Man oh man. I am usually right on top of this list every year but really there wasn't much new music that I connected to in 2023, so I have been at a loss. Part of that was that I came across a dearth of albums worth writing about. But I also wasn't looking that hard (I've been focusing much of my musical attention to the Dead in recent years, and building an amazing collection of that, but that's for a different post).
That being said, of course there was good music to come in 2023, and quite a bit of it. It just took more effort to connect. There are a few albums on this list that stuck with me all year. There are some that I obsessed over for a week or two (or maybe just a day) and then forgot about. And then there are some, including some very big ones, that I am only now finally getting to. As usual, there is one Album Of The Year that sits at the top but the rest is presented in alphabetical order by artist (because I have no patience for ranking shit - it's either good or it's not).
So, without further adieu, the album that most grabbed me in 2023 was...
Yes: Mirror To The Sky
Following up 2021's The Quest, the second Yes album to not feature Chris Squire (and the first since 1972 to not feature Alan White), takes everything up several notches, from the songwriting to the performance. Led and produced by Steve Howe, the current lineup of Yes manages to remain relevant by continuing to forge its own identity without trying to sound like the past eras of the band. Jay Schellen takes over nicely from Alan White and really jumpstarts the lineup, while Billy Sherwood continues to fit perfectly into the role carved out by his mentor, Chris Squire. Jon Davison is firmly settled into his role, on his fourth Yes album, and that shows. Keyboardist Geoff Downes takes a creative backseat here, but his playing gives this album its moody vibe, and Steve Howe is as inspired as ever. What makes this album most compelling is that it doesn't try too hard to "be" anything. The whole record comes off with such fluidity that it almost sounds effortless. Mirror To The Sky may share zero personnel (and very few musical traits) with 90125 but it shares the same soul, that distinct "Yesness", and that is evident in every note of this fantastic album. They are currently at work on a new one. I can't imagine it topping this but I can't wait to find out. In the meantime, I will spin this at least a hundred more times.
And now for the runners up:
The Alarm: Forwards
Eternal survivor Mike Peters keeps the Alarm flame alive on this (depending on how you count it) 21st album to bear this band's name. As usual, the material on this album has an extremely earnest, uplifting, anthemic quality to it. Peters is a fighter - he's beaten cancer three times - and it's that spirit that propels the songs on this album. There might not be anything as epic as "Newtown Jericho" or "68 Guns" on this album, but that same fighting spirit is here, especially on bangers like "The Returning", "Whatever", and the album-closing "X".
Bass Drum Of Death: Say I Won't
Aside from having one of the most awesome band names ever, Bass Drum Of Death has been kicking out killer, catchy, grungy garage-rock for about 15 years now. Their fifth album for Fat Possum finds this trio laying down the kind of jams that would have Guided By Voices, Sonic Youth, and the Strokes all watching their backs. "Find It" is one of the great songs of the year, as is "Say Your Prayers".
On their fifth album, Clementine Creevy & crew push their sound ever darker and dirtier. Electro textures color these heavy, sinister moods, pushing their sound ever closer to Metric territory, but then we get a touch of funk, a disco flash, and still a heavy dose of that sort of '90s indie vibe that they've always excelled at. Tuscadero, Helium, Hole, and Tsunami factor heavily into their sound (if not, then what a coincidence) however, at no time does this ever seem derivative. This band has a very distinct sound and this album finds them growing into it quite well.
The Church: The Hypnogogue
On their 25th full-length album, our favorite Aussie psychedelic shoegazers deliver an album that is both forward-thinking as well as one that pays homage to their previous four decades. Steve Kilbey might be the only one that remains from the band's heyday, but the soul of the band is alive and well, especially in songs like "Ascendence", the multi-sectioned "C'est La Vie", and the hypnotic groove of the title track.
Whenever there's talk about enduring lineups, you always hear mention of U2, ZZ Top, The Tragically Hip, Sloan, maybe King's X, but you rarely see Cowboy Junkies mentioned yet their lineup has been unbroken since forming, 39 years ago. Sure, 3/4 of the band are sibings, but we see how those kinds of bands go, all the time. Instead, this quartet (plus Jeff Bird, who has played with them, as a jack of all trades, since 1987) has pushed ever forward, on their own path (and never sounding like any other band but itself), cranking out albums and maintaining a reputation as a hell of a live band (one of my fave bands to see). Their 21st album might not stray from the usual fare but it, like most Cowboy Junkies albums, is a perfect aural painting of everything this band is about. Margo Timmins' voice is just as moving and soothing as ever, and Michael's songs - born from an era of intense grief - will scrape ya raw. Every one of them, however, is fantastic (even a bit upbeat) and the band sounds great.
Of all the bands that have claimed Rush as a influence, I don't think any of them ever hit the nail as squarely as Canadian duo, Crown Lands. While there are plenty of times where it seems as if the band just has a big bag of Rush tricks that they arbitrarily pull from, they manage to do so in ways so convincingly that the layman may be forgiven for confusing the two bands (the primary difference being, of course, that even Rush's proggiest moments are filled with hooks and are catchy as hell). And yet, through it all, Crown Lands manages to maintain its own identity. The 18min opener, "Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II" presents that perfect balance and while it might plod on a bit, it is an extremely accomplished piece of music. Three years, and three albums into their career, this band has a very bright future so long as they play it right.
