Wet

New York-based indie outfit Wet debuted with an ethereal electronic sound on their debut, 2016′s Don't You, before changing directions on 2018′s Still Run with energized instrumentation and vocal confidence. Wet’s sound continued to morph over the next few years with the folky “Old Bone” and electro-acoustic hybrids like 2020′s “Come to You” and 2021′s “Larabar,” the latter of which was a highlight of their third album, Letter Blue.
Formed in Brooklyn in 2012 by musicians Joe Valle and Marty Sulkow, along with singer Kelly Zutrau, Wet recorded a few casual demos together while they were all attending school in New York before Valle split for Los Angeles and Zutrau went to Rhode Island. The three friends reconvened in Brooklyn and began working in earnest on the material that would eventually feature on their debut EP. With Zutrau’s warm vocals and an affinity for ’90s R&B, they injected some quiet soul into their minimalist electronic indie pop.
Their understated self-titled EP, a four-song collection of gentle breakup songs, was released by Neon Gold in October 2013 to immediate hype. A series of CMJ performances followed and they joined CHVRCHES for a string of shows as well. The nuanced singles “Deadwater” and “You’re the Best” were issued in 2015 as Wet prepared their debut album for Columbia. Don't You was released in early 2016, climbing to 76 on the Billboard 200. The single “The Middle” b/w “Turn Away” arrived later that year.
In 2018, Wet returned as a duo after the departure of Sulkow, issuing the sun-washed, Americana-inspired single “There’s a Reason.” Incorporating chimes, strings, and percussion, the pair debuted the new sound on subsequent singles “Lately” and “You’re Not Wrong.” Produced by Rostam (HAIM, Solange), Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief), John Hill (Santigold, M.I.A.), and Valle himself, their sophomore effort, Still Run, arrived in the summer of 2018. Wet’s acoustic detour continued with 2019′s folky “Old Bone/Trust No Man” single and 2020 tracks like “This Fog” and “Come to You,” which mixed airy textural electronics with organic guitar and piano parts. The following year, Wet released the sleepy “On Your Side” and “Larabar,” showcasing the unique electro-acoustic hybrid that marked their third album, 2021′s Letter Blue. Among the album’s other highlights was the Blood Orange collaboration “Bound.” A five-song companion EP, Letter Blue (Reprise), arrived in early 2022. ~ Timothy Monger