Top 25 Albums of 2023
Honorable Mentions
Top Albums of 2023
#25: Slowdive - Everything is Alive
Slowdive’s release this year feels like a different take on the sound that they displayed in their self-titled record, with a much more subdued soundscape as opposed to the wall of sound approach that they have been creating for years. This is especially displayed in the 2nd track prayer remembered, which acts as an ambient piece that seems to be a stripped down version of the Slowdive we are used to without any layering of guitars on top of the track. The same can almost be said for andalucia plays, which still has stripped back guitars, but also layers in some dream poppy sounds that feel like a little throwback to Souvlaki Space Station. Chained to a cloud continues with this side of Slowdive, with some Beach House synths layered onto some subdued dreamy guitars that make for another interesting expedition from the band. For the fans of shoegazey side of Slowdive like me, there are still some tracks like alife and the slab that bring the record to life and would fit perfectly on their previous record. There’s no doubt with this expansion into the subdued approach that the band still has the chops to make some great pieces of music and I’m hopeful that the legendary shoegaze/dream pop act will continue to release tracks like these in the future.
#24: Slow Pulp - The Yard
Slow Pulp is a band that I’ve followed for a few years with their singles (Idaho and Shadow in particular), but I wasn’t sure what to expect from the band on a full LP. On this short but sweet record, Slow Pulp brings a mix of their typical noisy indie rock along with some slower singer-songwriter singles. Cramps in particular leans hard into the rock sound they are known for, with a mix of loud distorted vocals, drums and guitar that is sure to scratch the noise pop itch for anyone seeking it. On the other side of the spectrum, Broadview is a great example of their prowess in songwriting, with lyrics about falling in love for the first time in a while. This is complimented with instrumentals that pull straight onto the heartstrings, making for great contrast to what they're known for. I think with this record Slow Pulp has proven that they have the chops not only for great singles, but to put it all together into one cohesive record.
#23: Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!
Jessie Ware’s latest album is a continuation of the resurgence of the disco/dance pop aesthetic on What’s Your Pleasure? and is chock full of pop hits. One of the best aspects, as one can expect from a Jessie Ware record, are how catchy these songs are. The lead single Free Yourself demonstrates this with an enticing piano beat and triumphant vocal performance that carry the song's message well about freeing yourself from the anxieties and stress of life. The production also pops, and is at times subtle for a pop record. These subtleties are present on the title track, with a nice and simple bassline to start the album. This evolves into a delightful pairing of string and horn arrangements at the bridge, which are both constructed by James Ford. These horn arrangements from Ford continue to bolster the production throughout the project, with my personal favorite of these arrangements landing on the closing track. I think Jessie shows on this album that she still has the knack for creating great pop tunes and has no plans of leaving this realm in the near future.
#22: Indigo de Souza - All of This Will End
Similar to Slow Pulp, I’ve had some exposure to Indigo de Souza through some of her singles, but this is the first time that I’d taken a shot at digesting a full album from the singer-songwriter. Much like the Slow Pulp record, this one is pretty short and sweet, but also packs a huge emotional punch to go along with it. This is highlighted the most with the great and at-times heartbreaking songwriting. Lead single of the album Younger and Dumber is a perfect example of this, with lyrics about not feeling at home in the house anymore. These lines coupled with the vocal performance from Indigo lead to a powerful experience for any listener who’s been through similar circumstances before. The record also provides some interesting variations on the indie rock sound, in particular on the track Wasting Your Time. This short track contains the sludgiest guitars I’ve heard this year outside of metal, producing an uncommon listening experience in the indie rock space. The LP also provides solid indie rock on the second track, which delivers elements of the prototypical indie rock scene with backing guitars and piano that would fit right into an Alex G track. This effort from Indigo de Souza has been a nice surprise and I’m excited to see what she has in store on her next record.
