Favorite Albums 2023

1. Caterina Barbieri - “Myuthafoo”

The most cosmically expansive, psychedelically active, emotionally resonant electronic music I’ve ever engaged with. I listened to Myuthafoo more than I think I’ve listened to any album (ever), and it somehow only grew in stature, and expanded in meaning, the more it repeated and resonated in my skull. Not merely looping sequences of notes on a modular synthesizer, this is fully realized electronic composition using a strict set of tools and parameters, unleashing the infinite and cosmic through creative limitations and slow, defined modulations over time.

This album was made in Berlin and it fully feels of that world to me, sitting close to my heart and soundtracking memories of my very favorite places in the city. It is both brutalist and beautiful, harsh cement and soft/green, in-your-face and soaked with reverb and space and expanse.

“Pinnacles of You”, from Myuthafoo’s sister album “Ecstatic Computation”, was the first electronic composition that made me cry - with no words and a single, slowly modulating repeating sequence. It made me realize how much power and meaning there was in this form, this genre. Myuthafoo cements that experience for me, and captures something so precious and meaningful that I scarcely have words for it. What a record.

2. Arlo Parks - “My Soft Machine”

Arlo’s second record grew on me, and grew on me, and I set it down for a while, and it just continued to grow in the back of my head until I had to pick it up again… Etc. Now it’s my second favorite record of the year. I LOVED her first album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, with some of the classic sounds of British alt / soul / pop brought to the table by producers like Paul Epworth. But it doesn’t feel as unique, fresh, exciting, and as Arlo, as My Soft Machine.

Highlights for me are “Pegasus” with Phoebe Bridgers, a soft, glowing composition with the most gentle and lovely production - the swirl and melancholy of “Purple Phase” - the groove and brilliantly textured vocals on “Weightless” and “I’m Sorry” - and the vivid imagery and space on “Room (red wings)”.

I don’t think this record got enough love this year from any major publications, so this is me saying: Get with this record and Arlo’s work in general, she is brilliant and underappreciated, and is making some absolutely phenomenal music.

3. Carly Rae Jepsen - “The Loveliest Time”

Many people have told me to get into Carly Rae, and I tried a lot of records and B side records and loved some songs very deeply. But no full record of hers ever hit as different as The Loveliest Time, which is B SIDES?!?!???! from The Loneliest Time, despite being almost all A side material (by any standard). She is such a prolific pop writer and her mastery is on full display here. “Psychedelic Switch” is so addictive and happy and fun. “After Last Night” and “Shadow”, produced with Rostam, are darker and more experimental, and just exceptional (both melodically and in the rhythms and synths and guitar sounds and yummy textural bits… UGH)… “Kollage” is bursting with classic 70’s pop sounds.

No matter where you are in the tracklisting, all of it sounds so good, and the writing is so strong, it just feels impossible that she isn’t more recognized or revered in the industry. Shame. Carly is our Canadian QUEEN. And this record is some of her finest work IMO.

4. Mikaela Davis - “And Southern Star”

This record was such a surprise. I saw a review which mentioned “harp” and “singer songwriter” and my Joanna Newsom-craving brain immediately added it without a second thought. The first minute of “Cinderella” was exactly what I wanted, and then it exploded into something else - a rollicking, country-rock record! Fronted by harp! And I loved it! And it went on repeat from there. The writing is great, and so classic and timeless that some of the songs feel like covers - “Home in the Country”, “Don’t Stop Now” for example. In other places we get more of the Newsom-esque, folk-indie-feels - “The Pearl”, “Cinderella”. It all delivers in droves, and I am keeping an eye firmly on whatever she has for us next. An artist to watch and a lovely, lovely record.

5. Half Moon Run - “Salt”

One of the best Canadian bands performing right now, Half Moon Run consistently make great records. But there are some that would say they never reached the heights of their debut, Dark Eyes, since it rocked the landscape of Canadian indie music in 2012. Well. Check out Salt. It’s just as good as the debut and contains some of their finest work, including “Heartbeats” (HOW is this not a cover of a classic 70s track?!?? How do they pull this off so perfectly??), “Everyone’s Moving Out East” (gorgeous, heartbreaking indie pop), “Gigafire” (with a ridiculous lead vocal from Devon Portielje), and “9beat” (featuring the groovy, alt-time-sig stuff they do so well).

6. Vagabon - “Sorry I Haven’t Called”

I found this record because I saw that Rostam had worked on it… Well. Vagabon blew me away here, and this was probably the most rapid entry into my top 20. “Autobahn” broke me down and reduced me to nothing with just an organ and a vocal. The vibe and bounce of “It’s a Crisis” felt perfect. The sped-up beat and atmosphere of “Do Your Worst”, and the Clairo-ish drums and synths on “Nothing to Lose”, all delivered something intangible that I just love in this sort of indie-pop production. Unexpected and fantastic, and highly recommended.

