“I don’t have specific thoughts or feelings about this album except for total love. In most cases, I don’t have an opinion about my work once it’s complete. I do the best I can to make the partiest music I can. Then I make more.” Words to live by from Mr. W.K. No mere relic of the era of pre-Disney Vice Magazine, I Get Wet was the first solo record from Andrew W.K. and sounds like Judas Priest plus Sparks with all of the subtlety of “Rock And Roll (Part 2)”. (Or should we say "Doctorin' The Tardis"?) He can win over an audience like no other, famously earning a spot opening for the Foo Fighters after mailing Dave Grohl a handwritten letter and demo. Even the cover art has a wild story regarding its creation - W.K. allegedly struck himself in the face with a brick, then supplemented it with some blood sourced from a local butcher. (The European press thought it was a cocaine-related injury.) I Get Wet was recorded with a full band (later records featured all of the instruments played by W.K. himself), and all twelve tracks rip as fiercely as they did back in the early aughts. The album is a pre-poptimism postmodernist adventure through corny new wave, fierce metal, and huge riffs without a shred of irony. Or is it entirely ironic? Guess we still need to figure that out. But for now, it's time to party. 

• black vinyl pressing
• limited edition
• music label: Island 2019

reviewed by LET'S GET THE PARTY STARTED PARTY HARD PARTY HAR- 09/2019