Singles were not the only good thing music-related that came out of 2023. Albums, extended plays and records in general dominated this year.
Many number-one albums this year came from new artists that had never charted that high before — as well as artists who put out sophomore records that blew their debuts out of the water.
However, most of these records are not chart-toppers. These are the records that stood out to me artistically, culturally and critically. These are my top five records this year, in order.
5. “My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross” by ANOHNI and the Johnsons
2023, while being a tremendous year for trans representation, was also a year of strife. There have been more anti-trans and anti-LGBT bills introduced in state governments this year than ever before.
Local governments — school boards specifically — have been flooded with complaints and vitriol surrounding allegedly inappropriate material — a.k.a. queer-friendly material — found in school libraries.
In Anohni Hegarty’s newest full-length record, she makes you understand how much these tumultuous times for queer people have affected people with the opening track, “It Must Change.” Anohni continues to soulfully and sincerely convey this pain in songs like “Sliver of Ice,” “Scapegoat” and “Why Am I Alive Now?”
Her voice on this album is angelic and profound, with matching instrumentation to compliment softer parts interwoven with falsetto. It is a monumental release for not only the queer community but for the music community as a whole.
4. “BB/Ang3l” by Tinashe
Tinashe’s newest album is short, sweet and to the point. It is a succinct record that doesn’t say too much in its only 20-minute runtime. However, the tone and themes it does convey are effective nonetheless.
“BB/Ang3l” is sexy, sleek and cunning in its presentation. In songs like “Talk To Me Nice,” “Needs” and “Uh Huh,” Tinashe keeps the audience hooked with her seductive attitude. On other songs like “Gravity” and the closer, “Tightrope,” she displays her skills as an electronic producer — dabbling in genres like UK garage and footwork.
Tinashe’s status as an industry veteran does not give her a pass to phone it in on this record because like on “BB/Ang3l” and her last effort, “333,” she proves to the music industry she still has new tricks up her sleeve.
3. “Zach Bryan” by Zach Bryan
Heartfelt and forthright in its presentation and style, Zach Bryan’s newest record does not hold back any punches as it tackles sobriety, relationships and family in a genuine light.
Touting one of the most emotional songs of the year for me, “Jake’s Piano – Long Island,” Zach Bryan firmly roots himself as one of the most honest storytellers in all of country music canon.
Bryan knows how to use features as well. Songs like “I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves)” and “Hey Driver (feat. The War And Treaty)” tactfully integrate their features to not only compliment Bryan but to play to their own strengths as well.
I cannot wait for Bryan to release another full-length project because not only does he touch country fans’ hearts, but also modern country skeptics such as myself.
2. “HELLMODE” by Jeff Rosenstock
Like I previously stated in my singles list, “Doubt” is a monumental track for Rosenstock. Not only is it quickly approaching one million streams on Spotify, but it also has recently — along with the “HELLMODE” album it is a part of — become critically acclaimed and one of the internet’s favorite rock albums of the year.
“HELLMODE” is an album about the present day and its current hellscape. It is not only an album about our turbulent political climate, but it is also about the hellscape within each of us as well. Rosenstock tackles themes of self-love, discovery and actualization during the record’s runtime.
Tracks like “LIKED U BETTER,” “HEALMODE” and “THREE SUMMERS” deal with these themes in full force. Interspersed in these tracks is the heavily impactful “GRAVEYARD SONG,” which deals with gun violence in the United States.
Overall, Rosenstock’s newest record keeps his streak of emotionally intense punk rock records going strong.
1. “Wallsocket” by Underscores
April Harper Grey — a.k.a. Underscores — has had a monumental 2023. She had a successful album rollout, a critically acclaimed sophomore record as well as an amazing tour due to her limitless creativity with her music.
“Wallsocket” is an album about experiences. A rich girl who moves to a poor neighborhood, a stalker who is obsessed with a local celebrity, a high school student who is perplexed by the social inner workings of high school romantic relationships — the list goes on.
Small-town Michigan and small-town America as a whole is an experience worth documenting, and Grey captures the strange yet familiar feeling of rural life in an album worth listening to.
“Locals (girls like us) [with gabby start],” “You don’t even know who I am,” “Old money b*tch” and “Cops and robbers” are just four of the 12 tracks on“Wallsocket” that have made a tangible impact on me. The sounds of “Wallsocket” also bask in early 2000s electroclash and 80s dance-pop references.
It is a fantastic record not only for self-referential music fans but for casual listeners as well. It is not too weird, but it is not too basic as well. It is a perfect record that encapsulates everything that went well and poorly this year, and that is why it is my record of the year.
