Albums Of The Year 2023

The trio’s first record of new material since 2017’s After Laughter, This Is Why is a jubilant, if somewhat clichéd departure from the band’s EMO/pop-punk roots, leaving After Laughter’s synth-pop behind and instead wholly embracing naughties alt-rock head-on. The opening (and title) track switches from shimmering to urgent. The News observes both the state of the world and our collective obsession with observing from afar. “Shut your eyes but it won’t go away” Williams bellows. C’est Comme Ça kicks off with a riff reminiscent of Hard-Fi’s 2005 hit Hard To Beat. The glorious Big Man, Little Dignity is in your face but evokes the very best of alt-rock from years past. Figure 8 is peppered with Taylor York’s lightly screaming guitars, continuing to offer the perfect antidote to Williams’ narrative vocals. Gorgeous ballad Liar is, no doubt, the understated highlight of this record, “love is not an easy thing to admit, but I am not ashamed of it” Williams sings softly as acoustic guitars are picked. Zac Farro’s constant pace, across the oftentimes sparsely instrumented Crave give the tune its road-trip vibe. The 36-minute record is closed out in triumphant style with moody Thick Skull, “it looks like I’m caught red-handed” Williams breathes at it’s close.

– Kalpesh Patel

Lovers of Beartooth’s articulate self-loathing will hate this album, because Caleb Shomo and co have turned a corner towards self love. Early release Riptide signalled a change in Beartooth’s outlook, and their determination to become the best version of themselves rings out like a challenge in every note. The change in direction has brought no loss of intensity in their ferocious sound, and gives you opportunities to slam like there’s no tomorrow while filling yourself with positive affirmations. It’s equal parts confessional, love letter to yourself and incredibly powerful post-modern metal album, and combining savage metal guitar with pounding drums and a layer of fragile hope is a stunning combination.

 – Kate Allvey

Sean Lee Bowie as a person is someone that can’t be put in a box and the music from their enigmatic musical alter ego Yves Tumor also cannot be pinned down. Whilst this record draws on influences from across the musical landscape, it’s the guitars that drive you through this record. The opener God is A Circle opens the album with driving bass and drum beats with sporadic discordant guitar. The opening words show It shows self doubt, vulnerability and introspection: “Sometimes, it feels like, there’s places in my mind that I can’t go. There’s people in my life I still don’t know, Wander ’round, I just feel like a ghost in a well”. These are feelings that follow through the record, in a stark contrast to the maximalist soundscapes. Meteora Blues goes from an acoustic strum pattern in the verse to an incredible distorted guitar in the chorus like any grunge band of the 90’s would be proud of and lyrics of “I’ll always pray to an empty sky” longing for acceptance into the spiritual afterlife. Echolalia continues contemplating the divine with the words “Maybe it’s something you need and you want, but you think it’s love – it’s not love.” The album deals with spiritual trauma and Ebony Eyes the final track comes to a fantastic crescendo with realisation on the afterlife “there’s no other way than the pearly gates, I found my holy place” with another cacophonous display of sound and power. Every so often an album of the stature of Praise a Lord… shows that this genre can be warped, shifted and moulded into something that’s incredibly exciting and a sonically thrilling listen.

 – Chris Lambert

I think I came to the LDR party a little late, this is her 9th album in 11 years and I only started to listen to her this year. Did You Know, has a beautiful feeling to it mixes retro Hollywood carefreeness from the 1960s with today’s modern angst, songs flow beautifully and its exactly why the physical album works so well rather than hearing it’s tracks individually on Spotify. Somehow this record means more after seeing her live in the summertime at Hyde Park and you can see that her fans have an unbelievable connection that makes everything she does a major life changing event. I have listened to many albums this year and this is the one I return to most!

 – Simon Jay Price

With fourth album Heavy Heavy, Edinburgh’s brilliant, uncompromisingly genre-defying Young Fathers have stepped assuredly into a new league. It’s 32 minutes and ten tightly crafted pop/rock/hip-hop/gospel bolts of joy. Full of hooks and singalong choruses yet dense, intricate- at times almost bewildering and intense in its range of ideas, Heavy Heavy veers wildly between styles but somehow melds together into a near-perfect long player. The 3 main vocalists, Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham Hastings share lead singing/ rapping/ growling duties throughout, with glorious outlier Ululation given over to female vocalist Taps Mambo. The irresistible drumbeats of opening track Rice lead straight into the 6/8 glam stomp of I Saw – Bankole’s iconic, barking opening salvo picked up by Hastings and the soaring vocals of Massaquoi, before ending unexpectedly with a childlike refrain of ‘Brush your teeth, wash your face, run away’. From the exhilarating Drum with its swapping and layering vocals, to the building, Sigur Ros-esque euphoric beauty of Tell Somebody, the relative serenity of Geronimo, the urgency of Shoot Me Down or Holy Moly to the gospel choir-tinged Sink Or Swim – this is an album breathtaking in its audacity. Songs regularly switch vocal style, instruments, genre and time signature but the sheer number of hooks and memorable lyrics make it all so joyous and exuberant. I’ve been lucky enough to see them twice this year and it’s apparent that Young Fathers are an act at the absolute top of their game. Electrifying, bold and urgent. Don’t bother trying to describe their sound- just dive in and enjoy it.

