It’s been an interesting year, hasn’t it?
Spy balloons, wildfires, bank failures, and genocide. And while COVID-19 took a cigarette break, people bloodthirsty for war and famine revealed that our human disease needs more than a mask and a shot. Within the realm of pop culture, ugliness reared its head. It suddenly became cool to hate Marvel, legacy sequels wore out their welcome, and not even Indiana Jones could secure a bonafide hit. Only Super Mario, Taylor Swift, Barbie, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and a hick lamenting Fudge Rounds could bring home the bacon.
But what about the music? Where does cultural indecisiveness leave the Top 23 Albums of 2023?
Well, the music was good! Much like last year’s list, I had a difficult time finding an underlying theme behind the music that had an impact on me. Fortunately, I had a lot to listen to and even more to consider for my top 23 albums of 2023 list. Thanks to Adam, Kendon, and Jon, their respective recommendations kept me pretty busy. No thanks to a knee injury, surgery, and bed rest, I had the extra time this year to sit and narrow down the herd.
These are my Top 23 Albums of 2023.
23. Hotline TNT – Cartwheel
Somewhere between Teenage Fan Club and Ride sits Hotline TNT. Cartwheel has all of the fuzz and warping guitar from my favorite shoegaze records but with lyrics of vulnerability and longing. Is Emogaze a thing? Works for me!
22. The Hives – The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
I can’t believe it’s been 11 years since the last album from The Hives. I’ll admit they sort of lost some energy on that one, but with The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, they’re making up for lost time! Few bands command a stage like The Hives, and this record delivers swagger-enhanced garage at its finest!
21. Danny Brown/JPEGMAFIA – Scaring These Hoes
It’s about time two of hip-hop’s most fascinating artists team up for a collaboration record. Scaring These Hoes is an experimental journey that’s closer to Throbbing Gristle than anything remotely popular on the charts. The beats are ugly, the samples distorted, and underneath the static and noise, the lyrics are surprisingly deep. Both Brown and Peggy dunk on politics, the state of modern hip-hop, and maybe a little of themselves. If you like it weird, these dudes got you covered.
20. Fear – For Right and Order
I’m not getting into a gatekeeper’s debate about what is and isn’t punk, but man, I’ve missed Fear so much. With their first record of new material in over 20 years, Lee Ving and the gang haven’t lost a shred of edge. For Right and Order sounds like it would be a political discussion. But Fear has always been more about raising eyebrows than awareness. It’s greasy, belligerent, and reminds me why it’s so much fun to clench my fists, raise my voice, and wreck the room.
19. Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
Many artists have tried to resurrect disco for the modern age, but none of them bring it like Jessie Ware! That! Feels Good! is so intense, it’s almost liberating! Turn off the lights, turn on the neon, and throw on some comfortable shoes. What – Did you think there wouldn’t be dancing on the Top 23 Albums of 2023?
18. Oozing Wound – We Cater To Cowards
A staple of my hometown’s DIY scene, Oozing Wound is Chicago’s ugliest don’t-call-us-metal act. For their 5th record, the gang has grown up a little. The chaos of screeching guitars and machine gun drums is still on full display, but things have gotten a little darker. Swapping out some thrash with grunge, Oozing Would find the perfect balance between breaking glass and using it as a weapon. If that doesn’t make sense to you, you’ve probably never experienced the greatness of what I call Empty Bottle bands.
17. Black Belt Eagle Scout – The Land, The Water, The Sky
For years, the masses have insisted guitar rock lacks nuance. I dare those people to listen to Black Belt Eagle Scout and make such claims again. With larger-than-life guitar melodies and crunchy distortion, Katherine Paul conveys a record full of heartbreak, heartache, and perseverance. I feel it and I believe it.
16. DieHumane – The Grotesque
As a huge fan of Exodus, I was beyond stoked to hear the legendary Rick Hunolt in a new band. But instead of being yet another thrash and metal act, DieHumane goes beyond any genre. Combining elements of jazz, industrial, and doom, The Grotesque is Dark Side Of The Moon’s evil cousin. This isn’t a collection of singles but a progressive album meant to be consumed in a single sitting. Beautiful and sinister, it’s easily one of the most compelling records of the year.
15. Kali Uchis – Red Moon In Venus
With Red Moon In Venus, Kali Uchis takes her brand of ethereal R&B into cosmic territories with lush soundscapes and driving rhythms. Lyrically, Uchis explores every single feeling even remotely adjacent to love. The good, the bad, the hurt, and the healing. As much as I hate to use the word as a description, this record is a vibe in every possible sense.
14. Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II
I’m not sure if there’s any artist in rock who has the industry’s eyes on them like Wolfgang Van Halen. As the son of Eddie Van Halen, it feels like he is supposed to spark a revolution like his dad’s band. But instead of buying into that hype, Wolfgang is making his own path. On his sophomore album, his brand of power-pop-meets-arena-rock has become even more fine-tuned. While most of the guitars are mammoth (for the lack of a better word), the sugary harmonies and slick production make II the tightest rock record of the year.
13. Marcus Machado – Blue Diamonds
As soul and R&B continue to grow in, out, and around the current state of hip-hop, guitar virtuoso Marcus Machado takes those genres in a slightly psychedelic direction. Blue Diamonds is a melting pot of blues, rock, funk, and soul from a supremely talented artist. Definitely one to keep an eye out for. Check out my full review here.
