My Sixteen Favorite Songs of 2023

As a music writer/blogger/fan, it’s just part of the gig that at the end of the year, we wrap up our favorites in lists. Some stick to it every single December while others, like myself, compose a list if inspiration strikes or if the quality is there to make a list.

I’ll be honest, 2023 is probably the year I’ve spent the least with new music in a long time. But not because I wasn’t listening; more so, I was rediscovering a ton of old favorites. Lately, for instance, I’ve been on a huge 90s and early 2000s country kick. The stone-cold classics like Alan Jackson, Montgomery Gentry, Randy Travis, and Reba. And this past fall, we saw The Wild Feathers play an acoustic ten year anniversary set of their debut album in entirety. So, accordingly, I spent a ton of time spinning the Feathers’ entire discography and remembering why they’re one of the best bands in the business. And really good dudes. Most importantly, I finally saw Bruce Springsteen live back in the spring. In New Jersey. On the last show of the first leg of the tour. A homecoming show for the Boss. The show exceeded all expectations, and I spent much of the spring playing all the Bruce classics and deep cuts.

But, of course, there was a bit of time to listen to some of the new music. What follows are my sixteen favorite songs of 2023. There were plenty of options to choose from Charles Wesley Godwin’s Family Ties and Son Volt’s Day of the Doug, in particular, and I found it difficult not to just make a list of the top ten of those two records alone.

I liked how I spent my time with music in 2023. I didn’t feel any pressure to listen to what I didn’t necessarily want to. As writers, we sometimes can fall into the trap of groupthink that we *need* to give the big record a spin. But I’ve always been proud of the fact that I tend to listen to what I want to above all else. That’s the best part of being a music fan. Spinning what fits the mood on any given day. Enjoy the New Year.

16.) “10–38”
Charles Wesley Godwin
Family Ties

I wanted to hate this song. I really did. I’m not a big fan of response songs, so to speak, especially when they involve a Springsteen song off one of the records that has influenced my musical journey the most. But it was executed gorgeously. Charles Wesley Godwin wrote this song from the perspective of the officer in Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper,” off Nebraska. Not only did Charles Wesley Godwin write something that fit lyrically within the Nebraska landscape, he successfully captured the spookiness and eerie feeling of “State Trooper.” The only thing missing were the howls Bruce screamed toward the end.

15.) “Werewolves of London (Live)”
Shooter Jennings and the Werewolves of Los Angeles
Shooter Jennings and the Werewolves of Los Angeles Do Zevon

There are a couple cover songs on this list, and here’s the first. I was tempted to go with “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” but it was a bit too clean for inclusion here. I went with Shooter covering “Werewolves of London” because it’s super loose. You can tell he’s having a blast covering it, and he adds his own flourishes and changes of tempo here and there that make it just slightly different from the original. A lot of fun.

14.) “The Medicine Will”
Brad Paisley
Son of the Mountains: The First Four Tracks

I’m all in on Brad Paisley doing whatever the hell he wants at this point in his career in whichever manner he chooses. “The Medicine Will” is a poignant, at times painful, look at the opioid epidemic that’s afflicted Appalachia for years now. I’m reminded of B.J. Barham’s line in “Brightleaf + Burley,” when he sings, “but a solution to a problem don’t pay that problem’s bills,” in reference to Big Pharma. Brad has always done things his way, even at the height of his career. At times it’s worked; other times it hasn’t. But he’s stayed true to himself, and with songs like “Same Here” and “The Medicine Will,” I’m excited for his next act.

13.) “In a Daze”
Miles Miller
Solid Gold

I’ve known who Miles Miller, Sturgill Simpson’s drummer, is for some time. Super talented. Able to play with any of Sturgill’s eclectic tastes. I was unaware, however, of how damn good a voice he had until my buddy Phil kept raving about it and sending snippets of his songs my way in the lead up to his release of a debut solo record. Phil’s recommendation not only met expectations, it exceeded them. “In a Daze,” ironically enough, sits a little outside of how the rest of the James Taylor-esque record sounds, but I couldn’t resist including it here. “In a Daze” reminds me of prime Charlie Daniels Band. Funky. Desperate. Unique.

