Billed as “an ode to all the fuckboys and unavailable men of the world,” Wetsuit creates a melancholic portrayal of love on their new single Can’t Hold Water. The self-proclaimed “Water-based indie rock” project dives into an expertly paced, balladesque rumination on the shortcomings of dating in the modern era, working through a relationship that just can’t hold water.
One might take the quote from lead singer Allision Becker as a license to imagine a song full of outright rebellion and rejection, and sure, with lines like “My baby’s a businessman / He makes very hard decisions,” it can appear patronizing and condescending. But, through the course of the song, the Brooklin-based band settles on a nuanced and mournful acceptance of the pursuit of companionship. A journey expertly supported by the band as Allison leads the listener from lonesome guitar picking to a full band-backed chorus touting aggressive leads as the song moseys its way onto a final resigned verse. “My baby’s slippery / He slides away but comes back to me / I cradle his head / And tell him he’s gonna be alright.” Dreary guitars slump away as the listener is left with this stilted, uncomfortable, and archetypically maternal image. Companionship is an eternal and unconditional comfort for us as a species.
Becker paints a thorough picture of an easily hateable man but, with choice words, often mixes sweet with sour: “He’s a big league I’m just standing in / Looks so convincing.” Bits of admiration in lumps of disappointment make that ending feel so bittersweet. There is no doubt that this partnership will inevitably crumble. Can’t Hold Water is a thoughtful depiction of a complicated and increasingly familiar situation that leaves me eagerly waiting for the next thing Wetsuit delivers.
Written by Lando Flakes
