What’s In The Box: Albums of 2023

It’s getting towards the end of the year so it is time to assemble a list of my favourite albums released in 2023. I have sporadically posted lists in the past e.g. here.

These twenty albums were the ones I liked the most (and the ones that I thought other people might like to hear).

• Boygenius – The Record (Rock, Country) [link]
• Sumos – Surfacing (Scuzz Pop, Indie) [link]
• Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music (Jazz) [link]
• Hiromi – Sonicwonderland (Jazz) [link]
• Zulu – A New Tomorrow (Black Powerviolence, Multigenre) [link]
• Exhibition – The Last Laugh (Hardcore Punk) [link]
• Slowdive – everything is alive (Shoegaze) [link]
• Throw Down Bones – Three (Psychedelic Rock) [link]
• The Electric Soft Parade – Avenue Dot (Indie Rock) [link]
• Smote – Genog (Kraturock, Psychedelic Rock) [link]
• Sweet Williams – Sweet Williams (Experimental) [link]
• Hammock – Love in the Void (Post-Rock) [link]
• Seablite – Lemon Lights (Shoegaze) [link]
• Year Of The Knife – No Love Lost (Screamo, Hardcore) [link]
• Trees Speak – Mind Maze (Psychedelic Rock) [link]
• Swandive – The Lonestar (Alternative Rock) [link]
• bdrmm – I Don’t Know (Indie Rock) [link]
• Buddie – Agitator (Indie Rock) [link]
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra – V (Psychedelic Rock) [link]
• BC Camplight – The Last Rotation Of Earth (Alternative Rock) [link]

I’ve restrained myself from writing a snippet about each of these records. I end the year smitten with the boygenius album. Their 2018 release on Matador didn’t do much for me. This year though, from the 3-track pre-release of The Record in January, through The Record, The Film, their numerous media appearances and The Rest; I have really taken to this trio. The songwriting, the talent, even down to the “straight edge” styling of their name on their web address. I know they will be at the top of everyone else’s end-of-year list, but they deserve to be.

I have included bandcamp or equivalent links if you’d like to check any of these records out.

As ever, I’m very thankful for the recommendations of new music that come from folks on Mastodon or from the music bloggers out there who are keeping it real.

Honourable mention

I also enjoyed these records, although they didn’t make it into my top 20.

• Witch – Zango (Afro-Psyche)
• Sparklehorse – Bird Machine (Lo-Fi)
• DRAIN – LIVING PROOF (Hardcore)
• Nick Frater – Bivouac (Powerpop)
• Helicon – God Intentions (Psychedelic Rock)
• Hey Calamity – Desperation (Indie Rock)
• HOUSE Of ALL – HOUSE Of ALL (Indie Rock)
• Teenage Fanclub – Nothing Lasts Forever (Alternative Rock)
• Godflesh – Purge (Industrial)
• Gruff Rhys – The Almond And The Seahorse (Soundtrack)
• Thomas Walsh – The Rest Is History (Power Pop)

Extended plays

I have loved the recent releases by Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan on Castles in Space. This year, he put out an EP “Building a New Town” which I liked a lot. I also heavily played an EP by Scowl, titled Psychic Dance Routine.

Most played

Once again, I crunched the numbers to determine my top 5 most-played tracks of the year (regardless of year of release).

• BENCHPRESS – STAY HATED
• The Beths – Jump Rope Gazers
• Hiromi – Sonicwonderland
• boygenius – True Blue
• High Vis – Talk For Hours

More?

For more album recommendations you can follow my bot, AlbumsX3.

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The post title comes from “What’s In The Box (See Whatcha Got)” by The Boo Radleys from their “C’mon Kids” album. I seem to remember that this song is about what’s in your record box, although I couldn’t find any confirmation on the web.