2023 Music In Review: Best Albums
My year-in-review series reaches its conclusion! Feel free to go back to my list of favorite EPs and songs from 2023. And now, before January ends and I finally look forward to what the rest of 2024 has to offer, let’s dig into my favorite albums of the year!
Best Projects by My Friends (For the sake of skirting conflict of interest, they get their own little section):
“iv” by The Blunt Force Trauma (Shout out Hunter and Dylan!), “Skeezix” by Bromf (Shout out Daniel!) and “Camtopia” by Cowboy Cam (Shout out Cameron!).
Honorable Mentions:
“World of Hassle” by Alan Palomo, “My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross” by ANOHNI and The Johnsons, “The Loveliest Time” by Carly Rae Jepsen, “Ooo Rap I Ya” by George Clanton, “All Of This Will End” by Indigo De Souza, “I Think Of You” by Kerry Charles, “After The Magic” by Parannoul, “In Times New Roman…” by Queens of the Stone Age, “Saved!” by Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, “ÁTTA” by Sigur Rós and “Se Bueno” by TURQUOISEDEATH.
25. “We Buy Diabetic Test Strips” by Armand Hammer
Even elsewhere in the discographies of New York-based MCs E L U C I D and Billy Woods, nothing compares to the otherworldliness of their seventh collaborative album as Armand Hammer. From the head-scratching title and cryptic lyricism to the disorienting beats, produced by an all-star roster of underground artists including JPEGMAFIA, Kenny Segal and EL-P, “We Buy Diabetic Test Strips” is an abstract fever dream told through cuttingly confrontational bars and vivid word paintings, a unique ride that all hip-hop fans should experience at least once.
24. “Embarrassing Times” by Tony Molina
To those uninitiated, this tiny record, with most of its songs not stretching past the two-minute mark and some barely lasting 30 seconds, might seem too scant to be very impactful. But if you give “Embarrassing Times” a chance, you’ll see how Bay Area-native Tony Molina has mastered his less-is-more approach to rock and folk songs, which gets stretched on the gorgeous closer “She Divines Water,” lasting a relatively gargantuan three and a half minutes and standing as one of Molina’s most beautifully heart-wrenching songs to date.
23. “Playing Robots Into Heaven” by James Blake
English electronic producer and singer James Blake would’ve had an amazing year thanks to his features on Travis Scott’s “UTOPIA” and the “Across the Spider-Verse” soundtrack alone, but his sixth studio album made it even better. Blake’s experiments with modular synths lead to an inventive, versatile and electrifying record, featuring everything from club bangers like “Tell Me” and “Big Hammer” to abstract and experimental soundscapes like the gorgeous ambient title track.
22. “Everything Harmony” by The Lemon Twigs
If you want to see exactly how to make a nostalgic throwback without feeling derivative and tired, look no further than Brain and Michael D’Addario’s fourth album as The Lemon Twigs. “Everything Harmony” breathes new life into the sounds of ’60s and ’70s pop and rock music with hooky songwriting, lush production and gorgeous vocals, especially when they bust out the soaring harmonies.
21. “That! Feels Good!” by Jessie Ware
English singer Jessie Ware’s fifth album resurrects the sounds of disco to glorious, hater-silencing effect. “That! Feels Good!” is a danceable shot of adrenaline from start to finish with more than enough variety to keep things fresh, dabbling with sounds like the electrifying French house beat of “Freak Me Now” or the lush live instrumentation of “Hello Love.”
20. “Erotic Probiotic 2” by Nourished By Time
It took me until the end of the year to finally listen to Baltimore-based producer and singer Marcus Brown’s debut, but when I finally did, it became an instant favorite. Nourished By Time’s bedroom R&B and dance-pop production paired with his soulful and expressive vocals make it easy to get swept up in the joyous grooves of every catchy tune.
19. “chaos takes the wheel and i am a passenger” by awakebutstillinbed
San Jose-based emo band awakebutstillinbed expand its sound and embrace a more optimistic outlook on this long-awaited sophomore album. Led by songwriter and singer Shannon Taylor, whose range from throat-tearing intensity to gentle soothing gives the album much of its emotional impact, the band tightens their focus while still making room for compositional ambition, with multiphase epics like “road” complimenting catchy rockers like “far” and “airport.”