12. Pat & The Pissers – America’s Dream/Soil
Hardcore punk is alive and well, and for some wild reason, it’s been living in Indiana! America’s Dream/Soil is ugly, disheveled, and filled to the brim with the kind of energy that punches you in the neck! Check out my full review here.
11. Djunah – Femina Furens
The music of Djunah is hard to describe. It sits somewhere between metal and post-punk with just a tad of progressive rock. But no matter how you might label it, Femina Furens is one of the most poetically satisfying albums of the year. For a closer look check out Donna Diane’s episode of Crushed Monocle Podcast!
10. Prong – State Of Emergency
From Ministry and Tapeworm to being Glenn Danzig’s full-time guitarist, Tommy Victor is a living legend in the metal world. But none of his guest spots or side-gigs come close to his band Prong. State Of Emergency is a plethora of pent-up aggression, chugs, pinched harmonics, and topical lyrics of pain, alienation, and the pitfalls of misinformation. Victor is clearly at the top of his game, and as always, Prong knows the score.
9. Haunt – Golden Arm
When I was little, I was always drawn to the music old people insisted was devil worship. Of course, I wasn’t old enough to appreciate the musicianship, but I thought the leather jackets, high-top sneakers, and squealing guitars were so cool. By the time I grew up and had my own personal taste in hard rock, that vibe was all but gone. Thankfully, Trevor William Church arrived to resurrect that scene. Golden Arm transforms 2023 into 1988 by turning your favorite streaming service into the tapedeck of a hot rod Trans Am. Metal can be fun you guys. Haunt gets it.
8. Killer Mike – Michael
With Michael, Killer Mike doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The album has all the stylings and production of most mainstream hip-hop records. But where he excels is his transparency. While hip-hop has often the struggle of trying to live in society’s hell hole, Michael is more introspective than anything. Killer Mike once again proves he is the real deal, and this record is church.
7. Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium
Over the past 15 years, Pennsylvania’s Horrendous has evolved from the scene’s most brutal death metal band to the leaders of progressive metal. Ontological Mysterium sees the band revisiting some of the Death-inspired riffs through the lens of evolution. Oddly enough, it’s easily their most accessible album. Having a record that pleases the diehards and the rest of the class is a big win for this brand of metal. Ontological Mysterium might be the most technical album on my top 23 albums of 2023, but it’s almost the most tasteful.
6. Bully – Lucky For You
Life is hard, but we can make it. That seems to be the theme of Lucky For You. Of course, I think that sentiment is something we can all get behind these days, but man, does it hit with this album! Chronicling the highs and lows of living while delivering hook after hook isn’t an easy task. Especially when you’re trying to sell it to the listener. But Alicia Bognanno makes it effortless. Each time I listen to this album, I immediately have to plug in my guitar and play along. To me, that’s the ultimate indicator of a good album.
5. Summer Walker – Clear 2: Soft Life
Relationships can be hellscapes, but as tough as I think things can be, I’m fully aware it’s even harder for women. But instead of indulging in vengeful grievances or punching down, Summer Walker chose to come out on the other side. Clear 2 is a collection of songs chronicling the healing process. With features by J Cole, Solange, and Childish Gambino, Clear 2 is a victory lap as Summer Walker claims the crown of the new queen of soul on my top 23 albums of 2023.
4. Taking Back Sunday – 152
Being a young adult during the third-wave emo craze of the 2000s, I always admired how Taking Back Sunday was adamant about not being a scene band. On each record, they progressed as a band and expanded their sonic fingerprint. With 152, the band has stopped running from who they were and accepted who they are. While there’s no crying about messy break-ups to be found on 152, the raw, heartfelt emotion is still there. Taking Back Sunday and their audience has been through a lot over the years. But you know what? We’re gonna be okay.
3. Youth Lagoon – Heaven Is A Junkyard
After retiring from the Youth Lagoon moniker in 2016, Trevor Powers returns with a vulnerable experimental album that goes in places I didn’t fully expect. From industrial and trip-hop to subtle hints of country, Powers has never been more interesting. Even at its most sparse, Heaven Is A Junkyard is a lush listen, thanks to layered production and gut-wrenching emotion.
2. Alanna Royale – Trouble Is
With Motown-esque production and soulful prowess, Alanna Royale crafted an album celebrating resilience and the trajectory of self-discovery. Paying homage to ’60s-era R&B could be a recipe for corniness (the less said about Meghan Trainor, the better), but Trouble Is doesn’t use blind nostalgia as a set piece. Instead, Royale bares her soul with a collection of songs made by someone who has lived through what the classics sang about.
1. John Davis – My Hope Is Found In a God Who Can Raise Up The Dead
John Davis has been around the block or two. While most people know him as the frontman of ’90s buzz bin favorites Superdrag and the Beatle-flavored shoegaze of The Lees Of Memory, a select few know him as something else. Behind the fuzzy guitars and snotty vocals, Davis is also a peace-loving, love-teaching songwriter who crafts songs straight from the heart to analog tape.
Technically his third solo gospel record (behind his 2005 self-titled debut and 2008’s Arigato), My Hope leans further into the genre. Make no mistake: This isn’t a record about making America great or bro-country xenophobia. Instead, a record full of Brian Wilson-meets-Alex Chilton love songs and R&B-tinged floor-stompers about the human condition. Sonically, it ranges from delicate piano keys to the outer reaches of heaven and beyond. Needless to say, it stands firmly at number one on my top 23 albums of 2023. For a closer look at the album, check out the episode of Crushed Monocle Podcast.