#21: Tinashe - BB/ANG3L
Tinashe is an R&B artist based out of LA and her short, 7 song album is a great mixture of R&B and electronic that makes for one of the best R&B releases of the year. One notable aspect of the record is the catchiness of songs matched with immaculate production throughout the runtime. This is most apparent on Talk to Me Nice, which utilizes Tinashe’s grand voice to the max, with an interesting vocal riff on the chorus and layered vocals on the refrain. This is all on top of a sample of Tinashe saying Talk and a trap-like hi-hat, producing a unique synergy between some elements that would typically foil each other. None of My Business mirrors some of the same positives as Talk to Me Nice, with yet another interesting vocal riff, but is also highlighted with some chamber-like vocal production that highlights Tinashe’s voice. Another distinction on this record is the hodge podge of influences on the album. As mentioned before, Talk to Me Nice has some trap elements with the hi-hat, as does Needs which has a full on trap beat that meshes well with the sensual lyrics of the track. There are also some scattered electronic influences on the album, with a garage beat on Gravity and some 2-Step influence on the closing track Tightrope. If you have any interest at all in an R&B/electronic fusion, I highly recommend checking this LP out.
#20: Paramore - This is Why
Paramore is a band that I’ve gotten into recently, discovering how good After Laughter is last year, so I had decent hopes that this record would be great. This Is Why is Paramore’s dive into a more post-punk sound rather than their more well known pop punk, and the execution of this post-punk aesthetic is a large reason for why this record has surpassed my expectations. An example of this post-punk aesthetic is on the second track of the album, The News, which has some crisp post-punk guitars matched onto an up-tempo beat, resulting in a dance-punk banger. The crispy, clean production throughout the record that isn’t too glossy smooth also helps pronounce the post-punk sound, making it seem like Paramore have worked on this sound for decades. But it wouldn’t be a Paramore record without some distinct vocals from Hayley Williams. The title track of the project shows this the best, which pairs her vocals with more post-punk guitars and aggressive lyrics about being in the public eye, which create one of the best tracks of the year. This record to me is Paramore at their peak and I can’t wait to see what the legendary crew has in store for the next one.
#19: Aesop Rock - Integrated Tech Solutions
The Long Island native is back at it again with crispy beats and weird stories to tell on the latest record from the underground rap legend. Right off the bat, the opening track to the album sets the scene with a Kraftwerk-type hip hop beat with the legendary MC rapping about the progression of technology from it’s first conception 2.5 million years ago to where it’s led us today. This serves as a perfect introduction into the futuristic, sci-fi endeavor that Aesop Rock will guide the listener to for the next hour. As we continue to dive into this album, Aesop’s greatest traits of lyricism and creative storytelling continue, showing why he has the most unique words by a hip hop artist (and by a country mile). To me, the best example of this is on Aggressive Steven, where the MC paints the picture of how Steven, a tweaker, has broken into Aesop Rock’s apartment and how he deals with the situation. The story moves from the initial confrontation to the discovery of who he is through apartment management to conversations with officers on the scene. This track not only provides an interesting story with Aesop’s captivating imagery, but also dives into the issues in our society, with Steven, and drug addicts at large, rarely being able to get the help that they need from their communities. This track and many others on the album shows again why Aesop Rock is a legend in the underground hip hop community and is another notch in the belt to his already expansive catalog.
#18: bar italia - Tracey Denim
Tracey Denim is bar italia’s major label debut, which is a modern day indie approach to britpop with numerous 80’s and 90’s influences. These influences in particular lean towards post-punk and goth rock with some 90’s slacker rock built in. This is most apparent on Missus Morality which has two distinctive sounds. The first sounds like Guided by Voices, with the slow paced drums, yearning guitar and matter of fact vocals. This first sound evolves into a Cocteau Twins-esque refrain, with more upbeat vocals and the dream pop guitar that you’d find in the 80s. One aspect that distinguishes bar italia from most other bands is that each of the three members are vocalists on the project, creating different vocal textures to add to the tracks. Lead single Nurse! shows this well, where the vocals from two band members on the chorus, refrain and bridge are deadpan. This contrasts with the vocals from the last member, Jezmi, which are more pronounced and Robert Smith-esque, and work well over the early era Cure type beat. This distinguishing aspect is also shown on tracks like punkt and the shoegaze influenced Friends, which also utilizes all three vocalists. This LP is a welcome nostalgia-baked approach to britpop and I’m curious to see how the band will evolve it in the future.