7. Braids - “Euphoric Recall”

A Canadian band out of Montreal, Braids have been making records for a while, apparently…?!! I’m clearly out of the loop, because something tickled the back of my mind when I saw this new record was getting some attention - I had heard this band name somewhere before. Turns out I had bought their debut album, on CD, waaaaay back in 2011, because they kind of sounded like Animal Collective (which I was obsessed with at the time). I somehow paid no attention to them after that, and forgot they existed until Euphoric Recall came out and took me by surprise this year.

Turns out Braids have been slowly honing their craft since 2011, and now sound much more like their own selves then they do anyone else at this point. Experimentation remains a key part of their sound, and there is no shortage of great ideas here. “Evolution” has a sly, detailed groove which builds JUST enough but not too much, and the loveliest lyric and vocal from singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston - who also mashes together ridiculous headlines and bad rhymes and vocal swoops and whoops to make the fantastic “Supernova”, which swells and subsides and expands and contracts, its organic qualities highlighting a band at the peak of their synergy.

Highlights? The whole album is highlights: “Left/Right” skitters like Radiohead at their finest, “Millenia” builds and soars, and “Retriever” into outro “Euphoric Recall” slowly teases a release which eventually delivers allll the synthy goods. And now if you excuse me, I’m going to get into all the records I missed between this one and their debut. This band is fantastic.

8. ANOHNI and the Johnsons - “My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross”

ANOHNI uses the canvas of classic 60s soul and R&B to deliver heartbreaking messages of loss and hope. Her voice has captivated me since I first heard her duets with Björk on 2007’s Volta, and she is in glorious form here, trembling and rising and commanding and yearning. “It’s My Fault” is a personal favorite, not just from this album but from her entire discography. Lots has been said about this record and it deserves all of the attention it has received, and more. Brilliant.

9. Mitski - “The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We”

My favorite Mitski record, and a fantastic tone-piece with a consistent vibe and set of instrumentation throughout. Her writing is as sharp as ever, and the alt-country-cowboy feel never felt more fitting to the songs. When I first heard the “Heaven / Star” single come up on shuffle while on a long roadtrip in the US, I knew this would be one hell of a record. It is.

10. Paramore - “This Is Why”

Last year I finally fell in love with Paramore. I was beyond late to the game, and was probably the most annoying person to be around - pestering all my friends to listen to Brand New Eyes like it wasn’t already emblazoned in their consciousness. Whatever. I was primed to soak up a new Paramore release as it was happening in real time this year, and I loved every second of it, from the pre release singles to the music videos. This record returns the band to some of their heavier, emo roots, and tracks like “You First” and “Thick Skull” really satisfy. Elsewhere, the retro production feel works well, and nearly everything hits - maybe with the exception of “The News”. But the real winner is “Liar”, easily in my top 3 Paramore songs of all time, and one of the most gorgeous things I heard anyone sing all year.

11. Colter Wall - “Little Songs”

My father in law and my good friend Josh Field both told me to check this guy out, and I had a lot of fun with this record. I knew nothing about Colter, assuming him to be some veteran country guy with a big discography and many years of whiskey-soaked performances to hone his deep resonant growl. Well silly me, he’s in his 20s of course, and looks NOTHING like you would assume from his singing voice. Incredible. And what a writer: Original takes like “For a Long While” sit seamlessly alongside a cover like “The Coyote & The Cowboy”, from Canadian country veteran and legend Ian Tyson. I’m glad I’m in a place to finally appreciate this genre, and I thought this was one hell of a country rekkid.

12. Feist - “Multitudes”

She’s more than earned her status as a revered Canadian indie icon, but I had only really connected with a full Feist record once before, on 2011’s Metals. Until now: Multitudes is incredible. It starts with a decoy track - “In Lightning” is all big production and rhythms and layers - but most of the record thereafter is quite hushed in comparison. And it’s undeniably classic Feist, from “Love Who We Are Meant To” to “Song for Sad Friends”. When the production occasionally explodes into full bloom again, the contrast is spectacular: “I Took All My Rings Off”, “Of Womankind” and “Become the Earth” form an untouchable run of songs in the back half of the record.

13. Dudu Tassa, Jonny Greenwood - “Jarak Qaribak”

I added this record for obvious reasons (…. in the Radiohead-verse), but was more than surprised by how much I was taken in by this range of love songs from across the Middle East. Maybe the way in for me was the concept: I loved the idea that Dudu and Jonny expressed in interviews, of trying to create music like they were Kraftwerk in the 70s, in an alternate universe where they happened to be hanging out in Cairo, and were deeply influenced by the sounds and songs from the area. And everything from the drum machines to the squelchy bass lines is just delicious. Highlight? All of the aforementioned elements synergizing with the vocal rhythms on the marvellous “Taq ou-Dub”.

14. boygenius - “The Rest”

THE BOYS give us another 4 songs after their much-praised debut earlier this year - and what a year to be alive, at the same time as these three brilliant friends and songwriters. I got to see the live show and it immediately was one of my favorite concert experiences ever. And it is the reason the record isn’t in my top 20 - don’t be angry - those songs were just better live, for me personally. And they ripped. “Satanist” grew fangs, “$20” exploded into the Vancouver dusk, “Revolution 0” felt so resonant and piercing. I couldn’t go back to the studio recordings after that, in the best way.

