Favourite Albums of 2023 (so far)

And some revisits

Author

Enya Nolan
December 23, 2023

Originally posted October 4th 2023

Unlike last year, I’ve actually been listening to a lot of new music. The year started out really strong and has petered out a bit over summer but it’s given me time to really get to know a lot of these records. I can see myself listening to all these albums for years to come and wanted to share. The list probably wont change much before the year ends, the only album I’m waiting for is Taking Back Sunday’s 8th album, 152, but it’s an elderly emo album, I don’t think it’s going to be a top ten. I also wanted to make a list of albums not from this year that I finally got around to or have been revisiting. None of this is ranked, I might do at the end of the year but for now assume I love them all equally.

Youtube playlist of all songs mentioned here —> PLAYLIST

Special mentions:

Favourites of 2023:

I’m actually kind of surprised that this one is on the list. I’ve always really liked Paramore but never loved Paramore. I’ve always found the lyrics leave me wanting more, but not in a complimentary way. This is an issue I’ve had with the band since I was like 16, it’s not gonna change at this point. BUT. The second half of this album I adore (the first half is also good but the second half is peak), I think sonically it’s the most interesting Paramore album. They’ve never been much of a musical band to me if that makes sense, but in this record it feels like they wanted to experiment on a technical level rather than purely stylistic. Figure 8 is my favourite track off the album, followed closely by Liar (although Hayley Williams still can’t escape her own cynicism when writing love songs). It’s kind of cliché to say this is the most mature Paramore album, it’s easy to say comparing an album written by people in their 30s to albums they wrote when they were teens but I’m glad they aren’t stuck in 2007.

Favourite song: Figure 8

Best time to listen: when heading to work when you’re about to change your life. You are drinking a coffee and you realise everything is bullshit, do what you want.

It is funny describing this as Daughter’s “least downer album”. There is still a prevailing sadness to the lyrics but it doesn’t weigh you down like their previous albums. It used to be if someone said they were listening to Daughter you’d immediately ask “Are you okay?” but with this album it doesn’t seem necessary. There is a confidence that wasn’t there before and it makes it my favourite Daughter album so far. I think they were listening to a lot of U2 when making it, there’s just something that feels very 90s lite rock.

Favourite song: Party

Best time to listen: sat on the bus headed home after a party. You left earlier than intended but there’s a feeling in your gut. You run into a friend and fall asleep clear headed.

I was aware of Julie Bryne before this album but didn’t listen to her and I was recommended the single The Greater Wings on Spotify but didn’t think much of it. I don’t know what eventually led me to check back after the album had come out but I instantly fell in love. No skips! Perfect for the weird summer we’ve been having. It’s a great album to paint to as well and it’s been on heavy rotation for the past two months. The song Hope’s Return shook me to my core.

Favourite song: Hope’s Return

Best time to listen: roadtrip through the midwest. Endless fields and cloudless sky. Preferably in a pickup truck with dodgy shocks.

This might be my favourite album of the year. Not to be crass, but this is fucking music (a la Nine Inch Nails). You can be terribly depressed listening to this, getting laid, both, whatever. The vocals are so desperate, the instrumentals are all over the place with an intensity I haven’t encountered for a very long time. A comment I saw about this album is that it’s like “being haunted in a gay nightclub”. The song Sun In reminds me of the ending of Steve McQueen’s film Shame for some reason. Isolated cityscapes. Yearning. It’s a fantastic album and it’ll pump you up (and bring you way back down).

Favourite song: Crossing Guard

Best time to listen: Headed to a warehouse in Shadwell, pissed off. Boots not required but do help.

This is a weird one, because I feel like I shouldn’t like this album as much as I do. But something about it just works. It’s so earnest and makes me think a lot of the shit I worry about is useless and I need to sort myself out. It wants to be a cool kid so badly but will always be an outsider. It has a charm I can’t explain. It kind of points at you and around the room and goes “this is all a bit ridiculous, isn’t it?”.

Favourite song: Cartoon Clouds

Best time to listen: heartbroken on the sofa after a friend tells you to put on some pants and come hang in the park.

I was perusing Pitchfork reviews, something I don’t usually do, and saw the cover for this and liked it. Sometimes judging a book by the cover works and I quickly got a hold of the vinyl and have played it in my apartment weekly since its arrival. There’s something very smooth about it. Smooth like a polished crystal. Shiny?

Favourite song: Mercury

Best time to listen: on a hill, perhaps in the Bay Area, looking over dried grass and sprawling trees until it stops and you can see the ocean.

Favourites not from 2023:

Special mentions:

I had tried listening to this last year when it came out but I had only listened to American Teenager and was like “meh”. Turns out that is the outlier of a weird, gothic album (this album has had me explain to numerous people what American Gothic means). It’s creepy and I love music that is looming and dark and feels like it’s stalking you around the house. It gives me goosebumps and it’s such a vibe. Worth the hype!

Favourite song: August Underground

Best time to listen: late night with a single light source. Reading a book while half distracted. The window is open and a light breeze comes and goes.

I have loved this band since I was 11 years old, I remember anticipating this album, I camped out to see them front row at Bamboozle Left in 2009 (I’ve seen them live 3 times). And I remember this album being a let down. It came after their huge emo album Louder Now and after the departure of their (2nd) lead guitarist/co-singer. This is the only album to feature lead guitarist and co-singer Matt Fazzi, who brought a youthful energy and optimism, before they brought back original member John Nolan (there’s a whole Wikipedia page dedicated to just the band members of TBS I can’t tell you all the drama here). Anyways, for a long while I didn’t think this was a great album. But in the last couple months, I realised a lot of the songs I really love by TBS are from it (New Again, Swing, Catholic Knees, Everything Must Go), and so I’ve been relistening and finding this album is foundational for the shift in their music. Away from emo and more mature. Adam Lazzara started using his southern drawl to his advantage rather than try to hide it under typical emo vocal tendencies (nasally as hell). I’ve always said one of the reasons TBS has been my favourite band since I was 11 is because I felt like we’d grown up together and this album came out when I was just about to start high school, starting to go out into the world a bit more. I remember reading an interview with Adam Lazzara in the run up to this album talking about getting messages from people online saying that New Again better be like their first album and he was like “you wanna hear the same shit again?” and that really changed how I viewed bands and music as an impressionable 14 year old. Also I looked it up, Adam Lazzara is still hot.

Favourite song: New Again

Best time to listen: biking through the city, no destination, but you have to move. You’re frustrated because you did all the things you were supposed to and it’s still not enough.

I’ve been dabbling in ambient music this last year, I’ve always liked it but haven’t gone out of my way to find it until recently. This album, two 15+ min songs, has been perfect for writing. It lets your imagination run wild and I feel connected to the so called “muse” when listening to it. I’ve gotten more into Malone’s discography but this is the one I keep coming back to.

Favourite song: Living Torch II

Best time to listen: an industrial town while waiting for the bus. It is 20 minutes late and infrequent enough that you fear you’ve been stranded.

I don’t know where or when I came across the song Funny Thing She Said, it was on a youtube playlist I’d made a long time ago and I’m so glad I saved it. The whole album has a wonderful dreary, Jeff Buckley-esch feel to it. If Buckley wanted to be more like his daddy I suppose. This album has been great for the changing season, there’s such a lovely romance to it. Like coming home late kind of romance, where someone is asleep on the couch in soft, warm light.

Favourite song: Funny Thing She Said

Best time to listen: driving home, headlights on, forested road. The stars are no use here. On occasion a car passes by, blinding you for a brief moment. If you’re lucky, you are the passenger and you can let yourself feel how tired you are. Maybe you’ll stop at a drive through and sit in the parking lot in silence while you eat.

I hope some of these albums will make their way onto your roster and of course, if you have anything to recommend me, please send them my way.

Thank you for reading,

Enya xx