2onion23
top 25 loosely ranked lfg |
| 25 |  | Fall Out Boy
So Much (For) Stardust
Fall Out Boy!! So sorry to have forgotten about you! Not that I'm surprised given I jammed this for the first time like a month after it dropped due to my trust issues with this band following their godawful 2010s run, but this rules! I really like that it's "it's own thing" within the context of their catalogue rather than just a return to pop punk, as they sound very comfortable and confident here. The closing trio may be my top consecutive three song stretch in their catalogue (although Folie gang all the way on the whole), with "What a Time to Be Alive" in particular just straight up living in my head since I heard it (makes me surprised I forgot about this initially lol). Some clunkers here but definitely the album they needed to make on the whole
Favorite track: What a Time to Be Alive |
| 24 |  | There Will Be Fireworks
Summer Moon
Big year for records I didn't believe would ever exist! Sput's favorite Scots are back with an album that is still a surreal sight whenever I glance at any signs of it in fact being a real thing I can go listen to whenever I want. Truth be told, for a year in which I jammed the most U2 that I ever have, this album ironically sounds more like U2 than I'd like it to lol, but this band has always carried the earnestness that'd allow them to sell that slight shift pretty well. Some really nice highlights here and its timing as a November release only enhanced its coziness and comforting warmth
Favorite track: Smoke Machines (Summer Moon) |
| 23 |  | Strange Ranger
Pure Music
Sadly ended up being their swansong as this band called it quits recently but it was a hell of a final form for them to have taken. This band changed their shape quite a bit overtime and by the end they morphed into this absolutely gorgeous blend of shoegaze, indie rock, and electronics that tbh sounds exactly like the album cover lol. Some of my favorite songs of the year come from this record, and they're some of, if not this band's best material. Only major major gripe is that unfortunately the double tracking in the closer is egregiously out of tune (particularly unfortunate now in the context of it being their last album track ever), but you can't win them all
Favorite track: Blue Shade |
| 22 |  | blink-182
One More Time...
Obligatory "I grew up on this band this album was made for me" comment. blink was a foundational cornerstone to my musical and personal journey and are probably a top 10 most listened to band in my whole life, so I've been waiting for this shit for like 10 years and sans the dogshit production (and "Fell in Love" lmao) it lived up to my childhood hopes and dreams. They just sound so happy to be doing it again, and that makes me happy!
Favorite track: Turpentine |
| 21 |  | August Burns Red
Death Below
Almost didn't jam this until seeing how good the reception was due to how hard this band had been coasting + the godawful AI album artwork, but this is sick! They are back and reinvigorated and fully in line with the 2023 trend of "good artists start phoning it in, formerly good but now bad artists start being good again!" with what honestly might be a top 3 ABR release for me? JB and Matt particularly realllly bring it here and further prove why they're among the best at their respective fields in the genre. Maybe one too many a guest feature, but most of those are still really good too (shoutout the homie JT in particular)
Favorite track: The Cleansing |
| 20 |  | The Gaslight Anthem
History Books
Another album I never thought would exist from past high school favorite of mine that has dogshit production and good songs! Tbh I'm a bigger fan of Fallon's solo work + Horrible Crowes than I am The Gaslight Anthem, so this felt like another album that catered specifically to what I was looking for lol. It feels sort of like a celebration of Brian's lifelong body of work than specifically *just* Gaslight Anthem, and I could see how that might bother some folks but it's straight up my favorite album of theirs as a result
Favorite track: Michigan, 1975 |
| 19 |  | Avenged Sevenfold
Life Is But a Dream...