 – Sarah Kavanagh

This record has been in demand since the “supergroup” of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus came about back in 2018, resulting in the group’s eponymous EP dropping that year. But 2023 gave us The Record as well as follow-up EP, The Rest. Unlike your average supergroup, all three leads are frontwomen in their own right and perform as such with boygenius. Opening tune Without You Without Them is a brief acapella “ditty”, unlike anything you might expect to hear on a contemporary record before the indie-rock proper kicks off with Julien Baker-penned $20, gorgeous vocal harmonies building to cacophonous screams. Phoebe Bridgers’ stylings immediately glisten from Emily I’m Sorry before it’s the turn of Lucy Dacus on True Blue. The rest of the record is certainly more collaborative in nature and constantly leaves us wanting for more. Cool About It’s retro alt-country feel introduces banjo without the instrument detracting from delicate vocals. Not Strong Enough is a true highlight, borrowing from Joni Mitchell’s 1970s Laurel Canyon stylings, 1980s New Wave and 1990s Sheryl Crow unabashedly, creating a soaring gem. The stripped-back blink and you’ll miss it Leonard Cohen weaves in such lyrics as “I am not an old man having an existential crisis at a Buddhist monastery writing horny poetry” and leaves you wanting to understand where this music came from. Satanist provides a bop-along indie-rock tune that counters the sway-along tracks that precede it. Baker-led Anti-Curse is just brilliant, “writin’ the words to the worst love song you’ve ever heard” she croons resplendent. Subdued piano-led closer Letter To An Old Poet continues the stripped-back nature of many of The Record’s songs but brings our three leads together for one, final, triumphant chorus.

– Kalpesh Patel

Bridgend’s finest go from strength to strength on third album Inhale/Exhale. Firmly establishing themselves as the standard bearers of the New Wave of Classic Rock scene, this is another great album from one of the most exciting British bands around. Two sold-out UK tours either side of this release shows they continue to gain more and more recognition. Inhale/Exhale is a breathless experience from start to finish and is no different from their previous albums and that isn’t a criticism. They are amongst the best at what they do as they deliver yet more amazing Radio Rock anthems like Man On Fire and See You Again. They are also capable of delivering epic ballads like This Time I’m Ready. Shane Greenhall’s vocals are outstanding and are perfect for the emotive and inspiring lyrics. Album closer Waiting For You is a departure from their usual sound and proves that they have the versatility that will carry them to even greater heights that will hopefully see these arena rock anthems played in arena sized venues. Thunderous riffs galore and soaring choruses on almost every track makes this a record that absolutely has to be played at full volume.

 – Will Maxwell

Mother Road is the best blues rock record I’ve heard in years, it’s clear why Grace Potter has a couple of Grammy nominations under her belt. With high-quality musicianship and songwriting, this album was recorded in Nashville and Topanga Canyon with an A-list cast of session musicians and production by Eric Valentine. From the opening notes of Mother Road, Grace take us on a trip down the lonesome highways and byways of America, mainly written while taking long drives during the pandemic, Grace is a woman on a mission, full throated heartfelt vocals that always have another story to tell. She’s always Ready Set, Go to hit the wide open roads looking for more adventure, while remembering what it was like to be a 9 year old runaway on the scarily evocative Little Hitchhiker. Grace explores her wildest side through Lady Vagabond who is restless for the next adventure, town, drug or sexual conquest all accompanied by the catchy hard to forget sleazy blues bedrock, she has no intention of needing Rose-Coloured Rearview regrets. I find it impossible to just listen to this album once it always demands at least two listens, it closes with Masterpiece which is exactly what this album sounds like to me.

– Simon Phillips

Having seen them on the Dogtooth stage at Download Festival in the summer, the cult London five-piece released their third album in November on Nuclear Blast records and it’s their most accomplished album to date. Green Lung are somewhat of a throwback to an era of rock music that told stories of mythical heroes in bygone times of yor. It’s a sound that seems so familiar but it doesn’t sound like they’re directly copying & pasting a particular framework. It’s charming and blends 70’s rockers Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull and Rainbow, celebrating one of the most successful periods of British Rock music by bringing a 21st century spin to it. The quality of the musicians is there for all to see. John Wright’s organ solo on Maxine (Witch Queen) is comparable to Deep Purple’s Jon Lord on Highway Star whilst Song of the Stones has guitar work from Scott Black that Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour would be proud of. Vocalist Tom Templar shows his dynamic range from delicate verses to Bruce Dickinson & Freddie Mercury cries and album highlight One For Sorrow showcases his talents. Hunters In The Sky powers through calling on more mythical tales of the Wistman’s Wood in Dartmoor. “When you hear a howling come across the sky, you’ll know that this will be the day that you die.” The drumming of Matt Wiseman is not short on quality as The Ancient Ways is driven along with great power. With Joseph Guest on bass, the five are a real tight knit unit and concluding with Oceans of Time, the album advances to its final and most evocative climax whilst still having archetypal lyrics like  “I have hunted from Whitby to Whitechapel” conjuring up themes of Dracula. It’s a perfect synthesis of prog rock and metal, a quintessentially British rock album drawing on old formulas for a fresh new take. A masterful journey into the occult, mysticism and sorcery. Why fight it?! Come along for a ride with the devil!

 – Chris Lambert