With the announcement of MVM’s best of 2023 magazine earlier this week, we take a look at some of the best albums we’ve been falling over this year.
NOTE: these are the albums that I’ve had on constant repeat this year – whether it’s from my own personal taste or inept biasness for the sheer love of the band. This does not reflect the true listing of albums as music is evidently subjective and every list will reflect listening habits and emotions on the day. Don’t listen to the Pitchfork cons deciding your lists – decide for yourself!
Hopefully there’s something new in here that folk will dive into just as much as I did! This year was a fantastic year to discover new music and I give thanks to mvm and the folks over at still listening and When the Horn Blows for giving me such press opportunities this year.
- Geese – 3D Country
- Sleep Token – Take Me Back To Eden
- Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
- Do Nothing – Snake Sideways
- Foo Fighters – But Here We Are
- The Murder Capital – Gigi’s Recovery
- Paramore – This Is Why
- Christine and the Queens – Paranoia, Angels and True Love
- Militarie Gun – Life Under The Gun
- Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman…
- sampha – Lahai
- Lil Yachty – Let’s Start Here
- Enter Shikari – A Kiss For The Whole World
- Youth Sector – Quarrels
- Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy
- Geese take the top spot for me this year. A truly remarkable band that I’m genuinely kicking myself for not discovering sooner. It happened to be 3D Country which I stumbled across. More specifically, it was Cowboy Nudes. The alt-rock/alt-country reflexes knocked me for six. Before I knew it, I had their catalogue on rotation and tickets bought for their Bodega show later that year. Equally enigmatic live as they are on recording, by the way.
- Sleep Token have had quite a year, haven’t they? From a sophomore slump in 2021 to even the most savvy metalheads turning, Take Me To Eden took the band to unforeseen heights in both Europe and over the pond; resulting in one of the most talked about bands in the metal scene throughout the year. It also resulted in headline shows at Wembley in London – not bad, eh?
- Caroline Polachek still continues to dazzle me. An equally outrageous year in her own right, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You was my infectious pop record of the year. Both Welcome To My Island and Blood and Butter ultimate favourites. And what about that voice? A heady, howling triumph of perfection.
- Of course, I have to provide a bit of sustenance to the local scene in Nottingham, which is where I’m currently based. This comes in the form of hand-plucked post-punk / indie bewilderment of Do Nothing. A stellar year for the 4-piece, as they both make headway in the underground scene with enigmatic debut Snake Sideways and performing a headline sold-out show at Nottingham’s biggest venue. Well done lads!
- My Top 5 has to include Foo Fighters‘ latest effort. A banner of grief; an almighty roar of pent-up frustration, anger and confusion at the loss of loved ones. Grohl lost both his mother and best friend in 2022. A year later, Dave lays it all out in But Here We Are – the bands’ best work since Wasting Light in 2011.
There ya go. There’s my little overview of the year. Let me know if you want to see more and I’ll gladly oblige. Of course, don’t forget to order our BEST OF 2023 zine when it’s available! Watch this space.
You can view the best fifteen tracks from the best fifteen albums below>>
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