Very singular album in the sense that not a single other one of my favorite bands from middle school went through an ego death and shaman visit inspired style change. Fortunately this record dropped in the era of my life where I like psychedelics, so I kinda feel like this album and I speak the same languag-which is absolutely the most pretentious way I could have written that fuck uh I tried lmao
I hated this at first though like completely fucking despised it lol. My first maybe 6-7 listens with this all went down really bad, and then suddenly it flipped and I got it and religiously jammed it for a month. Life really is but a dream. Anyways if somehow you have an ability to go see any of this shit live fucking doooo it. Absolutely transcendent experience that made this wild ride of an album even better
Favorite track: Cosmic |
| 18 |  | Wilco
Cousin
Sans a sole jam of YHF back in like 2017, 2023 was my first real year of doing any serious Wilco'ing, and I got a big new favorite band out of that, at what ended up being exactly the right time because this right here is *my* typa Wilco album. I don't think this band's ever put out a bad record, but I'd be lying if I acted like their stuff post Whole Love until this one did all th a a a t much for me. So when this dropped and ended up being one of their most lush and gorgeously layered records to date, I was stoked and thrilled. This is probably a top 5 Wilco which is no small feat! The production on this album is immaculate and among the best I've heard all year, and it gives Tweedy and co. so much room to add so much cool shit to these songs. The bookends here are particularly magical
Favorite track: Infinite Surprise |
| 17 |  | Polaris
Fatalism
Polaris got 2023's memo! The singles worried me for this so I was kind of blindsided by how good everything else was, particularly in the back half. "The Crossfire" onward strikes a perfect blend of all of their LP hallmarks while setting their sights for the proggier ambitions of the early EPs, and it results in one of the most remarkable runs this band has ever written. And while the first half is generally not *as* impressive, it still boasts "Parasites" which may be the single most propulsive straight ripper this band's ever made (granted there's not much other competition lmao but more songs like this please it is really good!!). Meant a lot seeing this album do so well for them given the horrible circumstances they've been through recently. Massive RIP to Ryan : ( Made this a really bittersweet listen knowing this was the last thing he ever recorded
Favorite track: The Crossfire |
| 16 |  | The Veils
...And Out of the Void Came Love
Have mixed feelings retrospectively about starting my Veils journey with this record. On one hand, it's so very clearly not as good as Total Depravity/Nux that it has only kinda looked less good the more I've explored around their other stuff. But on the other, I feel like I can kinda look at it as its own thing reasonably since I first experienced it detached from that wider context. Would probably be higher if the mid stretch didn't falter a bit but it picks back up pretty strongly towards the end
Favorite track: Someday My Love Will Come |
| 15 |  | Purelink
Signs
Was my first time jamming an album in this style of techno/ambient and I got a lot out of it. The subtle parametric shifting throughout and lack of real """destination""" placed me in a particular space of "relaxed and vibing but also not super comfortable and a little tense" that pulled me in more rather than had this just been one or the other I think. Gonna have to dig for more stuff like this in the future
Favorite track: Stadium Drive |
| 14 |  | Svalbard
The Weight of the Mask
The last album was kinda in one ear out the other for me when it dropped but I can happily say that A. this is great and B. so was the last album it's okay to be wrong. Their whole discography is really stunning and this further highlights them as one of the most consistent bands of their ilk. Hell, this might be my favorite thing they've ever done. Thought the lead work on here was really fantastic and helped further emphasize the balance between aggression and prettiness that is so central to this band's appeal
Favorite track: How to Swim Down |
| 13 |  | Paul Simon
Seven Psalms
Was tempted to disqualify this sheerly because he released this whole album as one giant 33 minute track on streaming lmao what the fuck Paul
Thank god the music is good! Lyricism is maybe a little too Jesus-y for me personally but also a very profound and human representation of where Simon currently is as he muses on his own mortality (which explains and mitigates the damage inflicted by all the references to the Lord). I can very much tell this was an album he felt like he *needed* to make, and if it ends up being his last it'll be a hell of a statement to leave off on. Shoutout Paul somehow delivering some of the best guitar work on the whole list dude flows with such a liquidity and gracefulness here it's like I'm staring at the rippling in a lake where a stone was just tossed
Favorite track: The Sacred Harp |
| 12 |  | Hail the Sun
Divine Inner Tension
The post Swancore age at least still sees this band kickin ass! Probably their tightest and punchiest songwriting on an LP, this thing is hooks galore and it props those up with a tasty display of driving, propellant drums and riffage, while also gracefully shining when it occasionally dips into quieter pockets. In a timeline where DGD are monstrous pieces of shit and Circa Survive aren't around, it's very nice having this record check off both boxes, deployed in their own glorious style
Favorite track: The Story Writes Itself |
| 11 |  | Young Lions
Make a Rainbow and Put It in the Sky
Zach man I am so STOKED to see you back!! Dude's got one of the finest voices out there and this record highlights his whole range as a singer, with tons of energetic bangers that gel perfectly with his gritty roar (lmao) and really stunning slower moments. Love you Xak brother pls don't take as long with the next one!!
Favorite track: Found Me |
| 10 |  | Young Fathers
Heavy Heavy
I have never heard an Animal Collective song once in my life but I fuckin l o v e d this lmao it is exhilarating it is fun it is vibrant you can tell they are all having a goddamn blast throughout all of these cacophonous bangers it just fuckin rules
Favorite track: Drum |
| 9 |  | Ling Tosite Sigure
last aurorally
Got a lot more into this band this year and this album helped a lot with that. While I wouldn't say this rivals the absurd peaks they reached with just A moment/Inspo, it and i'mperfect check off really similar boxes for me as far as "more accessible" Ling goes that made this just a really fun ass digestible jam that succeeds in still being an overwhelming display of this band's character and talent
Favorite track: mestubo craft |
| 8 |  | Hinako Omori
stillness, softness...
