I liked a lot of different albums this year—so many, in fact, that I could not limit myself to just a Top 15. So I am getting back to this blog's roots and ranking music using a nice round number (specifically, the number 20). Additionally, I am including not one but two playlists this year. After the list of favorite albums, you will find the typical way-too-long (4.5 hours) playlist of some of the songs I enjoyed most in 2023 and a tidier hour-long playlist of my absolute favorite tunes of the year. Props to my father-in-law Larry for inspiring the latter playlist by telling me last year that maybe some editing would be helpful for those who prefer I just get to the point and highlight what they really need to hear.
Honorable Mentions
Armand Hammer- We Buy Diabetic Test Strips (Hip-Hop)
Lonnie Holley- Oh Me Oh My (Experimental/Soul)
Olivia Rodrigo- GUTS (You know who Olivia Rodrigo is)
Special Honorable Mentions
The Replacements- Tim (Let it Bleed Edition): This 1985 album with some of the best rock songs ever written gets a revelatory (read: way less muddy) new mix that makes you wonder whether they could have had some radio hits if they had gone with this version back in the day.
MJ Lenderman- And the Wind (Live and Loose!): The guitarist for 2023 favorites Wednesday (see below) is building a potent catalogue in his own right. This live album is an exhilarating listen from front to back, with Lenderman backed by a killer band that tears through his best songs and nearly universally improves upon the studio versions.
Top Twenty
20. Joanna Sternberg- I've Got Me (Folk/Singer-Songwriter)
Until Joanna Newsom releases a new album (fingers crossed for 2024), this album satisfies the itch for beautiful music created by a Joanna With an Unusual Vocal Style. These simple folk tunes marry timeless melodies and charmingly self-deprecating lyrics.
19. Water From Your Eyes- Everyone's Crushed (Experimental Rock/Art Pop)
Maybe too weird for most of you (prove me wrong!), but I always appreciate a band that resembles absolutely no one else. This album incorporates a chaotic mix of sounds: at points atonal and extremely catchy (sometimes simultaneously).
I hear the spirit of David Bowie in these songs, which continue Tumor's run of increasingly listener-friendly (but never conventional) albums that blend glam rock and neo-psychedelia.
17. yeule- softscars (Experimental/Dream Pop)
This talented songwriter and producer from Singapore melds electronics, ambient textures, and sludgy Smashing Pumpkins-esque guitar: a combination I did not know I needed (but I definitely do).
16. Black Country New Road- Live at Bush Hall (Art Rock/Chamber Pop)
I usually omit live albums from this list, but I am making an exception here due to the fact that Live at Bush Hall contains never-before-released music the remaining BCNR members wrote after the band's frontman left at the beginning of 2022. These songs are softer and prettier than the band's prior work, and though they can veer into cutesy territory I found it to be a pleasing listen.
15. Indigo De Souza- All of This Will End (Indie Rock)
Great rock record with a ferocity and lyrical directness that reminds me of Alanis Morrissette. But my favorite songs are the ballads that make up the back half of the record—particularly the stunning closer "Younger and Dumber."
14. ANOHNI- My Back Was a Bridge For You to Cross (Soul/Experimental/Art Rock)
Anohni (formerly Antony) Hegarty has amassed a groundbreaking catalogue over the past three decades, and their newest work represents a career highlight. This is beautiful, powerful music with Anohni's inimitable vocals taking center stage.
Some of you will get through 30 seconds of this before saying "What the hell, Matt?" and you would not be wrong! But I can think of few albums that make me laugh as much as this one, and goddamn, the hooks are so good! This is absolutely ridiculous music and yet I enjoyed the hell out of it any time I put it on this year.
12. Greg Mendez- Greg Mendez (Singer-Songwriter)
This is an extremely likable and comforting album that will remind you of early Elliott Smith. Mendez comes from Philly's DIY scene, and the sparse production (mostly just acoustic guitar and vocals) suits his songwriting. The album's nine songs go by quickly in just 23 minutes, and if you are like me you will want to immediately replay it.
11. McKinley Dixon- Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? (Jazz Rap)
McKinley Dixon is easily one of my favorite new discoveries this year. This is an expertly crafted album that doubles as a Toni Morrison tribute (literary-minded listeners will notice the title references three of her novels). The jazzy production is exquisite, as are Dixon's lyrics. The fact my favorite music writer (Hanif Abdurraqib) is also on here is the cherry on top.
10. Caroline Polachek- Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (Art Pop)
I have been a fan of Ms Polachek dating back to her iPod commercial days in the band Chairlift. It has been a joy to watch her reach new heights as a solo artist, with her newest album representing her most consistent and engaging effort yet. These pop songs got stuck in my head during the early portion of 2023 and nearly a year later still sound fresh and exciting.
