Favorite albums of 2023

Another year, another great batch of mostly under-the-radar releases! Thirty (a record!) albums made the list this year:


THE TOMS

Sunday Nite Fever

Fantastic, cut-above power pop along the lines of the Cars and XTC, and yet this is original and fresh.




THUMPASAURUS

Hard

Quirky, funny, and FUNKY as hell.




THOSE PRETTY WRONGS (featuring Jody Stephens, drummer for Big Star)

Holiday Camp

If you've been missing the short-lived but amazing Big Star for almost 50 years...well this is pretty great. Very Big Star-ish. Jody sings with an earnest, bit warbly but lovable voice. The songs are peppy (hey Jody's the drummer after all), but the lyrics can run pretty deep, like this one about a guy who puts up with a lot of crap so he won't be lonely (not so sure that's a winning strategy).




TEENAGE FANCLUB

Nothing Lasts Forever

One thing I love about these guys is that they totally embrace their age and don't waste time on rockstar poses or phony pumped up anthems. Instead, they stay true to their melodic muse, layer vocal harmonies over rhythmically strummed chords, and create beautiful tunes like this:




STEPHEN WILSON

The Harmony Codex

Mr. Wilson continues his growth as a solo artist, trying on subtle new styles while keeping one foot firmly in prog ground: Blips and beeps, ethereal sounscapes, challenging polyrhyms. This is haunting and beautiful:




SPARKS

The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte

Sparks are absolutely unique. That they've kept this up for over 50 years now is just incredible. And they don't show any sings of slowing down. This video is so funny you'll want to cry:




SEMISONIC

Little Bit Of Sun

Heaven-sent power pop! I didn't see this coming...it's been 22 years since their last amazing album, All About Chemistry. A hearty welcome back, Dan Wilson! This is perfect music that will add sunshine no matter what the weather:




ROBERT FORSTER (of the Go-Betweens)

The Candle And The Flame

Robert's lyrics are just on another level. A true poet:




THE POLYPHONIC SPREE

Salvage Enterprise

Ten years after their last full album (Yes, It's True), Tim DeLaughter and gang are back with a toned down, more stately, but very beautiful and inspirational album from start to finish. If you need some spiritual encouragement, sit with this for a while:




PETER GABRIEL

I/O (Bright-Side Mix)

Interesting ploy: They released two mixes: a Dark-Side Mix, which to my ears indeed feels muted, and my preferred Bright-Side Mix. Or as @AncientAudiophone commented, "This bright mix puts the text in front and the dark mix puts the melody and feelings in front. Both are brilliant." Even on my car stereo, this is three-dimensonal sound with fine aural details. Some of these songs are classic PG: Funky cool. And some, Gabriel gets quiet, deep and wise, as on "So Much."

The body stiffens, tires and aches
In its wrinkled, blotchy skin
With each decade, more camouflage
For the wild-eyed child within
Now close your eyes for a moment
Look down and look above
All the warmth inside of you
Comes from those you love





OSEES (formerly Thee Oh Sees)

Intercepted Message

Dark weird cool funky new wave keyboard rock! Yeah!!




ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (OMD)

Bauhaus Staircase

I can't believe these guys are saying this will be their last album! They're totally on their game, with buckets of hooks and that classic OMD sound. And this is one of the most beautiful songs in their catalog:




NOVELTY ISLAND

Wallsend Weekend Television

Basically a solo project by Tom McConnell, a Liverpudlian who wears his hometown's Beatles influences proudly, along with a big helping of ELO. I love this sunny pop:




THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

Continue As A Guest

A darker-shaded, pensive album, and yet A.C. Newman can do no wrong. These songs grow on you and leave a strong impression. The addition of a saxaphone on several tracks adds a new dimension and emotional weight:




MUDHONEY

Plastic Eternity

One of the (or just THE) original grunge bands trudges on in convincing fashion! Whether Mark Arm is singing about his little doggie, or something cosmically heavy, it's great:




METALLICA

72 Seasons

Well damn, this album is way better than I'd hoped for. Kicks ass! Although they could sue themselves for plagiarism for this first track, lifting from "Master of Puppets," I don't mind, because this is what we've wanted all along since the 80's right?!?




MADNESS

Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C'est La Vie

This unexpected release by the 80's ska masters is very welcome! And a concept album no less!




IGGY POP

Every Loser

Seventy-five years is NOTHING to this motherfucker! For a guy who hinted that he might just retire and fade off into the sunset a while back, well this album is the EXACT OPPOSITE:




THE HIVES

The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons

Those wacky Swedish neo-punks sure know how to bring the energy! Yeeeeaaah




GAZ COOMBES (of Supergrass)

Turn The Car Around

I will always miss Supergrass, who put out a string of amazing albums from 1995 to the mid-2000's, but Gaz, the primary songwriter and singer of that band soldiers on as a solo artist. This is as good as anything he's done yet:




FLYYING COLOURS

You Never Know

Another very good neo-shoegaze band, this one from Australia. For those rainy, dark winter days, staying home and reading a book about existentialism. Those churning ringing guitars will keep you warm.




