As a bit of a preface, as I am on holiday and I have other tasks to try and take care of, this is going to be relatively brief unfortunately. While I initially have hopes of expanding it on even further, that might have to wait for next year. With other priorities to focus on now, I will only mention maybe three shout-outs to try and wrap this up. As per usual, I won’t go simply go for the ones that I have rated highly even if they see little attention. Aside from that, I hope that you enjoy your new year!
Best Album of 2023
Toda la vida, un día – Silvia Pérez Cruz
Even if you do not speak Spanish, Silvia Pérez Cruz’s recent output feels like an odyssey through the ups, downs, twists, and turns of life. The varied variety of instrumentations that was owed to the native Catalan scene and the structure of the whole album creates a certain kind of sentiment which feels comparable to Romanticism. As you immerse yourself more and more into its nuances and wonders, so too does its impact weigh more and more on you, leaving behind a slow grower that rewards the curious.
Honourable Mentions
The Worm – HMLTD
Many artists have sought to leave a kind of artistic statement that feels relevant of its time while remaining awe-inspiring in its ambitions. Many have sought to create a rock opera that feels like a sneak-peek into a masterpiece of a musical that never was. Few could pull it off quite like HMLTD whose post-punk roots have mutated into a postmodern weaving of mental health, social commentary, and literary cohesioln into one evocative album. One that saw great battles between the worms and the humans that continues to remind you nonetheless of the present…
After the Magic – Parannoul
The anonymous South Korean singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist have left a momentous follow-up to To See the Next Part of the Dream. While the sentiments still remain, the shoegaze direction and the sound palette have evolved far beyond anyone’s expectation. The dazzling electronica and thundrous crescendos truly feel like snowstorms that threaten to cloud and divide youthful love. Bittersweet is at its core as, much like so many of our dreams, we are forced to move on from its magic even if everything seems so fantastical at the moment.
Scaring The Hoes – Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA
Two avant-rap aficionados have decided to team up for one unhinged, wild, inglorious collab that balances the line between shitposting and brilliance. One goofy-ass line might leave you laughing while the other leaves you shook, the beats sound weird one minute before Peggy turns up the ante in its shrill. When you have features from notable upcomers like Redveil with their own flows, you know you are in for a ride. It’s no Madvillainy, but it’s the kind of lightning that could leave its marks for a week or so with ease.
As Small As Ants – This is the Glasshouse
What should’ve been a bunch of b-sides and throwaways was instead overflowed with surprising passion and frantic blend of sexual questions and pastoral semantics. As much as listeners would opt to call its bombastity similar to Black Country, New Road, its queerness, fractured vocals, and slightly odd lyricisms feel reminiscent of Jordaan Mason. It could have been an easy addition into the Honourable Mentions section with Sufjan Stevens taking this spot instead, but the potential is too apparent to ignore. I can’t wait to see what they could come up next.
Best Song of 2023
‘Old Death’ – Car Colors
Many artists would spend years, if not decades, to perfect their works if they are privy to its quality. When Charles Bissell, former co-frontman of the Wrens and infamous perfectionist, have finally released his first output in two decades, it’s mind-blowing how epic it is. I have already did some writing on it, but if there is one extra comment I think is worth throwing in, it’s well worth the wait since even 1989, let alone 2003. The guitars continue to soar as the depth of feeling like a failure seeps in more and ore. For fans of the downtrodden, the ne’er-do-wells, and the ex-dream chasers, show me your secret ways.
Shout-outs of 2023
My Name Is… – What Is Your Name?
It might not be the most exciting name one could think of for a band or project, but What Is Your Name? has started up something that feels… genuine? My Name Is… might not have always landed its ambitions with grace, but it does have a knack at showing off how important expressiveness is in singing. The chamber orchestration is a nice touch in conjunction with the Midwest emo tidbits and the highlights really put into perspective the talent that was shown. We might be witnessing the next big name in indie music.
ANOCHI – Gezan with Million Wish Collective
As chaotic as it is tribalistic, ANOCHI feels like a great way to dive into Japan’s more eccentric music scenes. The collaboration between the two bands chant and batter like modern-day music clans on record. While its style might come off as being a bit of an acquired taste for a lot of listeners, it might strike up a certain admiration for those who do. If weird is the best compliment one could wish for, then ANOCHI would no doubt have put the two bands closer to Boredoms’ legacy as the strangest piece of artists in the country’s music scene.
Careful! – Deeper
Sometimes, all you need in an album to come off as especially good isn’t some avant-garde switcheroo. Instead, it’s all about the cohesion and the suaveness. Deeper’s latest record push itself through with an attractive production that modernises its post-punk sound with a certain new wave shine. Additionally, the combination of both tight instrumental performance and technical dexterity that makes clear each band member’s talent. You don’t need something completely new every time; it is perfectly fine to have one record that just does its job well.
GutterPutter 
Leave a comment