Hello there! You have arrived at the close of another calendar year. You made it. I’m proud of you. 2023 has been quite curious on several levels. The musical highs of this year outnumber those of 2022, but I also think last year had a better overall batting average. As in, compared to last year, it was harder for me to pick my Top 23 albums of 2023 from my Top 50 and 100 lists, but it is was easier to create those larger lists from amongst the available candidates.
What does that mean to you, dear reader? Not much.
You aren’t here to gaze upon my equivocations and meanderings about my critical processes. You want the list. The goods. The albums. All that matters to you is the actual data. You need fodder for your online arguments. Sadly for you, I’ve once again arranged my faves in alphabetical order by first name, complete with some pictures, comments, and links to keep things interesting.
Let’s face it. Lots of you aren’t here to read why I love these albums so much.
You merely want to compare my taste against yours. That approach makes sense for those music fans who are almost as obsessive as music writers. However, most music fans don’t spend their free time scouring websites, message boards, and charts for the latest and greatest artists. They know what they like and listen to that most of the time.
The point of making an end-of-year list is to share music with others.
It’s about bonding over art, not competing with people to determine who has the best taste in that art. I enjoy talking about music that interests me and connecting with other people who love music. It’s ultimately why I love writing about music, and it’s why I go to great lengths to make an end-of-year list that’s worth a damn.
Welcome to my Top 23 Albums of 2023. Enjoy the music, everyone!
Agriculture – Agriculture
My favorite metal album of the year. Hands down. This California quintet delivers blistering black metal with furious guitar licks, tremendous blast beats, and orchestral flair.
Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
My favorite rap album of the year. Hands down. The powerhouse duo of billy woods and Elucid rap about everyday inner city life using a deft combination of dark humor, religious trauma, and magnificent beats.
Big|Brave – nature morte
Bold, brooding, and bravura. Is it metal? Maybe it’s hard rock? Could it be noise rock? Whatever you call it, the band rules, and I hope they keep experimenting with the outer limits of what rock music can and should be.
billy woods / Kenny Segal – Maps
Another transcendent project by billy woods, surpassed only by his own work in Armand Hammer. Teaming up with Kenny Segal’s grimy yet taut production, these songs ooze a bleak sentimentality for a world that’s never existed (but maybe should have).
Chief Adjuah – Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning
This combination of jazz, funk, West African tribal rhythms, and indigenous American motifs absolutely captivated me. After a sterling career blazing new trails on trumpet, Adjuah attacked this album with a variety of experimental horn and percussion instruments he developed himself.
Fever Ray – Radical Romantics
Karin Dreijer fuses breathtaking industrial beats and melancholy synth-pop to jaw-dropping ends. Yet, it’s the utterly heart-wrenching lyrics on display that make this the most intimate album of their career.
Read my review of Radical Romantics.
Forest Swords – Bolted
This album of postmodern electronic compositions centers around strong melodic ideas even as swirling synths foment a discombobulated listening experience. While this project could be the soundtrack for a trippy indie RPG video games, I’m glad that Matthew Barnes prefers to be a musical trailblazer.
Gel – Only Constant
My favorite punk album of the year. Hands down. In a mere 16 minutes, this riotous group absolutely smacks you in the face with their hardcore intensity and youthful vigor. The best part? You beg them for more.
Read my review of Only Constant in the March 2023 edition of Indie Inspection.
Hotline TNT – Cartwheel
My favorite shoegaze album of the year. Hands down. Wholesale ‘90s sonic nostalgia that delivers the goods without being saccharine or toying with the audience. The guitar feedback wallops you over the head only for you to get drawn back in by the immaculate hooks.
Read my review of Cartwheel in the November 2023 edition of Indie Inspection.
Iggy Pop – Every Loser
Further proof that artists can explore fresh ideas and engage in reinvention while staying true to their artistic integrity. The punk godfather somehow sounds both somber and pissed-off as he rails against the current sociopolitical climate of our world.
Irreversible Entanglements – Protect Your Light
Powerful, ambitious music – complete with rich aesthetics and socially conscious lyrics from a brilliant band. Then again, what else do you expect from the genius mind of Moor Mother? It’s ‘60s jazz, ‘70s soul, and ‘90s hip-hop on a rocket ship into outer space.
Jacob Aranda – War Planes
It’s the kind of introspective yet wide-scale country music more people should make. It’s the stuff I wish my Dad listened to these days. Aranda conjures up deeply resonant tales of heartache that call to mind a fascinating bricolage of Red Headed Stranger and Blood Meridian.