18. “Javelin” by Sufjan Stevens
Michigan-native indie folk legend Sufjan Stevens’ tenth album is a beautiful synthesis of everything he’s experimented with across his long and unpredictable career, ranging from delicate and quiet folk guitars to grand orchestration and swelling electronics. “Javelin’s” soothing sounds are the perfect vehicle for Stevens’ soft yet powerful performances, facing the brightest joys of love and the darkest depths of loss with poetic grace.
17 “BB/ANG3L” by Tinashe
In just seven songs and about 20 minutes, R&B veteran Tinashe not only delivers hit after hit, but puts together a cohesive story for an experience just as satisfying as many albums twice its length. With sticky melodies over inventive production blending R&B style with elements of hip-hop and house music, “BB/ANG3L” follows Tinashe’s journey from confidently jumping between low-stakes flings to opening up and getting serious, dealing with all the passion and doubt that brings.
16. “Quaranta” by Danny Brown
Although it serves as the sequel to 2012’s breakout “XXX,” Detroit-raised hip-hop icon Danny Brown’s sixth album functions as commentary on his past work more than serving up more of the same. “Quaranta” still features exhilarating moments of Brown’s trademark yelpy one-liners over zany instrumentals, but most of the record demonstrates just how much he’s matured as an artist over the years, tackling deep and personal subject matter with unflinching vulnerability and honesty.
15. “The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We” by Mitski
Japanese-American singer-songwriter Mitski embraces the rootsy sounds of Americana on her seventh album, crafting an album that feels just as cinematic and powerful as it does relaxed and fearless. “The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We” sees Mitski reach new heights in songwriting, with the unforgettable melodies and, at times, uncomfortably intimate lyrics of each tune elevated by the beautiful tapestries of cool pianos, choral vocals and steel guitars.
14. “棲居在溪源之上 (Seeking the Sources of Streams)” by Cicada
Even if neoclassical music isn’t usually your cup of tea, you owe it to yourself to sit down and give your full attention to this gorgeously produced and tightly performed record by this Taiwanese quintet. “Seeking the Sources of Streams” takes Cicada’s small ensemble of piano, violin, cello and acoustic guitar and wrings out every ounce of emotional power, pulling you into the album’s serene soundscapes through thrillingly dynamic and cinematic compositions.
13. “Greg Mendez” by Greg Mendez
If you connect to the bittersweet folk songs of artists like Elliott Smith or Phil Elverum (aka The Microphones and Mount Eerie), you owe it to yourself to check out this Philadelphia-based DIY songwriter’s self-titled album. The lyricism and singing throughout are heartbreaking and each tune is brought to life by some of the warmest, clearest, most beautiful production I heard on any singer-songwriter record last year.
12. “Weathervanes” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
It’s never been easier to mock country for the cancellable antics and empty songs of the genre’s biggest stars, but Alabama-native Country veteran Jason Isbell and his band prove the genre is still a home for confessional songwriting and passionate performances. From its hardest southern rockers to its folksiest ballads, “Weathervanes” sees Isbell diving deeper and deeper into himself and the world that shaped him, tackling personal struggles and systemic issues with the same gentle touch and infectious passion.
11. “the whaler” by home is where
Florida-based emo outfit home is where put together an absolute powerhouse of a record on their follow up to 2021’s “I Became Birds,” leveling up every element of the songwriting, performance and production. Brandon MacDonald’s forceful vocals perfectly complement the band’s electrifying sound, made even more compelling by creative touches of tape loops, horns, strings and harmonica, and the perfect loop with the album’s closing moments flowing smoothly back into the opener’s intro ensures you’ll be listening over and over.
10. “10,000 Gecs” by 100 Gecs
No album in 2023 could even hope to compete with the unbridled chaotic energy and pure fun of this insane album. Hyperpop pioneers Dylan Brady and Laura Les followed up their modern classic “1000 Gecs” by not only pushing forward the style they helped create, but by throwing all expectations out the window by making some of the best nu-metal and pop punk tunes the current wave of ’00s nostalgia has produced.
