“I Get Wet” - Andrew W.K.
(Words/music: Andrew W.K., available on I Get Wet, Mercury 2002)

I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that nobody likes Andrew W.K. simply for the music.  Sure, the songs have their merits (more on that in a minute), but the real draw is the personality.  It’s possible to like music and hate the artist (Oasis is as fine an example as any other), but the dividing line for Andrew W.K. begins and ends with the man.  Since the red-hot fury of his debut faded, he’s released a few albums under the radar (including an entire album of Japanese pop songs – appropriately, he’s big in Japan), gone on public speaking tours, founded a successful club in New York City (Santos’ Party House), hosted his own kids show (that my ten year-old cousin enthusiastically endorsed this weekend), and grew his legacy as a cult figure.  Of course, his multiple-hour speaking engagements, appearance on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, weird faces on Fox News, and teaching Conan O’Brien how to dance helped build his persona, but the legend began with I Get Wet.  His debut, beginning with its iconic cover, crams enough partying into a half hour to give anyone alcohol poisoning.  It even spawned what might be the greatest Pitchfork review of all time – one that desperately tries to be snarky yet still tips its hand in Mr. Wilkes-Krier’s direction.  Naturally, it’s not music for everyone and for most people, it’s not music for all occasions.  Still, in well-concentrated bursts, Andrew W.K. accomplishes precisely what he aims to do – lighten the mood.

Ultimately, songs like “I Get Wet” work because they seem like the natural extension of this man’s personality.  If you’re going to like his music, it’s because you’re charmed (in some unconventional sense of the word) by the man creating the music.  It’s not even remotely subtle, but it has no aims of being Pet Sounds either.  It’s not the pop-metal sheen that makes “I Get Wet” (among others) irresistible, it’s the vivacity that permeates through every inch of the song.  Anything with energy and melody gets pushed to the front of the mix, pushing Andrew W.K. to the middle of the mix; as a result, the song nearly bursts with the fanfare of horns, pounding of drums, and bludgeoning with melody.  He has a gift for arranging, and he proves his musical prowess in a home movie by vamping on the opening fanfare on his piano.  Instead, he chooses to be the raving lunatic at the center of the party.  It’s understandable that some (or many, to be honest) might feel fatigued by his act, but he either plays the part so well (or truly lives this way, amazingly) that authenticity and irony get thrown out the window.  It might not scratch the itch for something quiet and precise (although he recently told NPR that he loves Bach), but when the time is right to turn the volume up to double digits, “I Get Wet” accomplishes the task perfectly.

More on Andrew W.K.: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm