The 30 Best Albums (and EP’s) of 2023
This year saw many new artists break onto the scene with incredible debut’s, pop icons putting out work that continually pushes the expectations for the quality of a mainstream record, and many established artists changing their sounds and experimenting with new ideas. I made a challenge for myself to listen to over 365 album this year that I’ve never heard before, and around half of those came out in 2023. What follows is what I believe are the best of the bunch; the one’s which push sonic boundaries; the one’s which show us the very best of what a style of genre can be; the one’s which are emotionally captivating; and the one’s which just scratch a certain part of my brain.
This is of course entirely my own opinion, and I tend to have a bias towards rock, jazz, and pop, as well as an effort to include local Australian artists. I am judging these albums on their songwriting quality, interesting song structures, quality of performance, emotional expression and relatability, cohesiveness and consistency of quality, and of course whether they are enjoyable to listen to and would happily play over-and-over again. I am not including compilations, remasters, or re-recordings. As much as I love Taylor Swift, you will not find the remakings of Speak Now or 1989 on here. I will however be including live albums, as I believe studio versions and live versions of songs are distinct entities which can differ not only in quality, but also structure and composition.
Lastly, there may be some bigger releases that I have left off here — Mitski’s ‘The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We’ and Lana Del Rey’s ‘Did You Know…” are just some examples. This does not mean I dislike those albums, I just have no yet given them the attention they deserves to give a fair ranking. Now then, these are the 30 best albums (and EP’s) of 2023.
30. Yves Tumor — Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
neo-psychedlia / art-rock
Sean Lee Bowie’s 5th album is a glammed out rockstar on display. With hard hitting bombastic choruses and a diverse range of vocal performances, there is a lot of fun to be found on this record. While it contains an array of eclectic imagery from the lyrics, the songwriting can wear a bit thin at times, but it is more then accounted for with the electric energy bleeding from within.
29. Ethan P. Flynn — Abandon All Hope
alternative-rock / singer-songwriter
Ethan Flynn’s debut album calls back to the sounds of folk-rock you could expect to hear on a Beck record. While not very sonically diverse, the touching and melancholic lyricism and performance are able to capture the feeling of a lost and hopeless person wondering through the world. A record of solitude, this album manages to somehow be charming and deeply saddening at the same time.
28. En Attendant Ana — Principia
indie-rock
The parisian quintet’s new album is a tight 35 minutes of high quality indie rock. While nothing bold or novel, this record captures the expected indie-rock sounds, but embellishes them with additional woodwinds, brass, and the occasional synth. This in addition to the shy and subdued vocal performance allows for an approachable, easily replayable album.
27. star/time — like an owl exploding
jazz-fusion / experimental
The sophomore album from the Melbourne 7 piece improvisational collective is an upbeat ode to the eclectic jazz-fusion and funk period of the 70’s. At five tracks and just over forty minutes, this manages to craft a short and sweet collection of songs which you cannot help but move along to. There is an ever present undertone of punk across this project, which seeps through on tracks like ‘Cockroach Bikini’. The only issue I have with this is that the percussion can seem very repetitive at times. Aside from that, this is a very strong showing
26. Sir Chloe — I Am the Dog
indie-rock
Probably the best indie-rock album of the year! Sir Chloe’s ‘I Am the Dog’ manages to deliver a punchy and catchy rock record that is drenched with a 90’s attitude and sound. Wth a perfect mix of tongue-in-cheek and vulnerable lyrics, it’s hard to not like this! While not doing anything new, it is certainly excelling at what it’s trying to do.
25. dust — et cetera, etc
post-punk
An infectious and bold record from Newcastle, Australia shows the world that the post-punk revival scene is not just for the Brits! At a tight 22 minutes, the five tracks (excluding intro/intermission/outro tracks) display a firery attitude in both music and performance! The band manages to balance a fine line between the saxophone drenched art-punk of recent years (such as Black Midi, Squid etc) and the traditional post-punk icons such as Joy Division. Impressive guitar work and an infectious attitude go a long way! I am looking forward to what the future brings for this band.
24. WITCH — Zango
psychedelic rock
Zambian rock band WITCH are back! A fantastic mix of fuzzed-out rock-funk and psychedelic that you can’t help but smile and bop your head to. Not much to say, just go listen to it!
23. Jim Jones All Stars — Ain’t No Peril
rock / soul
The main reason this album is here is purely because of it’s incredible energy and performance. The debut album by Jim Jones All Stars is a versatile and vibrant, raw and raucous, groovy and greasy, cool and characterful, dirty and dangerous, exciting and epic collection of 12 songs. There is so much character in the instrumentals of these songs, with drums that sound like you’re in the room with them, roaring saxophones, and fuzzed out guitars, all tied together with a gritty and passionate voice. While the lyricism is very hit-and-miss, the catchy melodies and explosive moments on this are pure gold!
22. R.M.F.C.— Club Hits
garage-rock / psychedlic-rock / egg-punk
As egg-punk continues to dominate the art-inclined side of underground punk, it has expanded and solidified as a (relatively-speaking) popular style, that is usually found with the tainting of a goofy and lacklustre attempt. Sydney’s R.M.F.C., however, take a different tact, as their entire existence seems to be predicated on the magic of the guitar and the transcendent riffs they’ve created. At just under thirty minutes, this feels like a singular, flowing song that is reminiscent of the works of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. As stated, the guitars are really the star of this record, and boy do they shine! This in addition to the undertones of 80’s new-wave and post-punk combine for an easy-going, danceable, and mesmerising rock record.
21. Lil Yachty — Let’s Start Here
psychedelic rock
Who was expecting this? Possibly the greatest rap-to-rock switchover of all time! Lil Yachty moves towards psychedelia on this immersive and impressive record. While (in my opinion) the album runs a bit too long, the shining synthesisers, tasteful bass, and excellent blend psychedlic rock and funk make this a very strong project. The additional spoken word tracks create much needed breathing room in between the walls of sound crafted throughout. I am looking forward to what Yachty does next.
20. Ball Park Music — Live at the Horden Pavillion, Sydney 2022
indie-rock / australian-indie
Possibly the best band on the Australian indie-scene! Having been around for over a decade now, Brisbane’s loveliest band still manages to capture the very best of what the indie-rock genre has to offer. This live album is mostly composed of their three latest albums, with the additional older cuts sprinkles throughout! If there’s one Ball Park has always done well, it is interesting song-structures and catchy choruses. The summery feel-good cuts of ‘Stars in My Eyes’, ‘Sunscreen’. and ‘It’s Nice to Be Alive’ are possibly the quintessential Australian-indie songs. The experimental and alternative rock cuts of ‘The End Times’ and ‘Head Like a Sieve’ make it impossible to not tap your foot along. This recording truely displays how good of a live act these rockers are! The energy and attitude in their vocals, backed by playful synthesisers and pounding drums come together for an infectious collection that would make any concert-goer happy.
19. McKinley Dixon — Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?
jazz-rap
McKinley Dixon’s newest album is a deeply personal and intimate collection that can be colloquially described as “experimental jazz rap.’’ Inspired by Toni Morrison’s place in the African American oral tradition, Dixon evokes her novels in his observations of the Black experience going through changes and struggles. This album is a prestigious body of work meant to be consumed in totality. It’s jazz-filled with conscious rap and soul, giving you plenty to investigate and break down.
18. Maurice Louca & Elephantine — Moonshine
jazz-fusion
Multi-instrumentalist Maurice Louca and his nine-person collective Elephantine come together to craft a compact 35 minute jazz-fusion and free-jazz record that manages to strike a perfect balance between the overbearing and shattering energies of so many avant-garde jazz records, and restful and reflective ambient sounds. With circling horn arrangements and a tapestry of North African melodies and rhythms, Moonshine is a vibrant, fun, and expertly put together jazz project.
17. Irreversible Entanglements — Protect Your Light
avant-garde jazz
An incredible example of controlled chaos. Cymbals crash, saxophones scream, horns swirl, and basslines walk confidently before tumbling down the stairs on this confrontational record. Unapologetically exploring topics of systemic racism, gentrification, and the struggle to preserve community in light of colonialism, while also emphasising the love and hope that she says, vocalist Camae Ayewa manages to keep attention throughout. Her poetic words paired with the chaos of the avant-garde instrumental evoke a need to stay focused and hopeful throughot the chaotic times we find ourselves. Both impressive, energetic and moving, Protect Your Light is a must hear.
16. boygenius — the record
indie-rock / indie-folk
This has been quite the year for the supergroup boygenius. Composed of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker, the record is an emotional meditation on love, anxiety, and womanhood. While the indie-rock and folk instrumentals are nothing new, they do manage to blend a harmonic alliance of soft vulnerability on tracks like ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ and energetic explorations of self-image on ‘Not Strong Enough’. While I do think this album is not as water-tight as their debut EP, there is a lot of great lyricism and performances to be found here which will make you sit in silence and sob quietly, tear up in the car screaming, and gently sway along to.
15. Human Resources *UK* — Malperfect
post-punk / art-punk
Very memorable guitar and saxophone riffs, with a great balance between softer spoken word jazz moments, and more energetic rock-heavy climaxes. There’s nothing really groundbreaking or novel on here, but for what they’re doing, they’re very good at it! The vocal performance has a nice attitude and delivery that isn’t whiney or annoying like so many modern post-punk bands. I only wish therewas a touch more energy in these tracks, or if the heavier moments doubled down and went even harder. If you like bands like Squid, give this a listen.
14. Maruja — Knocknarea
post-punk / jazz-punk
Yet again another four-song art-punk/post-punk EP from the UK. The debut EP by UK band Maruja showcases that there is still so much greatness to be found in the seemingly post-punk-saturated reality of the current music scene. There is so much persoanlity and passion which is communicated through these instrumentals. The fuzzed-out guitars, ripping saxophones, cinematic climaxes, and jazz-influenced drums come together for some of the best art-punk of recent times. There is very little to complain about here, if I had to, I’d say the vocal performance can come across as a touch overdramatic at times. This is however, a small issue on an otherwise incredible collection of songs. I am excited for what coms next for them.
13. EABS & Jaubi — In Search of a Better Tomorrow
jazz-fusion
The collaborative jazz-fusion record by Polish jazz band EABS and Pakistanis instrumental quartet Jaubi is filled with irresistible grooves all throughout! With higher-energy tracks like ‘Judgement Day’ moving to more somber moments like ‘Tomorrow’ this is a diverse and undeniably colourful project. This is a beautiful blend of the expected jazz-fusion and avant-garde sounds, but with undertones of afrobeat and hiphop. Initially, the album gives off an aura of mystery and anticipation which piques the interest of the curious listener, however, as it progresses, the musicality of the songs in the album takes it up a notch, ever so gradually. It reaches its epic conclusion with ‘Sun’, which is a testament to the power of music to unite the different cultural sounds explored across this project.
12. Corinne Bailey Rae — Black Rainbows
art-pop / art-rock / jazz-fusion / psychedelic-soul.
The gutsy and confrontational fourth album by the English singer-songwriter is a chameleon of sorts. Switching from indie-pop and power-pop sounds of the first track ‘A Spell, A Prayer’ to the garage-rock and riot grrl attitude of ‘Erasure’ and ‘New York Transit Queen’ and to the somber jazzy and soul inspired cuts of ‘Black Rainbows’ and ‘Peach Velvet Sky’, Bailey Rae highlights just how diverse she is. Most of the songs found here were inspired by artifacts Bailey Rae saw at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, which holds a huge repository of African and African-diaspora materials. For Bailey Rae, the collection summoned thoughts about slavery, spirituality, beauty, survival, hope and freedom. This album certainly feels like an exercise of freedom in the best way, exploring everything across the emotional and genre spectrum.
11. Floodlights — Painting of My Time
art-rock / indie-rock / post-punk
The melbourne based group’s second album is a great collection of straight-forward rock tunes with punk influence. The tracklist is filled with post-punk style bass and vocal performances, rolling guitars, and the much welcomed occasional harmonica and trumpet which brighten up the space and add so much colour and character into each track. The vocal performance reminds me of early talking heads and even joy division at parts. The lyrics are straightforward, honest and are delivered with both passion and anxiety. This is a very melodic rock-record, with tracks such as ‘Lessons Learnt’ and ‘On the Television’ never failing to get stuck in my head. There is no new ground being broken here, but there is a collection if high quality rock tracks.
10. Olivia Rodrigo — Guts
pop-rock / singer-songwriter
Olivia Rodrigo once again continues to bring such much needed colour, atittude and grit back to mainstream pop. Her sophomore release Guts is a witty, funny, and catchy record that mostly centres on young-adult relationship struggles. The lyricism is mostly filled with cliche metaphors that fail to impress, however, this is far outweighed by Olivia’s humour. Continuing on from her first outing Sour, this album is at its best when Olivia is letting her atittude and wit shine through. Whether it’s her sarcastically saying “And I’m sure I’ve seen much hotter men, but really can’t remember when’’ on the post-punk inspired ‘Bad Idea Rigt?’ or ‘’everything I do is tragic, every guy I like is gay” on “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” these songs are filled to the brim with personality. Fuzzed out guitars with a stereotypically “bitchy” attitude go a long way here. Not only can Olivia put together charming pop-punk cuts, but can also craft emotionally devastating pop cuts with interesting song structures. The lead single ‘Vampire’ is a slow burn that eventually explodes into a shimmering chorus that pains her past with someone very special to her. ‘Making the Bed’ is a personal favourite that builds into an indie-pop climax that may be found on a Samia or Youth lagoon record. Overall, this is an impressive pop-rock project, that is every bit as catchy, funny, and moving as her debut — and then some!
9. King Krule — Space Heavy
art-rock / slowcore / jazz-rock
Archie Marshall’s latest release under the King Krule name is arguably his best. While not meeting the highs of some of the moments on his previous records, Space Heavy is probably his strongest and most watertight yet. Leaning into his familiar slowcore and jazz-rock sounds, Space Heavy is a haunting and melancholic soundscape, which emphasises a clear sense of bittersweetness in both the lyrics and musicality. King Krule expresses the existential doubt that plagues his life, with ambient and slow moving tracks. Though Space Heavy is more emotionally preoccupied than its predecessors, there is no loss of Krule’s inventive style. Tracks like ‘Pink Shell’, starts with an angular bass line and a declarative, riot grrl-style vocal that move into a jazz-rock breakdown. The raw, garage rock track ‘Hamburgerphobia’ makes an entirely different impression through its unconventional tuning and fast, jittery percussion. The title track transforms into a higher energy rock towards the middle of its run. These moments are situated inbetween much more ambient, reflective and defeated jazz cuts which make those moments of diversity and energy feel earned. This album is depressing, and really puts the listener into a certain space. Though it does this with success, and accumulates into one of the most cohesive albums of this year, both thematically and instrumentally.
8. ANOHNI — My Back Was a Bridge For You to Cross
singer-songwriter / soul / art-rock
On her first full album since 2016’s Hopelessness, Anohni sixth record addresses loss of loved ones, inequality, alienation, acceptance, cruelty, ecocide, devastation wrought by Abrahamic theologies, Future Feminism, and the possibility that we might yet transform our ways of thinking, our spiritual ideas, our societal structures, transphobia, and our relationships with the rest of nature. Decorated by soulful and slowed down rock paired with Anohni’s rich and textured voice, this album is thematically diverse, and gut-wrenching. There are blasts of harshness on tracks such as ‘Go Ahead’’ or ‘Scapegoat’’s bombastic crescendo, but overall, this is a deeply personal, heartfelt record that demands the attention of society.
7. Billy Woods & Kenny Segal — Maps
abstract-hip hop / jazz-rap
Maps is the new album from NYC rapper billy woods and LA producer Kenny Segal, their first full collaboration since 2019’s Hiding Places. Filled with one-liners, punches, and vignettes, Maps is packed with detail and delivered with impeccable timing. Woods’ commanding performance is undoubtedly the star of this record. In addition to the colourful and diverse features which appear across this record, the mixture of free-jazz freakouts on ‘Blue Smoke’, additional jazz-inspired saxophone riffs on ‘FaceTime’, and jackknife beat switches come together for a dynamic rap record which will grab your attention, and keep it until the last note rings out.