9. Geese- 3D Country (Indie Rock)
I was shocked to learn the members of Brooklyn's Geese (not to be confused with the jam band Goose) are only a few years removed from high school, because these bombastic songs sound like they were crafted by a group of seasoned veterans. The goofy vocals are definitely not for everyone (and threw me for a loop at first), but after a few listens I was hooked and convinced these guys are the future of guitar rock.
8. Mitski- The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We (Indie Rock/Singer-Songwriter)
This is a nice bounce-back album for Mitski, who abandoned synthesizers and returned to warmer guitar textures with a subtle dose of country twang. The splendid "My Love Mine All Mine" is a career highlight, and more than justifies its TikTok-aided viral fame.
7. Jeff Rosenstock- HELLMODE (Punk Rock/Indie Rock)
What a run Rosenstock is on; he is easily one of the most consistent musicians out there. His songs continue to hit hard, as he grapples with increasing career success amidst the backdrop of a deteriorating society. HELLMODE absolutely rocks, as do all of his albums, but I appreciate the softer side he displays on songs like "Healmode."
6. Kara Jackson- Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? (Singer-Songwriter/Indie Folk)
Jackson, an Oak Park native (and former National Youth Poet Laureate), arrived with an astounding debut album. Jackson's songs are intricate, complex, and wildly creative. I hear shades of Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman, but Jackson's lyrics and song structures are wholly unique. At just 24 years old, I suspect she is just getting started.
5. Billy Woods and Kenny Segal- Maps (Hip-Hop)
Woods has cemented himself as one of my all-time favorite rappers, with Maps continuing his recent streak of excellent albums. His lyrics are as clever and humorous as ever— and the food nerd in me appreciates him for being (I assume) the first musician to include a tantalizing pork belly preparation in the middle of a song.
4. Ratboys- The Window (Indie Rock)
I have loved Ratboys for years now, but The Window is their first truly great album. The band mentioned in interviews that the onset of the pandemic resulted in a slowed-down creative process. The result is their most thoughtful, nuanced, and emotionally evocative album. The title track, about frontwoman Julia Steiner's grandfather saying goodbye to her terminally ill grandmother through a window (due to COVID-19 restrictions), particularly resonates. On the other side of the coin, the jammy, bass-heavy "Black Earth, WI" instantly became one of my all-time favorite road trip songs. I would expect nearly everyone reading this to dig the album- check it out!
3. Jessie Ware- That! Feels Good! (Dance-Pop/Disco)
Ware continues her reinvention from generic pop soul artist to full-fledged disco queen. These songs are fun and were always there for me this year when I needed a jolt of feel-good energy. The lush, Studio 54-style production pairs exceptionally well with Ware's formidable vocals. Against the backdrop of endless anxiety-provoking world events, this incredibly joyful album provided much-needed musical escapism.
2. Sufjan Stevens- Javelin (Singer-Songwriter/Indie Folk)
What is there to say about Sufjan at this point? He is one of the best to ever do it, and the fact he is still releasing albums of Javelin's caliber a full twenty years after Michigan is staggering. After a rare miss on 2020's synthesizer-laden The Ascension, Sufjan returns to his folk roots and manages to create an album that wonderfully encapsulates his career to date. Though the album is undeniably "Sufjan" from the first note to the last, it never sounds remotely stale and includes several of his best-ever songs (the epic "Shit Talk" is particularly marvelous to my ears). On the day of the album's release, Sufjan posted a beautiful tribute to his partner who passed away several months beforehand— providing heartbreaking context and making gorgeous songs like "Will Anybody Ever Love Me?" hit even harder.
1. Wednesday- Rat Saw God (Indie Rock)
This Asheville, North Carolina band created an instant classic with Rat Saw God. Frontwoman Karly Hartzman's rough-around-the-edges vocals are not for everyone, but if you can handle a little raggedness you will be rewarded. Hartzman crafts alluring vignettes about coming of age in the American south. Musically, the band pairs geographically-appropriate country rock with distorted, shoegaze-y production. The result is an album I adore so much that my Spotify Wrapped this year was incredibly boring (4/5 of my top songs hail from Rat Saw God). At the very top of my "most-played" list this year was the anthemic "Chosen to Deserve," which perfectly captures what makes Wednesday special. With rising star guitarist MJ Lenderman also in tow, their talent feels limitless and I am grateful 2023 gifted me a band I expect to be following closely for many years to come.
Best of 2023 Playlist: 15 Favorite Songs
This playlist represents the "best of the best" for me this year, and highlights a few bands who did not make the above list but created individual songs I loved.
Best of 2023 Playlist: Long Version
And here is my "traditional" Very Long playlist for those of you who want to take a deep dive into what I liked in 2023.