But the softer, more live-feeling material (that they hadn’t performed at that show) on the rest sat just right, and I was floored by Julien’s “Black Hole” and “powers”, two of my favorite things she’s ever written. Don’t paint me as a hater, I promise you, a universe where boygenius are making any music is the one I want to be in. I rarely have live versions of songs become more precious to me than the studio recordings, so when it happens, I take it as a sign that I am encountering a truly once-in-a-lifetime band.

15. Chappell Roan - “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”

My dad and my partner both urged me to listen to Chappell, and it took me way too long to finally give this record the attention it deserves. I’m glad I did - what a stunning set of songs, ranging from high camp / Gaga-style pomp (“Femininomenon”, “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”) to cinematic, compelling balladry (“California”, “Kaleidoscope”) to pure pop fun (“Pink Pony Club”, “Naked in Manhattan”). With not a dull moment or weak link in sight, these are 14 fully realized songs from someone truly poised to become a phenomenon.

16. Blake Mills - “Jelly Road”

Hot take: Blake’s solo records are as good as his productions for others, honestly. And he’s a great producer… Last year’s wildly experimental Perfume Genius record was in my top 5, and this year’s Feist record also features his contributions. It’s hard to say if Jelly Road is his best solo work, but it is certainly the one I have connected with most deeply. “Unsingable” features an understated but simply lovely melody - “A Fez” tells its story with grace and intimacy, in both words and production. And “Skeleton is Walking” is the best guitar solo of the year, hands down.

17. Sofia Kourtesis - “Madres”

I’ve loved Sofia’s work since I discovered her fantastic EP Fresia Magdalena a few years back (and played “By Your Side” endlessly that summer!), and have been eagerly awaiting a full length release from her since. Madres was more than worth the years of anticipation. This is dance music with such vibrance and soul, bursting with color and hope, even amidst some difficult circumstances that inspired its creation. The statement at the heart of “How Music Makes You Feel Better” could feel trite in other hands - here, in the context of Sofia’s story, it feels like a revelation. The opening four tracks are perhaps some of my favorite dance music ever created, stuffed with varied voices, textures, dissonances, tensions, and flavors. It brings me a deep and lasting joy to engage with this music, and it has changed my perception of what I thought was possible in this genre.

18. Nothing, Full of Hell - “When No Birds Sang”

A late addition to the list, this was my legendary (and also prone to list-making) friend Josh Field’s recommendation. I had just started getting into Nothing’s discography last year, and had never heard anything from Full of Hell. But this collabo EP delivers everything I love from heavy: Crushing, crashing riffs (“Rose Tinted World”, “Spend the Grace”) contrasted against expansive beauty (“Wild Blue”, “Like Stars in the Firmament”). It was only released earlier this month, and will certainly be getting a lot more plays in the early months of 2024.

19. billy woods, Kenny Segal - “Maps”

billy woods is brilliant, with a better vocabulary than any rapper I’ve heard in the last decade. Whether or not this could still be called “underground hip hop”, given the rapid rise in popularity of his body of work in the past few years, doesn’t really matter - none of the creativity and innovation that defined woods’ earlier albums I’ve loved is lost here, and every beat is packed with ideas and bursting with … I dunno, SAUCE… I don’t have the vocabulary to elaborate on this brilliant vocabulary (both musically and lyrically), clearly. In any case, “FaceTime”, “Soundcheck”, “Year Zero” and “Rapper Weed” are my favs here.

20. Sufjan Stevens - “Javelin”

I struggled with this last place. Any of my honorable mentions could have sat here, and I tried writing about each of them, but nothing felt right. Ultimately Javelin is a tough record for me. It is so clearly an incredible, deeply impactful piece of work from one of my favorite artists, ever. But it hits so hard. I was levelled - no, destroyed - emotionally, reading Sufjan’s dedication to his late partner, and then listening to “Goodbye Evergreen”. “Will Anybody Ever Love Me” took on new resonance in this light, as did “So You Are Tired”, as did “Shit Talk”. There was no escaping how heavy this material is, much like 2015’s Carrie & Lowell. But in 2015 I hadn’t yet experienced the lows that I have in the years since, and yet my experience of that record still destroyed me. Thus I knew, when Javelin arrived, (and being in the place I was emotionally), that I had to limit how much I engaged with it.

So, here’s where I will leave this: I know this is a great record. I know it has both devastating emotional resonance and an equally fierce hopefulness burning at its heart. And I think one day I’ll be able to give it all the attention it deserves. But until then, I think this is an appropriate place to leave Javelin. And my heart, mind and spirit all lie with Sufjan. I hope he never has to tour this material, and that circumstances get much better for him, and that he can be happy and just make average ambient music for the rest of his career if he wants. I send my love.

Honorable Mentions:

- Ice Spice - “Like…?”

- Hozier - “Unreal Unearth”

- 100 gecs - “10,000 gecs”