Favourite Albums 2023
Just my favourite albums from this year - some records I've ranked, everything else is bunged together in honourable mentions. An easy list to pull together after a really hard year. |
| 1 |  | Craven Faults
Standers
5.0 / 5.0
Separating from a partner you still care about deeply is extraordinarily painful - this album (and their 'Lowfold Works' EP trilogy) has gotten me through more tough situations than I care to mention. |
| 2 |  | Billy Woods and Kenny Segal
Maps
4.9 / 5.0
Practically flawless - an album to go on an adventure with, I could spend hours and hours with Billy. The fact he's outrapped is especially hilarious as Danny Brown's verse on 'Year Zero' is the best of the year. |
| 3 |  | Mitski
The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
4.6 / 5.0 (tie)
Top sad lesbian music of the year (sorry, boygenius). Mitski back to her best, even though I actually loved 'Laurel Hell'. |
| 4 |  | The Armed
Perfect Saviors
4.6 / 5.0 (tie)
The culmination of everything they set out to achieve with their last 3 albums - the pop/hardcore balance is flipped, but chaos still bubbles menacingly below the shiny surface. Brilliant. |
| 5 |  | Jeff Rosenstock
HELLMODE
4.4 / 5.0
As with everything Rosenstock, this took a few spins but is now firmly top 3 - 'Future is Dumb' is one of his best and the end of '3 Summers' is pure catharsis in the way only he can manage. I love this record. |
| 6 |  | Phoxjaw
notverynicecream
4.3 / 5.0
Surprise of the year. Wasn't expecting to like this at all based on the advance singles, but what an improvement on 'Royal Swan'...and that album was great! Heavier, sadder, still weird. |
| 7 |  | Baroness
Stone
4.2 / 5.0
Their best since 'Blue Record'. Sharpened their wandering song writing and injected the heaviest moments since 'Red Album ' (the riffs in 'Under the Wheel' could power wind turbines). Nice to hear them bellow again. |
| 8 |  | Boygenius
the record
4.1 / 5.0
Not quite as good as their debut EP, but when these bois are ON they're ON. Seeing them live was a highlight of the year, and 'Not Strong Enough' is rightly earning its place on multiple SOTY lists. |
| 9 |  | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of...
4.0 / 5.0 (tie)
Initially thought it was a masterpiece (it's not), but this is the most fun I've had with an album all year. Love the creepy spoken word vinyl track which explains the (super dumb) story. Some all-time headbangers on this one. |
| 10 |  | Green Lung
This Heathen Land
4.0 / 5.0 (tie)
I thought this band were on diminishing returns - the fact I can't stop listening to this, even though its fairly meat-and-potatoes Sabbath worship, is testament to the performances and song-writing. Surprisingly great. |
| 11 |  | Armand Hammer
We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
3.9 / 5.0
This one loses a few points as I think the back-half is stronger than the front, it's not 'Maps' and it's not 'Paraffin'. Still, any time spent with the Hammer is good time. |
| 12 |  | Sufjan Stevens
Javelin
3.7 / 5.0
I find this difficult to listen to, but the few times I've spun it I've realised a) it's no 'Carrie & Lowell' and b) it's still Sufjan, so it's great. I'm sure I'll dig it more next year. |
| 13 |  | Bully
Lucky For You
3.6 / 5.0
Love me some power-pop, and this is super (slightly derivative) fun. I'll listen to 'How Will I Know' and 'Miss America' for years to come. |
| 14 |  | Empire State Bastard
Rivers Of Heresy
3.5 / 5.0 (tie)
My review says basically everything I want to say. Only thing to add is they slay live. |
| 15 |  | Closure in Moscow
Soft Hell
3.5 / 5.0 (tie)
This one really snuck in. Don't dig as much as 'Pink Lemonade' but they've really nailed their prog-pop-funk sound to a sharp edge. Should grow on me. |
| 16 |  | NOFX
So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes
Honourable Mentions:
Callous Daoboys / Young Fathers / Pigs x7 / Ethel Cain / Paramore / Olivia Rodrigo / Kvelertak / Mutoid Man / KEN Mode / Aphex Twin / Fire! Orchestra / Bell Witch / Mandy, Indiana / Full of Hell + Nothing / Militarie Gun / Spiritual Cramp / Steven Wilson / The Hives / QotSA |
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