#17: George Clanton - Ooh Rap I Ya
Vaporwave legend George Clanton has released an album this year that completely nails the 90s nostalgia baked baggy aesthetic. Justify Your Life embraces this aesthetic with the punchy drums of that era, along with some dreamy vocals and synths that add to the wall of sound that Clanton has created. This wall of sound is embraced across the entirety of the record, but it’s best pronounced on the critically acclaimed and anthemic I Been Young. The track uses the wall of sound along with a simple, yet pronounced guitar progression and lyrics about not quite growing up to create an impressive feeling of nostalgia that I haven’t felt before. The atmosphere on the record is also top tier, as evident by some of the more instrumental tracks. In particular Vapor King has bass, guitar and sound effects that make it feel like you’re trekking through a hot and hazy tropical jungle. The lone feature on the record, Hatchie, appears on the closing track where she provides some apt vocals over some lighter stoner metal guitars to round out the record. George Clanton has proven on this record that he can move to adjacent genres to vapor, so I’m curious to see where his next project lands him.
#16: Kelela - Raven
After a 6 year break between albums, Kelela is back with an interesting genre blend of ambient-adjacent electronic and R&B to create a batch of distinctive soundscapes throughout the record. This fusion is done well on slower tracks like Holier, which reminds me of something that electronic legend Nicolas Jaar would create, with the aquatic ambient sounds allowing for Kelela’s voice to shine on the track. More active tracks like Fooley and Missed Call show the prowess of the producers on this record with some loops that will easily get stuck inside your head. Missed Call in particular has a cute loop to start the track and persists through the entirety of it that gives the same cutesy vibe of Constant Repeat by Charli XCX. This loop compliments the lyrics about going on a date well, making for one of the best tracks on the record. These types of tracks are littered throughout the one hour runtime, giving a healthy amount of content for any eager electronic or R&B fan. If you’re curious as to what SZA would be like on an electronic record, then I recommend you check this one out.
#15: Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS
The follow-up to the most streamed album of 2021 marks an improvement in all aspects for singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. One of the most notable improvements on the album is the improvement in the songwriting, with Rodrigo being able to create a catchy tune that is emotionally charged. A great example of this is on pretty isn’t pretty, where she sings about her own confidence with self-image over a soft, but catchy chorus. This improvement is also apparent on the ballad Vampire, where she talks about a myriad of her exes, who have sucked the life out of her and left her feeling drained. GUTS also has crisp production that allows for many of the songs on the album to pop. In particular, the opening track all-american bitch has an infectious chorus that has a backdrop of Paramore/My Chemical Romance-esque instrumentals that allow for the track to be a standout on the album. There are some hiccups in the tracklist with some immature lyrics, like on logical and the grudge, but this doesn’t bother me too much as the highs on this LP greatly outway any of the issues that I have with the project. Olivia has proven that she is here to stay as one of the best pop figures today and I look forward to whatever project she has in store next.
#14: Maruja - Knocknarea
Maruja is yet another band that has come out of the Windmill scene in the UK, one known for producing some of the most innovative sounds this decade, with Black Country, New Road and black midi in particular leading the way. Like these bands, Maruja explores the boundaries of rock music, especially with some great instrumentation that is in particular carried by some great alto sax play that seems to be the centerpiece of this EP. This alto sax is prominent from the start of the project, being paired with some dense guitars for a particularly post-apocalyptic start to the album. There is also some great guitar work on the album, in particular on Blind Spot, which has some tones that remind me a lot of Slint. On the closing track Kakistocracy, Maruja seems to put together both of these elements effortlessly, with another great alto sax performance, some Interpol-esque guitar, and a top notch performance on the vocals, marking for a great closer to the EP. While this release is not a full length album, with the technical prowess and knack for the signature Windmill songwriting, Maruja shows that they deserve to be discussed as one of the top bands in the scene.
#13: yeule - Softscars
Yeule, a key figure in the development of electronic music in the last five years, has released an other-worldly yet comforting album that benefits from a lush soundscape through its duration. The opener diverts from this notion of being comforting, as it’s a loud shoegazey track with heavily distorted vocals which get more aggressive in the second half of the track. This is then contrasted by the follow up of sulky baby, which is a chill dream pop track that leans into the comforting vibes that I alluded to before. Despite these nice vibes, the track talks about how yeule has struggled, hoping for a chance to achieve happiness. The title track continues this hurting theme, with lyrics about what seems to be a past lover, who has metaphorically stabbed yeule in the heart. These are combined with a glitch pop aspect that slowly morphs into a shoegaze, one of many cathartic moments on the record. The instrumentation on this record is also unparalleled. In particular, the guitar tone as the first chorus ends on dazies is one of my favorites of the year. The instrumentals on cyber meat are also superb, somehow giving me vibes of an alien ending credits song with its anthemic feel. The record is certainly one of a kind and is another piece of evidence that yeule is one of the best electronic artists out there today.
#12: Lemon Twigs - Everything Harmony
The Lemon Twigs latest release is a reinvigorating throwback to 70s soft rock. With the distinctive sound of harmonizing melodies, lush and elegant instrumentation and top tier song-writing, the band is able to emulate and innovate on the sound that pioneers like Fleetwood Mac and Caroline King established. The track What Happens to a Heart in particular puts this sound on display. This ballad weaves together melodramatic lyrics about heartbreak with a grandiose sound accentuated by the string and horn arrangements and belting vocals making for something that is built to be played at large, sprawling festivals at the end of summer. The top-tier songwriting is also displayed with the sheer number of earworms on the LP, with tracks like In My Head and Ghost Run Free living rent free with hooks that can stay stuck inside your head for days. Lemon Twigs show that reinventing the wheel is not a necessity in order to craft a great album. They are to 70s soft rock what early Tame Impala is to the Beatles and I’m all for it.
#11: billy woods & Kenny Segal - Maps
Maps marks another great release from the underground rapper, which is built on immaculate production from Kenny Segal and first class lyricism that we all expect from Billy. This production is highlighted on Babylon By Bus, which has a nice nocturnal beat that samples Aphex Twin and adds a cold piano on top when feature ShrapKnel starts rapping on the beat. After these verses, there’s a sample flip into soulful horns and strings that really put this beat above most others that I’ve heard this year. The lyricism, as alluded to before, also showcases why Billy is at the top of the rap game, specifically on the single FaceTime. This track is about a broken relationship, where Billy delivers some nice quips (Ready to Die, no Biggie) as well as some beautiful lines (In particular “Three oboes, one clarinet, Black rainbows, the night wept”). There are also some great features all around the record. The ShrapKnel feature mentioned earlier is cold as hell, and Danny Brown and Quelle Chris do a solid job with their features. My personal favorite feature however is Aesop Rock, fellow underground legend, who puts up bars after bars about his reasons for rapping and the creative process behind it. With this release and as well as his contributions on the Armand Hammer project this year, Billy Woods continues to solidify himself as a legend in the underground scene and is on perhaps one of, if not the best underground hip hop run of all time.
#10: Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
The latest release from Caroline Polachek is almost over three years in the making and it was well worth the wait. This LP expands on the art pop that Caroline established herself with on Pang, with some ventures into other genres that we haven’t seen before from the art pop sensation. Polachek’s first flamenco pop track Sunset shows this well where her voice is complemented by the traditional flamenco instrumentation, creating a lush and warm atmosphere. The only track where Caroline has had features (ever) also shows some of this exploration, where a wild combo of Grimes and Dido come into the mix over a drum and bass instrumental that you would hear on a PinkPantheress cut. Dido’s vocals work perfectly on this track, bringing a nice dosage of nostalgia for the 00s before Caroline pulls us back to the current day with her vocals. Even though these ventures do mark progression in Caroline’s sound, I still think the main focus of the record is on her vocals. This is apparent from the very beginning of the record, where Caroline beckons us into the record quite honestly her most impressive vocal performance to date. Other tracks like I Believe and Butterfly Net also showcase this vocal range that she has, further adding to the impressive tracklist on this album. Caroline’s contributions on this LP show her continued dominance in the pop sphere with no plans on leaving soon.