6. Mantana Roberts — Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden
avant-garde jazz / free-jazz
Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin series, now in its fifth chapter, illuminates the long tail of African-American history. Blurring lines between past and present, genres and disciplines, Roberts takes on the theme of reproductive rights, struggles of womanhood, anxiety, frustration and tragedy. This album blends together confrontational moments of avant-garde and free jazz on tracks such as ‘predestined confessions’ and ‘shake my bones,’ slow and reflective passages like those on ‘unbeknownst,’ and moving spoken-word cuts that are delivered so brilliantly. Some tracks blend all of these at the same time such as ‘how prophetic.’ This is a jagged seesawing between explosive and introverted moments. Each of these tracks effortlessly conjures the swirling feeling of needing to make a decision — and questioning your own being — never quite settling, always moving. The repeating motif of “my name is your name / our name is their name / we are named / we remember / they forget.” really emphasises the collective struggles explored throughout.
5. Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter — SAVED!
singer-songwriter / hymms / avant-folk
The voice of Kristin Hayter (who has also released music under Lingua Ignota) is a conduit for the stories of extreme pain, abuse, violence and trauma. Ordained as an actual minister, Hayter combines traditional Christian songs, original devotionals, gospel, blues, and bluegrass into a washed-out image of American folk. Recorded on a 4-track and then purposely damaging the tapes, this album plays as a “found-footage” horror films of a woman in a deeply religious community who has dissapeared. This album is very difficult to listen to. It is uneasy, abrasive, harsh, and makes you squirm at her screams and overblown piano. It explores religious trauma and pressure, she hisses and screeches about Judgement Day and putting this sinful world on trial. It may sound vicious, but it is also liberating and even comforting. As usual with Hayter, the most startling instrument in all the mayhem is her own voice, strained to its limit. SAVED! leaves it all for us to hear with sighing, gagging, humming and unknown languages. The closing track ‘HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING’ is a horrifying experiment in vocal violence with the ghost of voices speaking and crying and screaming in tongues. Listening all the way through this album is emotionally draining and demands your attention, you may either hate it, or deeply connect with it. Either way, it is certainly impressive and tells a haunting story which needs to be heard.
4. Lonnie Holley — Oh Me Oh My
soul / avant-garde jazz
Born in 1950, Lonnie Holley grew up in the deep south, in the Jim Crow era. Oh Me Oh My acts as a loose diary. The songs are a series of tales, reflective and contemplative. Some from a troubled past, others looking to an imagined future. This is a remarkable project. It is truly unlike anything I’ve heard in recent memory. It sticks with you. Lonnie Holley, a man in his 70s, is making music more emotionally powerful, musically dynamic, and stylistically interesting than many of his contemporaries. His touching, vulnerable and textured voice paired with tales of hope and optimism on ambient and atmospheric tracks such as ‘Kindness Will Follow Your Tears’ and ‘None of Us Have But a Little While’ which grew out of deeply traumatic experiences such as those explored on the jazz-rock of ‘Mount Meigs’ epitomise the indomitable human spirit. This album is undeniably poetic and dense with emotion — I have certainly teared up on nearly every listen. Please never stop making music Lonnie.
3. Black Country, New Road — Live at Bush Hall
art-rock
Black Country, New Road is far from over! While they certainly have shed the unforgettably abrasive and post-punk style of vocals Isaac Wood provided, the killer songwriting, emotional performances and mastery of craft are still here. In 2022, Black Country, New Road releases the critically acclaimed Ants From Up There. Not long after, their lead singer, Isaac Wood, left. Fans were left to wonder what would come of the band, whether they would continue, and if the quality would still be there. Live at Bush Hall answers these questions with an unquivering and unmoving affirmation. Composed of nine original songs, and a rotating roster of vocalists from Tyler, May, and Lewis, this album shows off just how much talent this UK group has. With an expected diverse musical sound of strings, flute, saxophone, piano and the expected rock ensemble, this album consists of emotionally rivetting and interesting compositions. Whether it be the unapologetically upbeat and fun opener ‘Up Song’ which addresses the relationship BCNR has to Isaac and their fans, the masterful use of timing, tension, and release of ‘I Won’t Always Love You’ or the gargantuan building of ‘Turbines/Pigs’, the mastery of songwriting is not challenged for even a moment. While there are instances of lackluster vocal delivery such as on ‘The Wrong Trousers,’ there are emotionally devastating performances found on the climax of ‘Laughing Song’ or ‘Dancers’ which more than accomodate. This is a very consistent set of songs which are of the highest calibre. I am thrilled that BCNR will continue on!