100 Gecs indulge in gloriously unpredictable genre-hopping across “10,000 Gecs’” 26-minute runtime, abruptly shifting from futuristic synth onslaughts like “757” to singalong arena rock on “Hollywood Baby” or crushingly sludgy guitars on “Billy Knows Jamie.” Everything from the song concepts, like the story of a chill amphibian crashing a house party on “Frog On The Floor,” to Dylan Brady’s beats, sampling everything from Death Grips to TikTok AI voices to flash game sound effects, make this album a relentlessly irreverent thrill ride. If you need to let your hair down and headbang to something gloriously goofy, Dylan and Laura have you covered.
9. “Ways of Knowing” by Navy Blue
Sage Elsesser has more than proven himself as one of the most gifted producers and lyricists in underground hip-hop through incredible solo projects like “Song of Sage: Post Panic!” and “Navy’s Reprise” along with his collaborations with artists like MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt and Wiki. But despite his talent for making jazzy beats with moody collages of soulful samples, Navy Blue made his most cohesive project yet by handing over production duties to London-raised, Los Angeles-based beatmaker Budgie.
“Ways of Knowing” has a multifaceted but holistic sound, wandering into bouncier and more head-nodding territory on a few songs, but staying true to Navy Blue’s sample-heavy, meditative aesthetic. Such a seamless collaboration is especially impressive on such a personal project, where Elsesser dives deep into his own personal growth and pays tribute to the members of his family who made it all possible, with a special focus on his late grandfather.
“Ways of Knowing” is a true achievement, an album that deals in the details of grief, but never beats you down, instead lifting listeners up with real heart and wisdom. Listen to Navy Blue, and if they’re still around, go hug your grandparents.
8. “The Weakness” by Ruston Kelly
Ruston Kelly has always been easy to root for, and his third studio album, like all his music before its release in 2023, shows just how much he’s had to overcome and how much he’s grown throughout the struggle. “The Weakness” is an exploration of the trials and mistakes that have brought the South Carolina-born songwriter to where he is today, but despite the depth and introspection he’s led us to expect from his albums, this one also represents him fully going pop. The tempos are higher, the sounds are brighter and the songs are more laid back.
“St. Jupiter” follows our hero bickering with his partner at the store and “Michael Keaton” sees him accidentally getting high and trying to get someone to shut up so he can contemplate meaningless hypotheticals. These don’t exactly sound like the alt-country heartstring tuggers that would fit in on his previous records, and they’re not; “The Weakness” sees Kelly not always taking himself so seriously, and sharing the funny and embarrassing parts of his story just as openly as the sad ones.
And plus, he still dives deep on several of the album’s highlights: “Breakdown” turns facing depths of depression into an anthemic hit, “Dive” sees him slowly trusting himself to pursue love again and “Mending Song” addresses his divorce to fellow country star Kacey Musgraves more directly than any of his songs yet. The catchiest bangers and the slowest ballads all feel at home on “The Weakness,” making for a portrait of this flawed but lovable underdog that’s more human than ever.
7. “Lahai” by Sampha
English alternative R&B and neo soul singer Sampha Lahai Sisay gave himself some gigantic shoes to fill with his 2017’s “Process.” After such an emotionally resonant and sonically inventive debut, how could you not be excited to see what Sampha does next?
A year came and went. Then another. More slipped away. Other than an odd feature here and there, including the heart-wrenching chorus on Kendrick Lamar’s “Father Time,” it was pretty much radio silence for six years.
And after finally hearing “Lahai,” it’s easy to say that the wait was more than worthwhile. Not only does Sampha deliver more of the confessional writing and soulful singing that made us fall in love last decade, but he thrives in an entirely different sonic and emotional landscape. “Lahai” explores mental health struggles with bold vulnerability, but unlike “Process,” which could often feel cold and tense, the album’s sound is largely warm, welcoming and soothing.
When Sampha explores the self doubt that threatens to isolate him from his loved ones, he does it on the anthemic “Only.” The tense unease of romantic turmoil is embodied in the beautiful harmonies and pianos of “Suspended.” And plenty of moments dive straight into the downright idyllic, like on the tribute to his child “Evidence” or the glorious embrace of all our unique struggles and growth on “Jonathan L. Seagull.” If you’re looking for an album that doesn’t shy away from the turmoil of life and still finds a way to celebrate the beauty in it all, don’t miss Sampha’s deeply moving return.
