THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2023
Get lost in the spellbinding songwriting, blasted out beats and infectious melodies of the best LPs this year had to offer
Editor’s Note
I don't quite know what will be the explanation, but 2023 was one of the most exciting years for music in recent memory. Some of the more dedicated readers will remember me lamenting how boring it had been halfway through the year, shortsightedly pointing out how there were minimal essential records out for people to really dig into. Now, at the end of the year, I could hardly fit them all into one list. This was the first year that I got to listen to some of these albums at parties with the artists themselves, or just a little bit early from a press copy. While I haven’t exactly been active on this Substack or the ANTIART Instagram account, this year has certainly been a busy and successful one for us. It reflects such an excellent year for popular and underground music, which I’ll explore in this article and tomorrow’s, The Best Songs of 2023. Stay tuned for that and other ANTIART related updates. Love you all. Cheers to three years of ANTIART!!!
(I’m going to just list out 50-16 then go into detail with the final 15)
(50) Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS
(49) Alan Palomo, World of Hassle
(48) Model/Actriz, Dogsbody
(47) Mitski, The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We
(46) MIKE, Burning Desire
(45) Yeat, Afterlyfe
(44) Troye Sivan, Something To Give Each Other
(43) Frost Children, SPEED RUN
(42) 2hollis, 2
(41) Geese, 3D Country
(40) The Lemon Twigs, Everything Harmony
(39) 100 gecs, 1000 gecs
(38) Overmono, Good Lies
(37) Peso Pluma, Génesis
(36) Everything But The Girl, Fuse
(35) The Japanese House, In The End It Always Does
(34) PinkPantheress, heaven knows
(33) Kelela, Raven
(32) boygenius, The Record
(31) Genesis Owusu, Struggler
(30) The Weeknd, Live at Sofi Stadium
(29) Róisín Murphy / DJ Koze, Hit Parade
(28) yeule, softscars
(27) Eartheater, Powders
(26) ANOHNI and The Johnsons, My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross
(25) Kara Jackson, Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
(24) Wednesday, Rat Saw God
(23) Navy Blue, Ways of Knowing
(22) George Clanton, Ooh Rap I Ya!
(21) Yaeji, With A Hammer
(20) Earl Sweatshirt, Voir Dire
(19) Amaree, Fountain Baby
(18) Yves Tumor, Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
(17) billy woods / Kenny Segal, Maps
(16) Hotline TNT, Cartwheel
Top 15 Albums of 2023
(15) Thy Slaughter, Soft Rock
The better-late-than-never debut from PC Music core members A.G. Cook and EASYFUN comes on the heels of the death of the label and hyperpop writ large. While it is a bittersweet proposition in the same way that Hannah Diamond’s record from this year was, the duo gave this epilogue of an LP everything they have. With high flying guitar solos, gorgeous synth flourishes, sticky melodies, SOPHIE co-writing credits and features from Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek and HYD, Soft Rock gives PC Music the Viking funeral send off to Valhalla that it deserves.
(14) Water From Your Eyes, Everyone’s Crushed
As a songwriter myself, it is so refreshing to see a band make music that is catchy while still bucking the verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus structure that is so prevalent throughout all popular music. Everyone’s Crushed ironically begins with the song “Structure”, a bizarre and structureless synth experiment with light singing, before transitioning to “Barley”, who’s entire lyrical body consists of “1 2 3 4, I count, mountains, 1 2 3, counter, you’re a cool thing count mountains.” The focus is on not making sense, but instead giving in to the mathlike cascades of guitar chords, odd percussive hits and angelically sung nonsense. It’s a puzzle that I’ll be happy to attempt to solve forever.
(13) Liturgy, 93696
There is so much that I could say about this album and artist but I have so little time. With each passing album, the avid Liturgy fan gets further and further dug into Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix’s complex, interwoven theory of everything – whether that be on the subject of metaphysics, aesthetics, or on this record, heaven. The project has been running since the early ‘00s, yet it continues to find fresh avenues to explore with its thirst for knowledge. From a purely musical standpoint, Hunt-Hendrix boldly explores black metal, acoustic rock, religious hymnals and keyboard movements in a way that no artist ever has or probably ever will. 93696 asks a lot of the listener, but in turn, rewards so heavily.
(12) Youth Lagoon, Heaven Is A Junkyard
Youth Lagoon was always an indie darling name that I always heard floating around in my hardcore Pitchfork days. I would see the Best New Music accolades, trusting that this is something I should pay attention to. Maybe I was too young and was just not ready to hear such washed out and patient balladry, but it never did anything for me. Now, at the age of 27, listening to the new record called Heaven Is a Junkyard, I’m being moved to tears by nearly every song. On first listen, simple sentiments like “I’m back to work, that’s over / Now all I want is fun / Yeah, my work ain’t hard but it’s gotta get done” hit so hard. This is a record that takes personal, blue collar experiences and shines an artistic light on them. It’s creatively produced, a little creepy and shady, but ultimately it’s the heart conveyed through lead singer Trevor Powers’ vocals that make it all come together so well.
(11) Avalon Emerson, & The Charm
For many years, Avalon Emerson had a similar strategy to someone like Yaeji or Peggy Gou, dropping spare singles to fuel the main creative lane, which was DJing. However, this year she made a significant change, transitioning her persona, adding “& The Charm” to her artist name, and making dream pop. The debut Avalon Emerson & The Charm record is almost so straightforward and free of frill that this becomes the art. Over a breezy nine tracks, Emerson creates some of the best pop music of the year. She uses the intuition and patience that she learned from all those years DJing to take her time with these tracks, producing really odd yet still structured cuts like “Dreamliner” and “A Dam Will Always Divide”. I’d argue however that she succeeds most when she cuts through the pink haze, as on “Karaoke Song” or my favorite “Hot Evening”. There is something to be said for tasteful and concise pop that does what it needs to do and keeps it moving, and Avalon has a bright future in this field. She’s ahead of the game on such a self-assured and lushly produced debut.
(10) André 3000, New Blue Sun
When it comes to naming any single rapper the GOAT, the discourse has always had a tough time with someone like Andre 3000. Sure, pound-for-pound, bar-for-bar, he might be the greatest to ever grace a microphone. His work with Outkast alongside longtime collaborator Big Boi is globally recognized as some of the best to come out of the genre. His feature work for people like Frank Ocean, Travis Scott and Kanye West is untouched in many ways. The world has been waiting for him to drop a solo rap project in order to give him his crown, and what did he do? He said fuck all that, it’s flute time. On his first ever solo outing, Andre and his producers craft what can only be described as freewheeling New Age flute jazz meditations, and let me tell you, this thing continues to blow me away with each listen. He has no concern for brevity, hence song titles like “The Slang Word P(*)ssy Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina . Do You Agree?”, and instead he lets the wind take him where it may. New Blue Sun is not just a gimmick or exceptional because it’s Andre, it’s just a wonderfully weird and well-crafted record that makes me want to explore this genre further. This is what ANTIART strives to highlight, music that bucks all conventions yet still manages to be more replayable than most “normal” music around it.
(9) Julia Byrne, The Greater Wings
(8) King Krule, Space Heavy
Archy Marshall aka King Krule has been at it for over ten years at this point, and yet, he still sounds like he has so much to say. His newest record Space Heavy feels like a retrospective of his entire career. We get simple balladry that reminds me of his debut, dark noir howling like “Hamburgerphobia” that brings me back to The Ooz, reflective moments that recall A New Place 2 Drown, and more straightforward but still slanted rock that goes back to his last LP. It is a really well done yet dreary showcase of his best work, and what has made the project so special to date. His boyish, echoed vocals still haunt every corner, as on “Flimsier”, while elsewhere switchblade sharp bass and guitar riffs dominate cuts like “Pink Shell”. Not much else to say other than Archy still got it.
(7) Kali Uchis, Red Moon In Venus
2023 has been a year filled with artists who are on their third or fourth album, finally honing the craft we’ve been watching them forge at for years. Kali Uchis is no exception, and perhaps she is the best example of an artist finally nailing down their sound without getting overaught or predictable (with the exception of one to come later in the list). Red Moon In Venus takes her flirtations with R&B, funk and Spanish-pop to new heights, creating a work that feels cohesive and fluid. Here, we are invited into her warm garden to smell the roses, and in doing so we get lost in the gorgeous soundscapes her and her producers craft. Whether this be on life affirming, ‘70s inspired single “I Wish You Roses”, the love-turned-sour ballad “Moral Conscience” or the seductive duet with her partner Don Toliver on “Fantasy”, Kali never feels like she falters from the vision she lays out with the instrumental opener.
(6) Sampha, Lahai
(5) Nourished By Time, Erotic Probiotic 2
Typically, whenever Pitchfork waves its wand and spawns a Best New Music out of thin air, I am resistant to fully engaging with it. Well, 2023 is the year that I’ve gotten over my stupid ego and started to embrace art detached from promotional media. Marcus Brown aka Nourished By Time, has absolutely floored me with his debut (!) record Erotic Probiotic 2, a beautiful addition to the R&B meta. Here, Brown seems far less concerned with lust and cheap connection than he is with, well, just living. “Shed That Fear” is not only extremely catchy and well-produced, but its lyrics like “You gotta shed that fear / Of passing away / In order to live / Your life everyday” is plain powerful. By straying from the new norm of going overly conceptional and instead making music that comes from the heart, Brown creates a brief but well manicured collection of songs that cut past all the bullshit that we obsess over on a daily basis. Songs like “Daddy”, “The Fields” and “Rain Water Promise” all speak to heavy topics like spiritual doubt, yet never feel too obtuse or rough to fit into a party playlist. This is just a solid first showing for an artist with immense talent.