12.) “The Greys Between”
Shane Smith & the Saints
Norther

Released as a single off the upcoming album Norther set for March 1, 2024, “The Greys Between” feels fresh while remaining true to the spirit of Shane Smith & the Saints. Shane’s vocal, as always, stands out. And the writing is some the band’s strongest yet with a tender look at the trials, tribulations, and beautiful moments a marriage gives a couple.

11.) “The Jealous Kind (Live From The Church)”
Charles Wesley Godwin
Live From The Church

Recorded at The Church Studio in Pittsburgh, the number eleven song on this list checks in as the second cover I’ve included here. Originally recorded by the Texas Country icon Chris Knight, Charles Wesley Godwin lends his version a bit more urgency and drama as the narrator races his way home to a woman who has clearly grown tired of waiting.

10.) “Spirit”
Drake White
The Bridge-EP

Drake White has been through it, man. One of the most charismatic performers in country music, he was diagnosed with a brain condition in 2019 that left him paralyzed and required the removal of a mass. Typical to his persona, Drake White fought, recovered, and shared his story to inspire others. “Spirit” is a spectacular return to form for the Alabama native with lines about being “saved in the Rockies and baptized in the Pontchartrain.” Welcome back, Drake.

9.) “The Guitar Slinger”
Kip Moore
Damn Love

I wrote something over the summer about “The Guitar Slinger” and how it fits into Kip Moore’s story as an artist. It’s one of the darkest songs Kip’s put out there, and it finds him playing the part of the dedicated touring artist with “nothing left but the shell of me.” He’s tried to give it up, “but the music always makes me stay.” “The Guitar Slinger” is a country rock epic, reminiscent of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page.”

8.) “Another Night in Knoxville”
Kip Moore
Damn Love

If “The Guitar Slinger” is Kip Moore at his darkest and heaviest, “Another Night in Knoxville” is a throwback to Kip at his breeziest. The song kicks off with a familiar sonic combo of bass, acoustic, and drum that’s reminiscent of a track from Wild Ones. It’s easy to compare “Another Night in Knoxville” and “The Guitar Slinger.” While the latter speaks to Kip’s travels, the former finds Kip playing the corner cafe gig night after night hoping this woman might stroll in again for a precious few moments.

7.) “My Sanity”
Miles Miller
Solid Gold

Miles Miller makes a second appearance on the list here with “My Sanity,” a gorgeously-sounding heartbreaker of a man reaching the end of his tether with how the world has been going. The somber piano and acoustic guitar combined with the opening lines of, “Come back to me, my sanity/I need you more than I need to breathe” lets the listener know immediately what kind of ride is being embarked upon. “The only thing that makes me sing/Are the tears that this ‘ol world brings,” Miles tells us. It’s a haunting journey.

6.) “Bench Seat”
Chase Rice
I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell

I spent some time earlier this year discussing how Chase Rice blew me away with I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell. An artist I once considered everything wrong with country music ended up finally being true to himself without regard to label success and released one of my favorite records of the year.

“Bench Seat” is the standout track. We find out at the end that the song is actually from the dog’s perspective. The production is tasteful with a hint of nostalgia that makes it seem almost dreamy in a way. “Bench Seat” slots nicely into that early 2000s kind of country. A beautiful song.

5.) “Chipping Mill”
Turnpike Troubadours
A Cat in the Rain

The first entry from Turnpike Troubadours magnificent return with A Cat in the Rain. I could’ve easily selected a few more from the record, but “Chipping Mill” is what really made me feel like our boys from Oklahoma were truly back before the whole record was released. “Chipping Mill,” despite being written by bassist R.C. Edwards and fellow Oklahoman Lance Roark, feels tailor-made for Evan Felker after everything he, his family, and the band went through. The fiddle line is Kyle Nix at his best, and, come on, how can you not scream the line, “We were howling at a ghost without a name” at the top of your lungs?

