Bath bombs are dope. Humankind has dreamt for centuries of being able to bathe in outer space and/or liquified cotton candy, and recent advances in bougie bath technology have made those dreams come true. Anyone who thinks that the world would be a better place without bath bombs is a fool and on the wrong side of history.

Wet made a musical bath bomb. Don’t You is a cohesive album, one with a consistent theme of trepidation and confusion about love and a singular sound. The latter of these qualities has received the most attention. Kelly Zutrau’s vocals and the backing instrumentals are both subject to heavy production, much of which is reminiscent of recent trends in alternative RnB. The effect can be striking, and the first three songs on the album make a strong case for the melding of time-tested indie-pop tropes and modern production. Zutrau’s voice piercing the murky ambient beat at the beginning of each song is striking, and on standout tracks like the ‘Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl’ and ‘You’re the Best’ her singing is allowed to take centre stage for the majority of the song. Unfortunately this is too often not the case, and her vocals become just another piece in the morass of muted drums, keys, and guitar by the midpoint of most songs.

By the end of the 11th and final song the first three seem less impressive. Even at only 41 minutes this is an album that feels too long. So maybe its a bit misleading to say that Don’t You is a bath bomb. Really, Wet made an album of 11 bath bombs, and those 11 bath bombs are all pretty much the same. Maybe one adds some glitter to your bath, and another smells particularly nice, but that’s the extent of the bathing experience offered. I’m willing to bet that the thrill of a bath bomb bath diminishes a little when its the same bath every time, and Wet faces the same problem. And just like how a bath bomb doesn’t change the fact that you’re sitting in a tub of your own filth water, the introduction of fun, hip vocal layering and production doesn’t change the fact that these are indie pop songs about pains of love.

You should listen to at least some of these songs, especially the opening three. You should use bath bombs. If you want to truly embrace this aesthetic you should do the two simultaneously. But show some restraint with these activities, and don’t ruin what could be a genuinely enjoyable experience by overdoing it.

Note: I am not currently sponsored by Lush or any other luxury soap companies, but am clearly very interested in changing that.