Had I actually jammed it when it dropped in October, it would have been a rare refreshing jam from that month with actually good production lmao. This has some of the best prod I heard all year. Feel like this strikes a very even balance between its soundscapes and the more vocal driven passages, which is nice because it prevents either from distracting from the other. Rather, both work excellently alongside each other to contribute to the immaculate vibes
Favorite track: foundation |
| 7 |  | Blur
The Ballad of Darren
A little surprised how little buzz this got? How the fuck did y'all let new Gorillaz get double the amount of votes as this lmao. Anyways, I got r e a l l y into Blur over the summer right around the moment this dropped and spent so much time immersing myself in the gorgeous vibes and textures presented here. Outside of glorious ripper St. Charles Square, this is all chilling out in a more subdued mellow territory that gels magnificently with Damon's current voice and Graham's playing style. The bonus tracks are also essentials shit damn "The Rabbi" might just be the best from the sessions
Favorite track: Barbaric (but totally The Rabbi if bonuses count) |
| 6 |  | TesseracT
War of Being
As much as I love Dan's other projects, I've never really given a shit about this band until now lol. Always thought they were too monochromatic for their own good and their technicality far overcompensated for their lack of writing skills. That all changed here! This album is fucking n u t s and far and away their best for me. They all sound so much hungrier and more energized here, and finally sound like they play in a heavy band. The little pockets of aggression and intensity go a long way for them, and all the softer textural sections flow more naturally in and out of them than they ever have on their own. And Dan straight up delivers the best vocal performance I've ever heard out of him here. Dude has expanded his range to include both Michael Jackson high notes (with also his best set of melodies in this band) and newfound beefy lows, he is the integral final piece that results in one of the most shockingly good albums I've heard all year
Favorite track: Legion |
| 5 |  | Yeule
softscars
Absolutely kicking myself for only jamming this for the first time yesterday what the fuck 2023 bubs??? You would have loved this!!!
Fortunately 2024 me does love this!!! I've only had a day with this glorious album and it's the only thing I want to listen to for the foreseeable future lol
Favorite track: Ghosts |
| 4 |  | Peter Gabriel
i/o
This was a really difficult album to wrap my head around, in usual Peter fashion, but has been deeply deeply rewarding to get to know fully. All three mixes of the record offer so much in their different perspectives on these songs, and highlight the level of intricacy Peter is still putting into his beats and production. His voice hasn't aged a day and he delivers one of the most remarkable performances I've heard out of someone in his age group on this album. The songwriting is also top notch, as he strikes a really strong balance of the pop songwriting of his late 80s/early 90s material and the experimentation of Up, resulting an album that feels very singular in his discography that's still good enough to stand up as a part of it. Incredible incredible return (even tho idk if it's even top 5 Peter Gabriel lol dude became my favorite solo artist of all time this year he is just unbelievably good)
Favorite track: Olive Tree |
| 3 |  | The Amity Affliction
Not Without My Ghosts
The highest of 2023's major surprise return to forms (except not really if you've been paying attention and caught their banger 2021 EP), this record made it feel like anything was possible. I got into Amity in 2018 when they were putting out music that was pissing off their fanbase, so to see they've now climbed back up to where they were with their old stuff on one of their hungriest albums, and arguably their heaviest album, did not even feel real. This record is air tight and wastes no time hitting you over the head with the aggression, pushed over the top by a breathtaking performance of Joel's, but even Ahren brings his best set of hooks in years to the table here. Of everyone who came back strong this year that reallllllly needed to, this put this biggest smile on my face
Favorite track: When It Rains It Pours |
| 2 |  | Empty Country
Empty Country II
Relative newcomer to Joe's music since I only got around to this project/Cymbals Eat Guitars a week before this dropped, but holy goddamn has it become an integral part of my jamming. It's such an ambitious and fuckin sprawlingly brilliant album that is filled to the brim with details so every time I listen to this I uncover more and more I love about it. Every aspect of his writing and performance kills it here, from his presently unrivaled lyrics to the dynamic and satisfying vocal passages he effortlessly glides through with his ridiculous vocal range. The arrangements of these tracks are also outstanding, and flow so seamlessly between all the different ideas and textures they try and explore. Can't really think of anything about this record I don't love lol it's so goddamn brilliant
Favorite track: Bootsie |
| 1 |  | Invent Animate
Heavener
Had a pretty significant year as a music fan in 2023 just in the sense that my own taste and priorities and values shifted a lot and became a lot more inclusive to stuff it would have shut out years ago. Definitely felt like I grew more into it as a whole more and have found much more fulfillment in broadening my horizons than I used to. That is not what this album is lmao its a comfort band coming back and giving me a healthy plate of what I know I love, except this time around the dynamics are the most exaggerated they have ever been. The band headfirst pushed both sides of their sound to simultaneously their prettiest and heaviest material. And I feel like for the standards of this type of core, esp where it's been recently, this does accomplish that juxtaposition in a way that actually excites my sense of expectation. That's a rare feeling for me now within its style so it meant a lot to feel that again from my beloved progcore homies
Favorite track: False Meridian |
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