4.) “Paul Revere”
Noah Kahan
Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)

“Paul Revere” is what made me fully realize everything Noah Kahan could offer as an artist. The Vermont native released an expanded edition of his breakthrough record Stick Season this summer and has seemingly come out of nowhere to appear on SNL, schedule arenas, pavilions, and Fenway Park for shows in 2024, and count Post Malone, Gracie Abrams, and Kacey Musgraves as collaborators. I’m all-in on his career.

“Paul Revere,” however, is the standout for me. Another one of those songs I wrote about over the summer, it’s a poignant vignette of life for the narrator in a small New England town. He wants to get out but feels trapped. He can’t quite put his finger on what’s holding him back or if he really wants to leave. It’s modern folk with country storytelling. “Paul Revere” is similar in scope to Steve Earle’s “Someday” with eyes set firmly beyond what the narrator’s town can offer. The difference comes when offered a chance to go. Will he or won’t he?

3.) “Two Weeks Gone”
Charles Wesley Godwin
Family Ties

Speaking of Steve Earle, Charles Wesley Godwin kicks off “Two Weeks Gone” with a little homage to Steve’s classic “Harlan Man” by counting off the band “one, two, you know what to do.” “Two Weeks Gone” defines all that can be fun about the genre. A rollicking barn-burner of a song. Four on the floor country music.

I was fortunate enough to see this song played live back in February before the record was released this fall, and I was counting down the days to a recorded version as soon as it finished up on stage. It’s a unique blend of 90s country with modern sensibilities. And as always, Charles’ backing band The Allegheny High sound as in form as ever.

2.) “Yesterday Got in the Way”
Son Volt
Day of the Doug

Another record from which I could’ve easily picked another two or three songs to include here. Just doesn’t get much better than Son Volt. Jay Farrar is an alternative country legend for a reason, and here we find him covering a whole record of Doug Sahm deep cuts. As I’ve said before, Doug Sahm is one of those magical artists you can casually bring up to see if someone *really* knows his or her country music history. A progressive country music icon, Doug Sahm mixed Tex Mex, blues, and psychedelic rock to become one of pioneers of alt-country.

On Day of the Doug, Son Volt are breezy, light, and clearly having a blast taking a crack at some of lesser-known Doug Sahm tracks. “Yesterday Got in the Way” is Son Volt at its best. The guitar is crunchy, Farrar’s vocals sound as good as they ever have, and the musical textures from the production are brilliant. And the organ adds that Sahm-inspired touch. Son Volt are still, after all these years, the North Star for alt-country.

1.) “The Rut”
Turnpike Troubadours
A Cat in the Rain

“The Rut” is vintage Turnpike Troubadours. Not only my favorite song of 2023, but I suspect, a song that will end up being one of my favorites of the decade. Much as “The Bird Hunters” was for the 2010s. It’s a short story in a song. It’s just what Evan Felker does best. Felker took everything he went through over the past few years while Turnpike was on hiatus and poured it into this song.

We’re given perhaps the most textured Turnpike song we’ve heard. Kyle Nix’s fiddle adds perfect subtlety behind a steady drumbeat. Both slide and steel guitar complement each other wonderfully. It’s a band still at the top of its game.

“Oh, friend, I’m gonna ride out of the rut I’m in,” Felker tells us, comparing whatever he’s been going through to a elk’s behavior during the rutting season, essentially always on the move. Evan’s had enough of that lifestyle he lived for almost a decade on the road.

Much like the narrator of “The Bird Hunters,” the narrator of “The Rut” is coming to grips with something. A change in his life. A chance to maybe start again. Instead of taking a shot at an elk on a whim, Felker sings of a “tomorrow full of promise/I just lived there in the moment.” Something optimistic- in both the hunt and his life.

“The Rut” is Hemingway-esque in a way. We’re left with just enough to see the story unfolding before us but not necessarily enough to be handed the entire story. We have to work for what Evan Felker is singing to us and the meaning behind it. And that’s when Turnpike Troubadours are at their best.

And there we have it. As I said, 2023 was one of my favorite years for music since perhaps the COVID pandemic. The new music hit at exactly the right time, and it’s been a blast rediscovering some of my old favorites while greeting new stuff at the same time. Happy New Year! Here’s to 2024.