Read my review of War Planes in the September 2023 edition of Indie Inspection.
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
Deliriously horny from start to finish, this new-school disco album delivers sumptuous arrangements and impeccable grooves. Ware ramps up the energy from 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure? by doubling down on the hedonism while also focusing the overall direction of the songs.
Jessy Lanza – Love Hallucination
Picture-perfect postmodern-pop, right down to the lovely vocals, bubbling synths, and dreamy vibes. Lanza has a remarkable capacity for penning plaintive tunes that would dominated pop radio in an alternate dimension.
Jlin – Perspective
Introspective and thoughtful music overflowing with gloom. In just four tracks, this talented producer provides resolute beats and spectral minor-key melodies that electro dorks and goth nerds will both love.
JPEGMafia / Danny Brown – Scaring the Hoes
Maximalist hip-hop for the ages. These two towering lyricists and MCs join forces to make fun of capitalism and all its trapping: politicians, businessmen, social media, and music culture. The brash production might seem alienating until you realize that’s the point – it can be hard to hear the truth when you’re distracted by the noise.
Kelela – Raven
Sultry, smooth, and sophisticated R&B. Kelela crafts tunes swimming with elegance and passion, but she’s actually more interested in subverting what people think they know about slow jams and sensuous moods.
Loraine James – Gentle Confrontation
My favorite album of the year. Electronic music that’s equally emo. James displays a powerful penchant for blending syncopated snares, thumping bass, and disorienting synth patches. Yet it’s her vulnerable lyrics that truly send her over the top on this musical tour de force.
Read my review of Gentle Confrontation.
Mandy, Indiana – i’ve seen a way
Bristling soundscapes packed with equal parts imagination and fury. It’s equal parts industrial, post-punk, and art school pop without being obnoxious or sneering. The group feels like the manifestation of outright rage yet somehow distilled through their dual passions for mystery and mischievousness.
Read my review of i’ve seen a way in the May 2023 edition of Indie Inspection.
Ratboys – The Window
My favorite rock album of the year. I recommended this group more than any other in 2023 because I wanted people to hear just how good they are. They tour relentlessly, their songs are teeming with hooks and wry lyrics, and they manage to be serious musicians who don’t take themselves seriously. When you can pull off both raucous three-minute country-punk tunes and impressive eight-minute art-rock epics on the same album, you deserve all the accolades.
The Serfs – Half Eaten By Dogs
Inventive post-punk made by cranky intellectuals. This Cincinnati trio is truly the next incarnation of Devo. The music ping-pongs between electro-clash, no wave, and art rock without missing a beat, yet it’s performed with a mesmerizing intensity that I found enthralling. Moreover, I’m sure it’s even better live.
Read my review of Half Eaten By Dogs in the October 2023 edition of Indie Inspection.
Sufjan Stevens – Javelin
Why yes – I have cried every single time I listened to this album in 2023. Why do you ask? I really don’t know how Stevens can consistently write music with such heart-stopping angst. However, he’s not mining his own trauma for song material. He’s truly one of the best songwriters of the 21st century, and that’s before you factor in his abilities to devise electro-folk soundscapes that rival film scores.
Yves Tumor – Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
A breathtaking fusion of Prince, Sade, and D’Angelo that absolutely overflows with passion and heartbreak. I’m in awe of how they merge pristine rock with electric R&B and soulful electro while also showcasing remarkable emotional vulnerability. It’s stark, smart, and stunning music.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my top 23 albums of 2023!
Here’s to a wonderful year of music, and I hope 2024 is even better! And because I’m extra nice, here are the OTHER albums that made by Top 50 list for 2023.
Algiers – Shook
Anna Hillburg – Tired Girls
ANOHNI – My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross
The Armed – Perfect Saviors
Bully – Lucky for You
Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loveliest Time
Carter Sampson – GOLD
Debby Friday – GOOD LUCK
Duane Betts – Wild & Precious Life
Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist – Voir Dire
El Michels Affair & Black Thought – Glorious Game
Everything But the Girl – Fuse
Genesis Owusu – STRUGGLER
India Sky – Somewhere Over the Mystic Moon
JD Clayton – Long Way From Home
M83 – Fantasy
Margo Price – Strays
Marlody – I’m Not Sure At All
Meg Baird – Furling
Model/Actriz – Dogsbody
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – City of Gold
Sampha – Lahai
Slowdive – Everything Is Alive
Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit
Wednesday – Rat Saw God
White Reaper – Asking for a Ride
Zulu – A New Tomorrow