2. Squid — O Monolith
art-punk / post-punk / experimental-rock
UK art-punk outfit Squid are back with their sophomore album, which builds on everything that made the first outing so great. The album maintains the dynamics of its predecessor, shifting from quiet, minimalist passages to chaotic walls of sound, often several times in the same song. The vocals are more melodic this time around too, and dial back on the whiny and undigestable tone which plagued their first record. Though with that said, Ollie Judge still provides plenty of manic energy in his delivery. There are plenty of high points throughout the album, such as the opening ‘Swing (In a Dream)’ which utilises chaotic percussion, tense guitar riffs and an uneasy melody that builds and builds into it’s explosive finale. O Monolith reaches its peak right around the middle point. The slow build of ‘Siphon Song,’ quirky groove of ‘Undergrowth,’ and the sonic twists and turns that characterise side two opener ‘The Blades’ encapsulate the way the band explores different corners of their sound while remaining recognisably themselves. This album reinforces the iconic post-punk and art-punk sound Squid have created for themselves, and does it in a way that is untouched by their contemporaries. Every instrument used here is flooding the space with character and no song sounds like the last. This is a far-ranging record that doubles down on maximalist art-punk perfection.
1. Sufjan Stevens — Javelin
indie-folk / singer-songwriter / folktronica
In September of 2023, Sufjan wrote to instagram that he was suffering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves: “Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk… My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility.” Later that year in announcement of this album, Stevens again took to instagram, and in publicly coming out in the process, declared that this album would be dedicated to his life partner, Evan Richardson, who passed away in April.
As anyone familar with Sufjan’s music will already know, his biggest strength is the ability to put even the most difficult of emotions into song. Like much of his work, Stevens wrote, recorded, and produced Javelin almost entirely alone. Centering the devotional melodies and heart-tugging intimacy that characterized his early work. Javelin really is a return to form, combining the soft indie-folk of Carrie and Lowell with the sometimes bombastic and emotionally devastating indietronica of Age of Adz, but now with the experience of a life lived almost a decade later.
Javelin is both a joyful and demanding listen. On every track, Stevens begins down a pleasing, melodious path — played on the piano, the guitar, or one of his beloved woodwinds — only to quickly swerve into a dense forest of orchestration and electronica. The opening ‘Goodbye Evergreen’ is a gutwrenching admission of the fear of losing his partner, the love of his life. Sufjan manages to push out the heartbreaking lines “Something just isn’t right / I cut from the inside / I’m frightened of the end / I’m drowning in my self-defense” before transforming into a wall of electronic sound that calls back to earlier work. The single ‘Will Anybody Ever Love Me’ is easily one of his best songs ever written, and highlights early on the universal appeal and themes of this project. Sufjan sings “I really wanna know / Will anybody ever love me / for good reason, without grievance, not for sport.” It’s hard to imagine a simpler, more devastating question. The same goes for nearly every song found here. On the ballad, ‘So You Are Tired,’ Stevens kindly embraces his lover, asking them “to rest your head” as they rewind through “fourteen years” of what Stevens “did and said.” It’s the final gesture that comes before the inevitable conclusion, which Stevens succinctly describes on “Shit Talk.” when he sings in that angelic voice of his, “I will always love you, but I cannot live with you.”
Overall, this is an emotional tour de force that showcases just how special of a songwriter Sufjan Stevens is, and will long be remembered as one of, if not, his best work.