Belgium's finest might not be the most prolific band - eight albums in thirty years - but when they do put one out, they really make it count. Their latest comes eleven years after the brilliant Following Sea and it finds Tom Barman and crew as unique as ever. Their music has always had a cinematic quality to it and that is absolutely the order of the day here. "Must Have Been New" and "1989" are two of the best songs I heard all year, though the entire album is vital listening.
This 18th album to bear the Flower Kings name is the fifth since Roine Stolt reactivated the band and it continues the band's focus on shorter songs. Gone are the 20-30min epics, and bonus discs stretched to the limit. While the songs are shorter, they are not pop songs. This band is still as prog as ever. Just with less of the twiddly parts.
When he's not holding down the low end for Phish, Mike Gordon has maintained a prolific solo career, releasing nine albums (including three with Leo Kottke). On his latest release, Gordon continues to carve a unique path outside of his main gig. While his material doesn't always land when Phish plays it, in this context it works. Especially in the slick, electro aesthetic that informs these tracks. That is especially true with "Back In The Bubble" and "Casual Enlightenment", both of which have been butchered on the Phish stage, though "Mull" has enjoyed success and remains in regular rotation. Most of this material will never make that jump and that is some of the most intriguing.
The modern lineup of GbV is just a couple albums away from equaling the album output of the entire rest of the band's history, and they keep cranking them out. These bring the total to 18 albums to come from the Pollard/Gillard/Bare/Shue/March lineup of the band (since 2017) and while one may be forgiven for not being able to differentiate much between them (or, at least, many of them), each one is a pristine example of Guided by Voices, and the genius of Bob Pollard. If I were to pick one, I would say that Welshpool Frillies may stand higher than the other two, but that is not to diminish those two albums, both of which are totally solid. Because, even though the catalogue is unfathomably vast, every GbV release is a gift. (all three count as one entry)
On her sixth album, Lydia Loveless continues to prove that she is the real thing, what country music should be, even if she goes far beyond country, alt.country, whatever. Loveless has a way of delivering raw, personal emotions with one of the best voices out there, and one hell of a songbook. While it seems that some of her more abrasive sentiments are at least slightly reeled back, as Lydia settles into her mid-30s, these songs are still capable of punching your gut. She might be a big deal already but she deserves to be much bigger.
San Francisco's rootsy Mother Hips deliver their twelfth album and one that is chocked full of solid songs that sit somewhere between Tom Petty, the Dead, and maybe the Black Crowes. While the band doesn't tread any particularly new ground here, you don't always have to do that. Sometimes you just need to slap down a set of great songs, with no ulterior motive. While this band has been around forever, they have never gotten as big as they should have. This album is worthy of changing that, so long as it gets heard.
One of the defining aspects of our favorite Norwegian outfit is that, over the past 35 years, they have never been afraid to change course abruptly. Some of those results were one-off anomalies while others would send the band down a whole new road. Which one this album is remains to be seen but, whatever the case, it is a fantastic offering from a band so late into their career. Yay! was born of the covid lockdown, and an inability to operate as a full band. So the material went into a lush, acoustic-based direction. Sitting somewhere between Laurel Canyon and English folk, these songs have every bit of the intricate character of their usual fare (whatever that might be at the time) but are also sparse and perfectly laid-back. Bonus points for the overt Pavement homage in the album art.
On their fourth album, our favorite modern-day '60s pop group delivers a set that sounds precisely what you would get if you melted down the Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones, and the Faces, threw in a few random scraps, and made a new band out of it. Sometimes it really works, sometimes it's really weird, but every song has a character that, despite being from a band whose influences are so audible, is uniquely its own.
The eighth album to come from these neo-prog veterans comes nine years after the excellent Wearewhoweare, and finds the band sounding stronger than ever. Of all the bands to come from that '80s prog scene, Pallas seems to have remained closer to their original vision than the others and, yet, further under the radar. Marillion has gone all over the place and are superstars in their field. IQ and Pendragon both got really dark and dystopian. Solstice has changed singers too many times to be consistent, and Twelfth Night disappeared up their own arses. Pallas, on the other hand, has had a lot of turnover and gaps between releases but still very much true to its original vision. Their latest is the first to feature classic-era vocalist Alan Reed since 2005 and his is a very welcome return. Every track on this album is killer - "The Nine" is a particular standout, with its cold, mechanical rap-styled vocal, while the epics that bookend this album - "Sign Of The Times" and the thirteen-minute title track - show that this band is every bit as deserving of the accolades of its peers. Unfortunately this album is not available on Spotify so you will have to seek it out in some old fashioned way. It's worth it.
On their second album, Finnish psych-proggers Polymoon push the barriers ever further, with a set of tracks that perfectly mirror the saturated, multi-hued kudzu garden depicted on the sleeve. These tracks sway between quiet & spacy, mellow & jazzy, and molten, moog-laden grunge that'll stand yer hair on end. The entire record kicks ass, but it's the eight-minute "Instar" that is a particular highlight, as is the ferocious (and cleverly titled) closer, "Viper At The Gates Of Dawn". I would really like to see these guys play with King Buffalo. What a lineup that would be. I will certainly be paying close attention to this band.