6. “Space Heavy” by King Krule
English singer and songwriter Archy Mashall’s more than a decade of releasing music as King Krule, beginning when he was just a teenager, has all led up to this. Marshall’s fourth album gives you everything you could want and more from his unique style, blending punk, jazz, rock, slowcore and plenty in between.
Marshall’s best songs yet land on “Space Heavy,” like the breezy ode to apocalyptic romance on “Seaforth,” the twangy and weary opener “Flimsier” and the soft and despondent loss of faith over gentle guitars on “If Only It Was Warmth.” If you’ve heard any of King Krule’s music before, you already know that Marshall can write and produce a great tune, but where past albums have failed, “Space Heavy” fits all the pieces together into something much more than the sum of its songs. Once you’ve started listening, the album is hard to put down again because of its immersive atmosphere and seamless flow, thanks to virtually unnoticeable transitions between songs and gorgeous transitional interludes like the stunningly beautiful “Flimsy” or “When Vanishing.”
Where past King Krule records have gotten lost in their hazy soundscapes and let songwriting suffer, “Space Heavy” is made of unforgettable pieces that all complement each other, making for a bittersweet experience perfect for when you feel like, as Marshall cries out on its opening moments, you’re “holding the weight of the world.”
5. “Live At Bush Hall” by Black Country, New Road
For a band that’s only been releasing music for about five years, English art-rock and post-punk group Black Country, New Road have already had quite a journey. After the release of 2022’s “Ants From Up There,” the band’s sophomore effort that saw them combine elements of rock, indie folk, emo and post-rock into a bittersweet masterpiece, frontman and lead singer Isaac Wood announced that he was leaving the band for the benefit of his mental health, and the whole future of the project seemed unsure.
If “Live At Bush Hall” and the album’s accompanying concert film prove anything, it’s that the remaining six members of Black Country, New Road have more than enough to offer. Although Isaac Wood’s emotive lyrics and performances will never be replaced, the members who stepped up to lead the band in his place each bring their own unique character while staying true to the heart-on-their-sleeves intensity Wood helped define.
Bassist and guitarist Tyler Hyde belts out an infectiously joyous performance on propulsive opener “Up Song,” an energetic theme song for the band’s bright future. Saxophonist and flutist Lewis Evans offers his quivering vibrato and boyish charm to the romantic “Across The Pond Friend,” and pianist May Kershaw lends her delicate melodies to the patient, dynamic, crushingly sad “Turbines/Pigs.”
“Live At Bush Hall” is a live album with all the chatter and energy that goes along with it, but with the cohesive focus and crisp production to rival any studio record. If you’ve ever connected with any of Black Country, New Road’s music, this album won’t disappoint, and I have no reason to doubt that whatever they do together in the future will be just as heartfelt and glorious.
4. “SCARING THE HOES” by JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown
It’s hard to recall an album I’ve anticipated more than this collaborative effort between hip-hop experimenter JPEGMAFIA and Detroit-native veteran MC Danny Brown. The pipe dream of a full team-up album has been appealing ever since Peggy lent some production and a vocals to Brown’s “uknowhatimsayin¿” in 2019, but it started to seem like a real possibility after the duo previewed the thrilling, horn-heavy walk-out anthem “Burfict!” via NTS Radio and performed it live together in 2022.
After I spent month after month wearing out the fan uploads of that hype-factory of a teaser, it would have been so easy for the hilariously titled “SCARING THE HOES” to not live up to my expectations. These 14 songs and 30 odd minutes of inventive hardcore hip-hop are not what I expected, but they do not disappoint. Predictably, both rappers bring their best to the record, with Peggy’s constant cultural and political references and confrontational bars playing perfectly off of Brown’s trademark punchlines.
But as hilarious and entertaining as it is to listen in and try to catch each quotable, JPEGMAFIA’s production is the true star of the show. Peggy switched out his usual beat-making approach for a much more limited workflow, primarily using a Roland SP-404SX sampler, a machine that’s been the backbone of generations of hip-hop production. Although the analog sampling gives these beats a certain roughness and warmth that makes them unique in Peggy’s catalog, using the 404 alone did nothing to limit his creativity and skill.