#9: Gezebelle Gaburgably - Gaburger
Gezebelle Garbugably’s latest release provides a healthy dose of eccentric and hedonistic lo-fi noise pop. The first half of the album contains quick, snappy and instantly catchy bops that can be deceptively cute. A prime example of this is with the cut Predictable Shame, which has an instantly catchy hook, vocal style and guitar riffs that immediately evoke Guided by Voices vibes. The record also contains some more bombastic cuts like Quarter Pounder, where Mrs. Gaburgably talks shit throughout the entire track on top of some absolutely vile synths. The second half of the album provides some breaks from the noisiness, with Adam and Eve serving as a singer-songwriter cut and You’re Right providing a slow build into a shoegazey finish. All of these tracks lead up to the penultimate track Birdbath, which acts as the climax to the record. This track is much more self-reflective, with Gaburgably reflecting on the relationship that she had with her ex-boyfriend. A lot of dirty laundry is aired out on this track, but it seems like this is some way for her to get her version of closure from it. The LP as a whole is an interesting take on the noise pop sound and is a must listen for any angsty listeners of the genre.
#8: 100 gecs - 10,000 gecs
10,000 gecs shows the eclectic duo branching out from their more traditional hyperpop sound of their first record to a myriad of genres, including multiple popular genres of the 00s like Nu Metal, Butt Rock and Ska and absolutely shredding on each of them. Notably, Doritos & Fritos serves as a combination between the Ska and Dance Punk, with those distinct underlying Ska Riffs with accentuated guitar tones creating one of the most unique bangers of the year. The utterly ridiculous I Got My Tooth Removed also has the very distinct horns and rhythm section from Ska, that then devolves into an over the top ballad about the tooth removal before going back to the catchy Ska instrumental. The ridiculousness does not end there though, as Frog on the Floor is, as it sounds, about a frog on the floor and uses a frog croaking as one of the main elements of the beat. This album does still have some glimpses of the hyperpop that they’re known for, with tracks like mememe and 757 serving as some of the catchier songs on the record. But I find it most impressive that the duo has been able to branch out to these other genres and absolutely kill it, reminding a lot of a modern day Ween in that sense. Nonetheless 100 gecs latest release is proof, if nothing else, that every genre can have its day in the spotlight.
#7: Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time
The Loveliest Time, while technically the B-Sides of last year’s The Loneliest Time, is a standout release from the formerly labeled One Hit Wonder. This is a return to form for Carly, with a collection of bright and colorful dance pop tracks throughout the record. Songs like Shy Boy and After Last Night are typical CRJ bops with infectious hooks and bright production that we’ve come to expect from her records. What I think also stands out on this record is the use of her vocals as more of an instrument than just as a platform for lyrics. This is most apparent on the opening track Anything to Be With You, where Carly uses her voice to repeat the lyrics “Never Over” and “Anything, Anything” for added layering on top of the dance cut’s beat. The Loveliest Time also provides some interesting variations on the dance pop genre. One standout in this regard is the track Aeroplanes, which is a subdued pop cut that has light and airy keyboards throughout the chord progression that compliment the lowkey backing beat and vocals. To my ears this is the best album that Carly has released since EMOTION and proves yet again that she is the pop queen. Who knew that B-Sides could be this good?
