Guys, I suck. I know you’ve spent the whole year eagerly anticipating my 30 favourite albums to come out in 2023, but it is with a heavy heart that I have to admit I can’t quite do it. This year I’ve started a new full-time job which has meant I haven’t listened to as much music as I did last year. This combined with the fact that there was just, in my opinion, not as many great releases this year means you’ll have to settle for 20. I would like to reiterate my deepest apologise for this egregious discrepancy in my otherwise flawless journalistic abilities. Now the apologise are out of the way and my conscious cleared, here are my 20 favourite albums from 2023. My songs of the year playlist can also be found here.
20. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES
These two eccentric rappers combine to produce an album which is somehow completely unpredictable despite sounding exactly as you’d expect it to. The duo spend 36 minutes trading zany lines but with one clear underlying message: they won’t change their style to conform to the latest trends. The excellent end product shows that they don’t need to.
19. Låpsley – Cautionary Tales of Youth
The English singer’s third studio album is a masterclass in ambient pop. Introspective lyrics sung in haunting tones, drowned out by angelic synths. What more could you want? This is definitely one to listen to with your eyes closed.
18. slowthai – UGLY
It’s a good album ok! The English rapper takes a slightly more punk direction on his third album and puts out some of his best material in the process. The nostalgic sound mixes with some tortured, sometimes truly harrowing, lyrics to produce a deeply impactful listening experience. Admittedly some of the other truly harrowing things he’s done aren’t so great but that’s for a different article…
17. Wednesday – Rat Saw God
The North Carolina band’s fifth album has blown up unlike anything they released previously, earning acclaim from a number of reputable critics (though none as big as me obviously). The appeal of this record is clear, as elements of country rock and hardcore are blended seamlessly to create a dark yet nostalgic soundscape. This is complemented by lead singer Karly Hartzman yodelling, screaming and singing her way through everyday topics from gaming to drug overdoses.
16. Paramore – This Is Why
The iconic emo band came back with their first album in six years and this time tried their hand at a more modern post-punk sound. Considering that they had a huge influence on the evolution of the sound they’re now working with, it’s hardly a surprise that the transition works a treat. Starting with the energetic yet tongue-in-cheek title track, this album spends its entire run time being unapologetically fun.
15. Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
The duo, consisting of rappers billy woods and ELUCID, continued their prolific run this year by releasing their sixth studio album. Possibly the most avant garde outing by either rapper, this project sees the two going into full prose over stripped-back, sometimes almost non-existent, beats. Many tracks even feature two separate instrumentals, each giving one member the chance to go into their own delirious tangent. The project is an unequivocal proclamation that these two are at their creative peak right now.
14. Noname – Sundial
The rapper returns with her second studio album after a five year break, during which time she’s been heavily focussed on political activism. The highly anticipated follow up to 2018’s Room 25 sees her delve into her anti-capitalist views over a series of jazzy instrumentals. She isn’t afraid to be critical of other artists’ commercialism, as well as even her own. The main appeal, however, is just that the album sounds great; her soft melodic flows combine with some great features from other singers and rappers to make it a very enjoyable listening experience.
13. Sufjan Stevens – Javelin
The legendary singer-songwriter has now released ten albums over a span of 23 years yet he is sounding as great as ever. This album is something of a callback to his earlier works, as simplistic yet beautiful folk guitar melodies are accompanied by subtle, haunting vocals. Stevens dedicated this record to his late partner Evans Richardson, and the pain of losing a loved one is often reflected in the lyrics.
12. ANOHNI and the Johnsons – My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross
The experimental ensemble returned with their first album in 13 years and their first under this name, after lead singer Anohni Hegarty started using her female name publicly. Anohni’s lyrics and delivery are full of rage and agony, directed mainly towards injustices to the transgender community but also various other personal and societal troubles. The orchestral music backing both lifts up Anohni’s impassioned performances whilst providing a wonderful contrast to the pain heard in the lyrics.
11. Lael Neale – Star Eaters Delight
The Virginia singer-songwriter’s third studio album is a self-proclaimed “vehicle for returning, not just to civilization, but to celebration.” Forged after returning from Los Angeles to live on her family’s farm during the pandemic, this is the result of somebody given time and space purely to be creative. This album has somewhat flown under the radar, possibly due to its simplicity. What shines through, however, in this simplicity is a concise set of catchy and endearing songs which can be listened to over and over again.
10. Snõõper – Super Snõõper
This punk band exploded seemingly out of nowhere this year, and their debut album shows exactly why. A compilation of singles released over the last 3 years with some new tracks added in, this album is completely unhinged from start to finish. From the fast and overblown guitar chords to the cartoonish singing on topics ranging from bedbugs to attending spy school, there isn’t a moment’s rest during the 22-minute runtime. Their commitment to silliness also extends to their live shows, where they turn up in matching tracksuits and throw papier-mâché props into the crowd.
9. Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS
The pop sensation returns with her follow-up to 2021’s SOUR and shows a huge step-up in musical and emotional maturity in the process. Rodrigo has perfected the late 2000s era pop-punk sound here, and combining that with melodramatic lyrics about her exes has created some of the most anthemic tracks of 2023. A healthy dose of sad piano ballads sprinkled between these tracks provides the perfect balance and ensures that this is one of the most iconic records of the year.
8. Mitski – This Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We
The singer-songwriter’s seventh studio album is, to my mind, her most complete work to date. After years of pouring her heart out into some of the saddest songs to come out of the indie scene, there is something almost approaching positivity in this record. There is still, however, much of the desolate imagery which has made her so popular over the years and a fuller, more country-inspired sound which makes this album a must-listen for fans and depressives alike.
7. Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World
The prolific New Jersey band haven’t tried to reinvent the wheel with their seventeenth album, but they’re arguably sounding better than ever. The production is handled almost entirely by bassist James McNew, who brings some shoegaze elements into the mix and leaves the guitars sounding like a constant melodic drone throughout. This is complemented by subtle vocal performances by other band members Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, whose pensive lyrics make for a deeply sad and beautiful experience.
6. Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
Following on from her 2019 album Pang, it’s no surprise that this record has shot the American singer right to the forefront of the art pop scene. There’s an otherworldliness to how effortlessly Polachek belts out gorgeous notes over dreamy electronic tracks, which is enhanced by some unique instrumental choices (not least the bagpipes on Blood and Butter). This album contains some of the best musical moments of the year and is bound to leave you happier after listening to it. She also gets bonus points for getting Dido, one of her main predecessors in terms of pop stars with angelic voices, to feature.
5. The Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony
The rock duo’s fifth album is truly one of a kind. No throwback soft rock album has a right to be this good, yet Everything Harmony is exactly that. Almost every track is backed by a delightfully catchy riff with various layers of instrumentation providing the perfect cushion for the pair’s silky smooth vocal harmonies. The biggest compliment to this record is that it could’ve come out anytime in the past 40 years and you’d still expect it to resonate well with the public. This is without a doubt the easiest album to listen to of 2023.
4. Kara Jackson – Why Does the Earth Give Us People To Love?
From easy listening to something notably darker, the poet and singer’s debut album takes us on a journey through pain and desolation. Jackson’s deep voice and bleak storytelling sound like someone who’s lived many more lives than you’d imagine for someone in her mid-twenties. This is pulled off expertly though, and the constant backing of minor-key arpeggios plucked slowly on the guitar gives this album the feel of your grandma sitting you down to tell you stories of a much darker time than the one you live in. This album certainly takes the rose-tinted glasses off, and does it to harrowing yet phenomenal effect.
3. Geese – 3D Country
The indie rock band’s second album is firmly in the territory of the weird and wonderful. An electro-country-rock piece which follows “the story of an uptight cowboy as he wanders through the desert taking psychedelic drugs, watching the world around him – and his concept of the self – unravel in the process”. That narrative somehow describes the experience of listening to this album perfectly (and I’m not even an uptight cowboy). The fusion of genres blends perfectly to create a rich backing for the vocals, which themselves are wacky without fully crossing the line into no longer being able to be taken seriously. This project walks the tightrope between silliness and obserdity without ever loosing balance.
2. Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
The alt-pop goddess has been a household name for more than a decade but it feels like her artistry has risen to a new level over the past few years. Since 2019’s majestic Norman Fucking Rockwell!, her more piano-heavy style has allowed for her lyricism to flourish and slowly take a more personal turn. That takes us to her ninth album, where it finally sounds like the romanticised diva Lana is singing about is herself. The theme of womanhood runs deeply through this album as she touches on her image, not getting her due credit, family and (of course) romance. It’s a given at this point that she sounds great over soft piano notes, but the occasional electronic passages more akin to her earlier music adds a touch of nostalgia. This is a fascinating step in Lana’s artistry and, just like every other step, was handled with style and grace.
1. billy woods & Kenny Segal – Maps
In truth this was a toss-up between first and second. Ultimately there are personal reasons why I liked this album even more than Lana Del Rey’s, not least that the last one woods & Segal made is one of my favourite rap albums. 2019’s Hiding Places was raw and brash, while this is more of a controlled experience, a softer landing. Rapper woods, already mentioned in this list as half of the duo Armand Hammer, has come a long way since then. His freakishly consistent output over the past few years has cemented him firmly into the mainstream. He uses this to full advantage here with a feature list that’s a who’s who of the alternative hip-hop scene, all of which deliver excellent performances. Segal’s more jazzy instrumentals give woods space to extend his lyricism to his more personal thoughts, though not without a healthy dose of his ridiculous side. This project is so packed full of highlights it’s hard to pick one from another; it feels like the cherry on the icing on the cake for an artist who is never on autopilot.