JPEGMAFIA samples anything and everything over the course of the album, loading up Japanese TV advertisements, gospel choirs and even nostalgic 2000s R&B hits (including a simultaneously hysterical and hard flip of Kelis’ “Milkshake” on the insane banger “Fentanyl Tester”) to create some of the hardest-hitting and hardest-to-predict hip-hop beats ever made. Peggy and Danny created not only an incredibly entertaining album, but a simultaneously cutting-edge and nostalgic record, unique in both their discographies.
3. “One Wayne G” by Mac DeMarco
Eight and a half hours and 199 songs is an unreasonable ask for most fans of the Canadian songwriter and studio tinkerer Mac DeMarco. When I first heard about “One Wayne G” when it dropped in April, I accepted that I would probably never even bother to listen to it. Much later in the year, when I found myself with 12–13 hours of listening to kill on a drive down to Los Angeles and back, I finally did. Call me crazy if you want, but this gigantic collection of demos following DeMarco’s creative journey almost day by day from 2018 to 2023 brought me more joy and inspiration than most reasonably sized albums ever have.
Listening to “One Wayne G” for hours on end feels more like watching a documentary then sitting down with a studio album; this massive collection provides a rare opportunity to be a fly on the wall, hear what most musicians would keep in the vault forever and follow along as DeMarco experiments, jams and naturally develops his sound over the course of years. And on top of the ludicrous generosity of letting fans into the creative process, the material itself is (shockingly) consistently great. The 18 vocal songs stand as some of his best since 2017’s “This Old Dog,” with goofy ditties about hitting the road in your new truck like “20200817 Proud True Toyota” coexisting with much more serious songs like the short but deeply affecting “20210221 Father Of The Year.” The instrumental material is just as good, playing with everything from bedroom pop, bossa nova and ambient to funk, including “20190724,” a groove that’s been spread to every corner of the internet by Mac’s fans ever since he shared a snippet in a 2019 interview with PBS.
If you’re a fan of Mac DeMarco or if you just want a one-of-a-kind look into an artist’s creative process, please give “One Wayne G” a shot. If you’re anything like me, it’ll make you want to pick up an instrument and a microphone to record a few jams.
2. “Norm” by Andy Shauf
On his seventh studio album, Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf takes his cinematic style of heavily narrative writing to new heights of density and complexity, using these easy-going indie-pop songs to tell a deeply affecting story through multiple perspectives.
SPOILER WARNING: If you haven’t heard the album and want to experience it with fresh ears (which I highly recommend), stop reading, go listen and come back later.
“Norm” follows our titular hero on his quest to be noticed and loved by a stranger he’s infatuated with, beginning with him seeing her in a grocery store in the slow, longing piano ballad “Catch Your Eye” and then with him trying to work up to courage to talk to her on the synth-heavy, gorgeous “Telephone.” But as the story continues, things quickly get more sinister, even if the light and soothing blends of guitars, keys and synths along with Shauf’s lilting vocals try to distract you. We hear about Norm watching her outside her house on “You Didn’t See,” stalking her as she goes to the movies on “Paradise Cinema” and then meeting her by chance and offering her a ride on “Halloween Store,” before she accepts and slowly realizes he isn’t taking her home at the chilling, tense midpoint of “Sunset.”
That story alone is already plenty to cover in about a half-hour of music, but Shauf doesn’t stop there. Norm’s tale is also told through the eyes of two other characters: God and the lovely stranger’s ex. Opener “Wasted On You” introduces the album’s version of a higher power as indifferent and petty, expressing casual bitterness toward His creations who won’t believe in and follow Him. After Norm takes the target of his obsessive fantasies to an unknown fate, we meet her ex, who watches her get into Norm’s car on “Daylight Dreaming” and waits for her at a party she never arrives to on the soft, heart-breaking “Long Throw.”
“Norm” is a love story set in a world where not even God, who is supposed be the embodiment of love itself, knows what love really is. Instead we follow characters who refuse to accept when the target of their affection doesn’t share their feelings, leading them to become emotionally paralyzed or increasingly possessive and violent. Despite its soft and welcoming sound, “Norm” is a heavy album that might be hard to appreciate if you don’t already enjoy Shauf’s signature style of storytelling. But if you give it time to sink in, you’ll find a unique and deeply affecting experience that challenges you to reflect on your understanding of love.