#6: Jane Remover - Census Designated
Jane Remover’s follow up to Frailty is a venture from the noise/glitch pop that she presented on that album to shoegaze with some post-rock influence. This evolution is shown in the long winded songs that feel larger in scale in comparison to Frailty, which are powerful because of the songwriting that Jane has on this record, with a focus that seems to be centered on an abusive relationship. This is shown well on Idling Somewhere, which is a shoegaze song with some metal-like guitars that depicts her abuser as someone who is constantly watching her and manipulates her into thinking that this abuse is some sort of masochism that stems from her instead of the abuser. With this primary focus, Jane is also able to frame other types of non-personal relationships as abusive within this framing. Specifically the title track frames the position that record labels have as an abusive relationship. Throughout this track she describes herself as young blood/fresh meat and how the man (label in this case) she loves the most is lying to her, comparing herself to being barely legal. She makes the case that being barely legal is similar to the power dynamic that a record label has over a young up and coming artist, which I think is a powerful metaphor given the context of the rest of the album. This track is again painted over complimentary shoegaze which helps accentuate the emotions brought in the lyrics. Census Designated is a powerful album that I think will help shape the landscape of modern shoegaze in the near future.
#5: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation
The Gizzard boys are back at it and have landed yet again in the top 5 of my end of year list. How have they done it? With yet another hard-hitting, vibrant, and, most importantly, fun metal album that expands on the sound that the band has shown on Infest the Rat’s Nest and Omnium Gatherum. Opening track Motor Spirit continues with these thrash roots that we’re used to, hitting us with both the trademark thrash guitars and drums. This is combined with some Mastodon-esque sludge metal riffs, making for an already new and exciting Gizz experience. Gila Monster takes us back to a more traditional Gizzard metal sound, mixing stoner and thrash metal with their most engrossing hook yet, a chant that hails King Gila created in Witchcraft. Closing tracks Dragon and Flamethrower then continue with this expansion of the metal sound, with more progressive metal elements on Dragon that are intertwined with quicker, more aggressive guitar licks intermittently. These speed metal adjacent licks are then continued at the beginning of Flamethrower, accompanying the climax of the story where the Gila Monster burns down the rest of humanity and fades into a synthy mix. The album is yet another testament to how prolific these Aussies are as they continue to show that they are the swiss army knife of the music world.
#4: Snow Strippers - April Mixtape 3
Snow Strippers have emerged quickly into the music scene in the past two years, dropping an EP, 3 mixtapes, and an album in that time frame while gaining a sizable audience along the way. This quick rise is in large part because of the unique sound that the Detroit Duo brings to the table, which is dance music largely influenced by a mix of electroclash and witch house, two genres that have prime potential for innovation. April Mixtape 3 showcases this sound well, in particular because of the invigorating, dark, and ethereal qualities on the mixtape. The opening track Again immediately brings listeners into this landscape, with a swirling beat that leads into a non-stop pulsing bass beat, sure to make any speakers at the club rock. The follow up track Under Your Spell continues this trend, with a gnarly nocturnal piano beat that is layered with vocals, driving bass, and an ethereal synth in the back. Another element of this tape that I love is how hypnotic and addicting this is to listen to, which makes it easy to diagnose why it was by far the album that I listened to the most this year. One track in particular that lands this aspect super well is Fake Smile, which pairs the vocals from Tatiana onto another chilling bass beat layered with ascending synths and a J-Dilla-esque horn to make for one of my favorite tracks of the year. It’s clear to me why these two have become so popular, and I hope now that they’ve gotten some spotlight with Lil Uzi Vert that they’ll blow up even more in popularity.
