*Playlist: Best Albums of 2023 (Apple);
*Playlist: Best Albums of 2023 - B Sides (Apple)
But first, allow me to temper your excitement with an exposition on the ground rules for how I rate the albums.
I pay particular attention to the quality & cohesiveness of the overall album--it's not enough to just put out a great track or two. While I don't punish my perennials (e.g., Radiohead iterations, Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire) I do give bonus points to new voices that strike me with something unique and fresh. But the new voices do face an uphill battle, as it's hard for them to overtake the established veterans who consistently just make high quality music.
Another point is that I'm now in my 40's so my musical tastes are probably evolving a bit. I place more value on artists that can hit me with that complex though still rewarding / user-friendly sound. And I've been placing more weight on artists that have a poetic bent to their work. I pay more attention these days to the lyrics and the ability of the album to transport me to a mood.
Regarding my methodology, I start with an iTunes playlist of the albums I picked up on my own throughout the calendar year in question. Then I scope out some 'best albums of the year' playlists from various curators (e.g., Pitchfork, Variety, Sound Opinions podcast, Bob Boilen, and various Reddit forums, like one that created a meta best-of list by scraping the internet for all critics' reviews and coming up with a top 50). From there I spend many hours (especially during long roadtrips) sifting through the albums that have depth to them.
One random observation: I've noticed that so much of the good new music is female. Where have all the rude boys gone?
Best Albums
1. Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
- I had never heard of her before. She's been around since 2012 or so. She was born in Japan but is an American. I started exploring this album and I noticed that track after track was just really solid. And I'm drawn in by her voice. Her song, "My Love Is Mine All Mine", is amazing. Bonus points for some nice music videos to accompany the album as well. I think I'll be listening to this album for a long time. It has staying power.
- Solid album to add to their incredible catalog. This album feels appropriate for this phase of their career. It's like Sigur Ros in their 40's. Nothing as edgy or experimental as what we've seen from their past projects. But this is good stuff. Every time I come back to it I find that it's stronger than I had remembered.
- This was a late addition to my playlist. It's very traditional Irish. Feels like poetry. Beautiful sounds and enchanting melodies.
4. Ratboys - The Window
- Some of their sound skews a little youthful / angry, but for the most part I really dig the edginess.
5. Gorillaz - Cracker Island
- Their formula still works. Love the album. Some great collaborations
6. Morgan Wallen - One Thing At A Time
- Some great country music. A few too many songs on the album, but there are several that are really fun. His lyrics make me chuckle a lot. And even when you know what the chorus line is gonna be, he still knows how to hit you with it hard.
7. M83 - Fantasy
- Not nearly as good as some of their other albums, but it brings the energy.
8. boygenius - the record
- A fun new supergroup of some female solo artists. A couple of their songs really rock, but they don't sustain it for the whole record.
Other Good Albums
- Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting (2 good songs)
- Joanna Sternberg - I've Got Me (Amazing title track)
- Youth Lagoon - Heaven Is a Junkyard
- Palehound - Eye on the Bat
- Wednesday - Rat Saw God
- Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
- Slowdive - everything is alive
- Jess Williamson - Time Ain't Accidental
- Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good! (Kind of reminds me of Janelle Monae, but the album gets boring)
- Blue Lake - Sun Arcs
- Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
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