1. “Maps” by Billy Woods and Kenny Segal
The second collaborative album from New York-based rapper Billy Woods and Los Angeles-based producer Kenny Segal explores the messiness, complexity and contradiction of navigating our world. “Maps” is a globetrotting dark comedy that never pulls any punches, but still leaves room for a way forward, and even some laughs along the way.
Before even getting to the quality and dense meaning of Woods’ writing and the casual power of his performances, Kenny Segal deserves praise for his consistently soulful, emotive and creative beats. From the darkest and moodiest soundscapes that sound ripped straight from film noir on “Bad Dreams Are Only Dreams” to the driving bass grooves of “Soundcheck,” his work on “Maps” is just another reason why he’s become one of my all-time favorite hip-hop producers.
Many other rappers could be easily overshadowed by the quality and variety of Segal’s immersive beats, but Woods stands out clearer than ever before, writing the best songs of a career that’s already produced some of the headiest and hardest contemporary rap you can find. While still providing plenty of the cryptic allusions and confrontational radicalism he’s known for (if someone ever asks you what Billy Woods is all about, play them the closing verse of “Babylon By Bus”), he opens up to his listeners with writing that feels personal, conversational, vivid and even endearing.
Compared to his previous albums, both solo and with Armand Hammer, Woods opens himself up to his audience and allows us to get to know him, not only his nihilistic observations and philosophies, but his passions, his casual thoughts and the things that make him just another guy on the street. His love of food and drink is one of the most common repeated themes of the whole record, from describing skate fried in brown butter and capers served with natural wine on opener “Kenwood Speakers” to walking us through his recipe for “brined, braised, then deep fried” pork belly served with herbs and pickled watermelon rinds at the end of the jazzy and frenetic “Blue Smoke.” Everytime I listen to “Maps,” my stomach grumbles and my mind wanders to the meals and cocktails I want to try (I still need to pick up a bottle of mezcal and make the modified Negroni he describes in the middle of “FaceTime”). Woods reminds me what an outlet cooking can be, which he draws into sharpest focus on the ode to druggy escapism “Houdini,” where he promises, “If the spot got a grill, you know I’m working the fire.”
And to go with the pleasures Woods uses to cope with the anxieties of his journey through life, he also lets us into the depths of that existential dread. Throughout “Maps,” Woods raps about death just as much as life, with lines like, “Maybe Suicidal Thoughts was the Everyday Struggle / For a brief, sweet, moment it was nothing in the thought bubble,” on “Soft Landing.” Mortality haunts Woods and at some points, even seems preferable to living in the broken world he calls home. Before the lengthy and endlessly quotable Danny Brown feature on “Year Zero,” Woods recommends that the youth kill off the old and start afresh, concluding that his generation is the poison that has led to society’s decay.
Even after reaching such apocalyptic lows, Woods still finds ways to keep going, and finds relief on the penultimate “NYC Tapwater,” reveling in the simple pleasure of coming back home, even though he can’t resist ending the song with yet another reality check: “Don’t get it twisted boy, the city wicked, it’ll crush you with its feet.” In the end, “Maps” is about learning to live in the moment and appreciate the little things along the way: a message that could easily be overwhelmingly corny if not handled by a lyricist as serious and eloquent as Woods. It’s no accident that the album closes with Woods wondering how much of his life he has left on “As The Crow Flies” and opens with him, before he launches into the first verse of “Kenwood Speakers,” offhandedly saying, “I’m leaving tomorrow, but I got time today.”
Woods and Segal’s collaborative masterwork is a brutally honest synthesis of all of life’s comedy, tragedy and everything in between. It explores how the places we’ve been and the people we’ve known inescapably shape us, finding a strange comfort in how every step of the journey, no matter how grim or how funny, fits on the same map.
You can follow John on Twitter (sigh, aka “X”) at @JohnMichaelBr15. Or given the total mess that platform is these days, follow here for more blog posts or on Instagram at @johnmichaelbricker.