Following his 1995 exit from Yes, guitarist Trevor Rabin changed careers and became one of the most sought-after film composers this side of John Williams. He returned to the guitar for an instrumental album called Jacaranda, back in 2011, but it was not until now that we got to hear him sing again. And it's wonderful, sounds like he never left it behind. Much of this feels like the logical next step from Talk (his last album with Yes, in 1994) but you can hear the film-score influence, in some of the more dramatic areas, and there are a lot of very different moods explored as well. This album is definitely the proggiest of his solo career - and I swear, deep within the rich vocal harmonies, I can hear Jon Anderson and Chris Squire in there. Welcome back, Trev!
On her second album, the former Disney-channel-star-turned-voice-of-the-angry-Zoomer proves that 2021's Sour was no fluke. This new set explores several different layers - lots of acoustic passages, and other dramatic bits, but mostly this record ROCKS. And I appreciate the shit out of that. In her songs, I hear CBGB, and I hear Seattle, but nothing about this seems retro in the slightest. Just a good idea, updated for a new generation. I will admit there are times when Rodrigo comes across as overly bratty and entitled, angry for anger's sake, that sort of thing, and sometimes that can be a bit much (especially coming from someone whose big break was High School Musical). But when she finds that perfect balance, she reveals herself to not only be the real thing but, really, a potential icon.
Some sixty years after they made their debut, the Rolling Stones delivered a brand new album. Just let that sink in. Charlie Watts had recently passed away and perhaps the ol' Glimmer Twins realized that it was time to shit or get off the pot. Fortunately, what they came up with is one of the finest Stones albums to come in decades. With only a few contemporary-sounding exceptions, the bulk of this album is the Stones being the STONES, with all the awesome that comes with it. The best part about this is that, while it sounds like classic Stones, it's no nostalgia trip, nor does this album try too hard. It doesn't have to. These are the kind of songs that drip effortlessly off the Jagger/Richards pen. I think the problem that plagued their last several albums was that they were trying to sound relevant (when, really, we all just wanted the Stones). But then they made Blue & Lonesome and reset the rules. Now they're just playing to their strengths, and killin' it.
Solstice may have only made seven albums in 43 years but they always take great care to make each one memorable. None more so than here, where we find the current lineup of the band really jelling. Jess Holland has really settled into her role, on her second album with the band, and may actually be the best vocalist Solstice ever had (sorry Emma). The interplay between Andy Glass' guitar & Jenny Newman's violin give this band its signature sound and it is in full force here.
On their twelfth studio album, these Scottish rockers mellow out on a set of solid, strummy tunes that almost recall Meat Puppets in places. The harmonies of Norman Blake & Raymond McGinley are sweeter than ever, and their songs have a certain maturity to them, and a very laid-back, Laurel Canyon sort of vibe. Songs that you can chill out to. Nothing here that's terribly outlandish but that's okay. Sometimes the perfect album doesn't need to try so hard to present itself. Sometimes mellow is what you need. And "Self-Sedation" - that is a great song.
After venturing into a more stripped-down, song-oriented direction for 2022's So Many Days, Triptides have ramped it back up and returned to their signature, trippy, '60s vibe that made them so great to begin with. Some of the tracks, such as the opening "Starlight Ritual" have a slightly funky groove, while most of this is devoted to some of the band's best swirly, reverb-laden psych-pop.
Honorable mentions:
Altin Gun: Ask
American Authors: Best Night Of My Life
The Bad Ends: The Power And The Glory
Brandy Clark: Brandy Clark
Chappequa Wrestling: Plus Ultra
CVC: Get Real
DeWolff: Love Death & In Between
Las Robertas: Love Is The Answer
Lucero: Should've Learned By Now
Miesha & the Spanks: Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi
The Minks: Creatures Of Culture
The Subways: Uncertain Joys
Tanukichan: Gizmo
So there we go, another year done gone. It had its ups and downs and, between the cracks, there was some pretty good music being made. The above will attest to that, and I know there are a lot of major releases that I have yet to get to (like the Peter Gabriel) so there are glaring omissions for sure. There always are, but now I'm looking forward to what 2024 has in store.
Lastly, 2023 (just like every passing year) suffered a great deal of loss in the music world. We lost some big ones last year, some that will sting for a while (2024 is not shaping up to be much better - we already lost Melanie). Eternal thanks and RIP goes out to Wayne Shorter, Gordon Lightfoot, Jeff Beck, David Crosby, Tom Verlaine, Jimmy Buffett, Burt Bacharach, Vivian Trimble, Ahmad Jamal, Harry Belafonte, Tina Turner, George Winston, Astrud Gilberto, Tony Bennett, Sinead O'Connor, Robbie Robertson, Gary Young, James Casey, Russell Bastiste, Carla Bley, Les McCann, Shane McGowan, and the great Jim Ladd. Music heaven just got a major upgrade.
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