaves me cold. The current state of hip-hop doesn't enthuse me any more than older hip-hop did. Most of the stuff on the pop charts seems to be formulaic music produced by programmed machines instead of actual musicians. The spate of trendy heart-on-the-sleeve female artists doesn't connect with me, and yes, I listen to quite a bit of it.

But these two records are both appealing to me. Both feature actual musicians, solid vocals, smart lyrics, hooky songs, and actual hot guitar breaks from time to time. 

I listened to the first Wet Leg record, and I liked it, but it didn't make me want to dive deeper. The singles sure were great. This new one has a little less of a punk sound, although there's still some razor sharp guitars. It feels like the songs are more developed, and guitarist Joshua Mobaraki has more co-writes than on the debut. More hands on deck can't hurt. Slinky opener CPR, angry Catch These Fists, dismissive Mangetout, and the comfortable You and Me At Home all stand out, but there's not a really weak one anywhere. 

I could say the same for I Quit. Again, I listened to and mostly enjoyed previous Haim material, but this one seems like a step forward to me. They continue to benefit from pop wiz Rostam Batmanglij, who's  instincts are impressive, and his production is squeaky clean. 

Lyrics lean on female empowerment. The record kicks off with Gone and All Over Me, a strong start. But the hits keep coming, and Down To Be Wrong, Everybody's Trying To Figure Me Out, Try To Feel My Pain, and Now It's Time are all strong songs. Again, there aren't any real flops. They often sound like Stevie Nick's Fleetwood Mac (without the pretense) or Sheryl Crow, in a good way.

Haim are a bit more pop than Wet Leg, so the longevity points might go Wet Leg's way. But right now I'm liking new music by contemporary artists, and that gives me hope. Old dog, new tricks.