(4) Caroline Polachek, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
It’s always makes me hopeful for the future of art to know that there are artists who still seek to execute on hyper specific visions. In the age of cheap streaming, dime-a-dozen pop pap, Caroline Polachek is an artist that continues to stand out amongst the rubbish. Since before I even read a music blog, Caroline Polachek has been chiseling away at this statue of herself, getting closer and closer to the purest image. 2019’s Pang came close, but it’s Desire… that feels like a final form to me. Her cryptic, catchy lyricism interwoven with this strange, psychedelic pop production creates a one-of-one experience that will inevitably be copied a million times. This spellbinding fusion of hyperpop, rock, piano balladry, adult contemporary, trip hop and even flamenco on “Sunset” begs the head scratching listener to trust the process. There’s really not much more we could’ve asked for from such a veteran in the genre. This is a nearly perfect batch of tracks that I’ll have on repeat for years to come.
(3) Lana Del Rey, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?
Since NFR! in 2019, Lana Del Rey has stopped making pop albums and started to write us novels, with musical accompaniment by Jack Antonoff. Like Sufjan Stevens before her, each passing collection of life chapters paints a personal portrait of our flawed but beautiful United States, a place where dreams come true just as quickly as they die from a fentanyl overdose. Flaws and all, Lana’s latest is her absolute greatest, cashing in on the premature promise that Pitchfork credited her with many years ago. Whereas her previous albums, like Ultraviolence, felt like the same toxic romance story written ten times in a row, each individual track feels meticulously worked over and cared for like a child. “A&W” is the one that’s gotten the most attention this year and for good reason. Sex work is the backbone of America, and it’s really daring and brave for her to give an honest ode to that profession through an 8-minute, two part song. The record is patient and spacious, like a director’s cut. She allows Antonoff to serenade his wife Margaret Qualley, revamps her NFR! track “Venice Bitch” with a strange remix, and even gives Judah Smith and Jon Baptiste their own interludes. It’s not about her, it’s about everyone, even the cover listing all the collaborators says as much. While this feature length record may demand your time and full attention, it’s a deeply rewarding experience from start to finish with very little fluff despite it’s vastness.
(2) Sufjan Stevens, Javelin
Picking this record over Lana’s was extremely difficult, and honestly, kind of arbitrary. They’re both A-level projects from greatest current American songwriter 1a and 1b. They’re both the culmination of many years of hard work and great records. They both take the most fun experimental parts from their lesser part work and use it to give themselves an X-factor on this one. The choice of Sufjan over Lana is a sheer decision of brevity. Sufjan’s album is half as long, allowing him to deliver ten perfect tracks that cut to the chase. After three years of ranking albums in this way, with the vast majority of the reviews coming from my perspective, I’ve learned to stop lying to myself. I have a bias for fatless LPs. I like Rubber Soul over The White Album, I’m going Yeezus over MBDTF, I’m looping The Weeknd’s last two outings 100 times over and not listening to Drake’s latest 23 song stream troll even once. Javelin is just plain and simple a top three Sufjan record, it might become my number one with some time. This is a master at his craft coming back out of the shadows to effortlessly take the throne that rightfully belongs to him. It’s also a great and touching tribute to his late lover that expresses that from top to bottom.
(1) JPEGMAFIA / Danny Brown, SCARING THE HOES
You already know what the fuck it is. SCARING THE MOTHERFUCKING HOES. ANTIART will endlessly reward the albums and records each year that embody the word “ANTIART”. I will never give a 6-hour gnarly jazz-fusion metal noise fest album of the year, and I’ll never give it to a basic pop album like Pitchfork or Fantano would. Last year ROSALIA won, the year before it was SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, and the year before it was After Hours by the Weekend. Each of these albums do whatever they want whenever they want track for track for track, making no concessions and greatly succeeding throughout. JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown are two men that have done this since their very first projects respectively, and coming together, they exponentially multiply their “not giving a fuck” powers. Every song here follows the format of verse from JPEG, verse from Danny, yet I could never see the twists and turns. Each beat hurts my brain at just how masterfully and dizzying the samples and original productions are arranged. It’s boundless, genreless and without a single ounce of filler. It’s a record that’s more addictive than gambling, sex, weed and pussy combined. It’s everything. All these other records will be microscopic particles lost to the sands of time, but in the year 4056 the hoes will still be scared by this one. (I don’t use the word “hoe” IRL like that but this record is so good that it is what it is. Fuck it. Sorry to the all the hoes of all genders who were offended and hopefully one day you won’t be so scared, I love you.)
THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST TIME I EVER DO ONE OF THESE LISTS SO ENJOY IT, PEACE.