#3: JPEGMAFIA x Danny Brown - Scaring the Hoes
JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown have joined together in the only way they could, which is by scaring the hoes. In this collaboration, this dynamic duo works together to create one of the most filthy hip hop records in recent memory. To be expected from a record with either of these MCs, there are some zany bars on the project. Some of my favorite lines are from Lean Beef Patty where Peggy drops “In the crib, drinking Soylent for weeks… You can go from Elon to Ye in a week”, but Danny cooks up a bunch of bars on God Loves You, where he spits one and two liners about the bible throughout the duration of his verse. My personal favorite is “If you on your period call me Moses, cause I’m about to split that red sea”, it’s just so over the top and on brand for Danny, which makes it all the more ridiculous over the pronounced gospel sample. The bars are great, but I think the production on this record is what makes this LP special, as it’s the type of production that I’d strive for as a hip hop producer and includes 39 beat switches and many samples layered in these beats throughout the record. One of my favorite samples is the one on Garbage Pale Kids, which is a 1980s Japanese commercial that anchors the track with some backing bass to somehow create a hardcore hip hop feel. There are also some horn samples on Burflict! that creates a feeling over going into battle, as if these two are going to war on the mic. My personal favorite sample is on the aforementioned God Loves You. The sample just works so well, especially with Danny’s bars on top of it, and is one that gets stuck in my head all of the time. I’m hoping this duo is not just a one time thing, as these two have shown on this record that they have mastered the eclectic experimental/rym-core branch of hip hop.
#2: Wednesday - Rat Saw God
Wednesday’s latest effort mixes noisy indie rock with alt-country seamlessly while oozing middle America throughout the experience. No track does this better than Chosen to Deserve, which touts the steel guitar and hard hitting guitar riffs, a great combination of these two distinct indie sounds. Combined with lyrics about taking Benadryl, stomach pumps, and cul-de-sacs this paints the picture perfectly of what culture in middle America can be. The following track Bath County leans more into the noisy indie rock, with shoegaze guitars and once again shows the middle American culture with references to Fanta, Narcan and spectators to a scene of fire trucks at the Planet Fitness. Despite how much I like the alt-country sections of the work, my favorite slice of work on the album is Bull Believer. This is an 8 minute masterpiece, which starts as an indie rock piece with a mix of bitchin’ high pitched and grunge guitar riffs that would make Nirvana proud. The track then slows down, giving time for the song to breathe with a tempered Slint-esque guitar. This leads to the climax of the track, which is a cacophony of loud, pulsing, shoegazey guitar riffs, with Karly Hartman’s screeching vocals layered on top to create one of the most visceral listening experiences of the year. Wednesday have established themselves one of the best indie acts today just with this record and should be kept track of by any indie rock fan.
#1: leroy - Grave Robbing
Grave Robbing is a record created by Jane Remover under her moniker leroy/c0ncernn, a side project of hers that has traditionally been grounded in the nightcore genre, one that has been rising in popularity because of TikTok. Because of the influence that she has had in the sphere, her own style of nightcore has been anointed as dariacore, which she has described as “how one deconstructs pop and dance music into this amalgamation of controlled chaos” and I’d say that is pretty accurate. Grave Robbing is a largely sample based electronic project that consists primarily of remixes/mashups of songs backed by dance beats, but is a more difficult listen than most EDM or other electronic projects because of the unconventional hard and punchy stops that contribute to this chaos. What eases some of this difficulty are the recognizable samples, like Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs being the focus of a song, or other artists like Ice Spice, Selena Gomez, Pitbull, Dijon and NewJeans having sections to their own on others. My favorite of the bunch is her sample of Caroline Polachek’s “Welcome to My Island”, which I noted was my favorite vocal performance from Caroline. Caroline’s vocals still shine through the beat as they are there, but have a leroy touch with a transition that halts her vocals and shifts to the bouncy dance beat. There are also some funny samples throughout the tracklist like Azealia Banks saying “been” being put into a high tempo loop or the subtle double entendre “I’ll make you come” from the cutoff sample of Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf. Jane also sample’s someone saying “You ugly as fuck” on Jack’d My Swag, turning this into one of the funniest moments of the year because of it’s progression into a Dark Side of Moon type of sample, feeling much like something that Neil Cicireiga would do. Grave Robbing has really impressed me as a listener because of its danceability that is locked behind layers of sound, resulting in fun repeated listens that are bound to have something new to be noticed each time. This may be the last record under the leroy moniker for Jane, but this release along with Census Designated show that she is one of the most talented artists today and will be a force to be reckoned with for the near future.