DAS KOOLIES (Super Furry Animals minus Gruff Rhys)

DK.01

Das Koolies is four-fifths of the Super Furry Animals, minus lead singer Gruff Rhys. Gruff has a good and interesting singing voice and personality, so it was a big loss, but SFA-1 soldiers on as DK.01. Hooray! Love the boops, blips, synth washes, crazy rhythms and beats.




THE CORAL

Sea Of Mirrors

Twelve albums in 21 years, these winsome folksy (and slightly psychedelic) rockers haven't lost their knack for catchy melodies and hooks. I put them on when I need to relax or take a nice stroll through a park trail with headphones on.




BLUR

The Ballad Of Darren

It's been eight years since their last album (which had some great moments), which was another 12 years after Think Tank (which felt like a band running out of gas). But The Ballad of Darren is great. The band sounds revitalized and spunky. I guess momentum is overrated?




BLONDE REDHEAD

Sit Down For Dinner

This music is spellbinding if you give it your attention. Kazu Makino's voice has deepened slightly with age, which gives her an even more expressive range. I had to wait nine years for this new album, but it was worth the patience.




ANTON BARBEAU

Morgenmusik/Nachtschlager

Anton continues his career on Bandcamp with consistently good artistic results. Sure he's an acquired taste, but I love his psychedelic subtly humorous music.




ASH

Race The Night

Ash can still bash you over the head with power rockers (see below), but they can also toss off a Bic lighter-worthy duet ballad, too.




THE BACKLASH

Rise

This is VERY good shoegaze (with a hint of Oasis but I won't hold that against them), slow building but with fast tempos, and a driving wash of reverb and echoed guitars creating an enveloping drone. They're from Italy, which is unexpected, because I would've bet they were English; London or Manchester. Picture yourself in a dimly lit rock club, dancing, lost a sweaty haze to this:.




BEN FOLDS

What Matters Most

Best Ben Folds album in a long while, maybe even my second favorite (after Rockin' The Suburbs) since he went solo. This video is clever and fun, and vintage super-catchy Folds.
Favorite lyrics:
Don't know what came over me,
As I awkwardly dropped my room key.
I said I think that's yours...
and three hours later I was bangin' this verse out.




BLINKER THE STAR

Animal Math

My other favorite Bandcamp-based artist (who needs label distribution?), Jordon Zadorozny continues on his singular aural path as Blinker The Star. Songs are dreamy, catchy, and flow in and out of major/minor keys creating a nonstop sense of unease to accompany your dancing under twinkle lights.




HONORABLE MENTION:

THE ROLLING STONES

Hackney Diamonds

Very good and enjoyable. I may even play it several times eventually. Rock on, guys! I won't be angry.

Brunettes, Blondes and Redheads

There’s a new generation of “hair bands” that I really like, but they’re not the kind your aunt rocked out to in the late 80’s. These come in a variety of colors for your listening pleasure:

The Brunettes, consisting Heather Mansfield and Jonathan Bree from New Zealand, play a lovely low-key but full-sounding and intelligent indie pop. Think Belle & Sebastian but fewer literary references, and slightly less twee (not that there’s anything wrong with twee, if done right). At times, they have a real Imperial Teen vibe, which is great.

Their latest album, 2007’s Structure And Cosmetics, has all kinds of orchestral accents: trumpet, melodica, etc, including my favorite non-standard-rock instrument, the mellotron. It all slipped by my ears the first time, but on second listen with lyric sheet in hand, I caught on to quite a bit of cleverness in the music and wordplay. Looking forward to their new album, Paper Dolls, due out February 2nd of next year.

In the meantime, check out the cute video they’ve released ahead of it:



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Sheffield, England’s Long Blondes played a more aggressive indie pop/rock, somewhat in the style of Elastica but to my ears less derivative and just as much fun. There's a catchiness akin to Tragic Kingdom era No Doubt but with an English flair. Their 2007 album, Someone To Drive You Home was pure pop brilliance. They had a bit of a sophomore slump in 2008 with Couples, where they went for emotional and musical “growth” but just ended up sounding tired. The Long Blondes announced they were disbanding after guitarist Dorian Cox suffered a stroke, but hopefully they will stage a comeback at some point, or at least we'll hear more from Kate Jackson (the singer, not the Angel), who has a great voice for this kind of music.



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Then there's Blonde Redhead, who's most recent album, 2007's 23 is pure captivating shoegaze with real power and mystery to it. Great for late night driving. This is the closest thing to Lush I've heard in a long time. Especially notable is Simone Pace's percussion on "Dr. Strangeluv." Listen for the cowbell starting at 1:38. Pure magic!

Here's a video from the album's title track. Crank it up and be carried away. Looking forward to hearing what they do next.



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The Brunettes’ MySpace page
Long Blondes website
Blonde Redhead website

By the way, speaking of brunette singers, has anybody seen Justine Frischmann lately? Apparently she’s moved from the UK after her split with Blur’s Damon Albarn and is living in the Bay Area now.