Top 50 Albums of 2023: Part 2

14 more albums I loved this year

Since the last post, my little toddler has gotten sick (and mostly recovered) but that ate into some brief writing time. I never set a timeframe on the roll out of this or anything, so there is no “better late than never!” to be had. But Hi!

I have been checking out some more year-end lists and seeing some crossover, some unfamiliar and (of COURSE) finding a few things that probably could make this list. I am CONSCIOUSLY trying not to listen to any albums that aren’t on this list currently, so as not to confuse myself - but have really had an uptick in Christmas music consumption, which has been a true delight.

Anyway, if you’re here at all, you’re here for the albums - let’s gooooooo!

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Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair
Set the Roof EP (Warp)
Infectious bass-heavy 2-step

Honestly, I waffled back and forth on whether or not I was going to include this in the list, put it on the Intro post or just ignore it all together. On the past few lists, I have included a few EPs and short projects, as I started to think the line between an EP and LP continued to blur, but this is the only one on the list this year. It’s 3 tracks and 13 minutes long, but the 3 tracks are basically amongst my 3 favorite dance tracks of the year and I just couldn’t ignore them. Hud Mo doesn’t always hit for me (see most of his full-lengths), but when he does, he REALLY does. This goes into his fun, bass-heavy, rapid-fire beats and the addition of Nikki Nair, who has proven to be one of the more fun DJs around just - idk, this is a blast and rattles the speakers in my car. It’s not an album, but who cares.

James Holden
Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities (Border Community)
The brainwaves of ravers finally coming down after days in the field

I’ve been a fan of James Holden for about 20 years at this point, loving his mixes and many of his singles but never truly connecting with any of his full length albums. This has changed that. This was love at first listen and only improves on subsequent spins. On it’s creation, James envisioned “higher-dimensional rave music from a parallel universe” and cited his childhood love of The KLF, Future Sound of London and Pink Floyd as big influences - and all of that is right on. This IS dance music, there are parts that are in your face, but it has this glossy, dew-drop, sunrise-inspired filter over it that is just so delightful. Look at the album art and there you go. It’s inspired music.

Jeffrey Silverstein
Western Sky Music (Arrowhawk Records)
Western neo-cowboy music that straddles ambient and americana equally

In all honestly, this might be the single easiest album to listen to on this entire list. It’s just 31-minutes long and each time I have gone through it, it feels like time has just floated by. Over the course of this record, Silverstein has created beautiful Western soundscape music that sounds equally like a open prairie as it does like a rugged coastline. It’s the type of music that could accompany an artistic take on a surf documentary but it isn’t chill for chill’s sake. Rather, it feels natural. From the instrumentation to Silverstein’s vocal style. It barely feels like an album, almost more like one long cowboy-affected tone poem.

Johan Dalene
Stained Glass (BIS)
Impressionistic takes on 20th century pieces with violin and piano

I honestly do not know how to talk about classical music, let alone 20th century classical music, but I know when a record really connects with me and this was one of those records. Dalene is a bit of a young prodigy on the violin and through these 13 tracks is joined by Christian Ihle Hadland on piano for some really interesting takes on pieces that may be familiar to you (Pärt, Ravel) and some that may not be (Boulanger, Bacewicz). It’s a unique set of music that, while not perfect, really is able to capture the violinists’ particular vision & inspiration from light through stained glass - that of soft, gentle colors contrasting with harsh, angular rays.

Jonathan Bockelman
Childish Mind (Squama)
Solo acoustic guitar pieces that lean more classical than folk

Maybe it was just the year of acoustic guitar instrumentals for me, but this was a record that I fell for early in the year and continued to listen to through the summer and fall. Bockelman, known moreso for his electronic work with Glaskin, began teaching himself guitar fairly recently and wrote his first original compositions (this record) after studying and transcribing some Ryuichi Sakamoto for guitar (another record he put out this year that isn’t nearly as good). This is quite different from the Hayden Pedigo or Bill Orcutt albums, more in line with modern composition or perhaps the sounds of a solo piano record. Most tracks start with a central theme or motif and build out from there. It’s very gentle music, taking inspiration from the above-mentioned Sakamoto, Bach and composers like Joe Hisaishi. Stunningly beautiful, endlessly replayable and remarkable for a debut record in this style.

José James
On & On (Rainbow Blonde Records)
Vocal jazz tribute to the music of Erykah Badu

I have mixed feelings on José James. He’s been one of the most famous jazz vocalists for about 15 years now and has put out a lot of music, but his romantic style doesn’t always vibe with me. Every record he puts out has a couple of tracks I just adore, but I can’t fully connect with - but his covers records (Billie Holliday, Bill Withers and his Christmas record) do allow him to stretch a bit, unencumbered by actual songwriting to just focus on mood and unique instrumentation to bring new life to songs. This is more of that - and a record I somehow didn’t know existed until I had almost finalized my 50 records for this list. Repeat listens have actually improved the record for me and showcase a true adoration for the Badu originals. He stays James throughout, but the addition of young jazz musicians like Ebban Dorsey & Diana Dzhabbar really ensure that the record doesn’t go the schmaltzy route nor does it go toward a straight-ahead covers record. This is Badu, updated for the modern, young, thriving jazz scene. Find the highest quality audio of this and turn it up.

Julie Byrne
The Greater Wings (Ghostly International)
Breathy-voiced, finger-picked folk with quiet drones

I was blown away by this record the first time I heard it. It was an early morning on the Oregon Coast, where my wife and I had taken our infant son for the second time to spend a long weekend with friends and family. I loved Julie Byrne’s last two records and the experience of seeing her live was life-affirming - but this was different. This felt special, a statement, an emotional release. Julie lost her long-time friend and musical partner Eric Littman suddenly in 2021 and much of this record feels like a peeling back of deep grief, a clawing for hope and brightness. Beautiful hardly describes the sound of the record. It’s deeply sad, personal and yet her brightest record made to date. This is the type of record that people love now, may wind up forgotten in 10 years, but perfect for a new generation to find again in 30 years and weep all over.

La Marisoul & Los Texmaniacs
Corazones & Canciones (Smithsonian Folkways)
A powerful take on Tejano classics

La Santa Cecilia was one of the bands that got me into Spanish-language alt-pop and what I consider to be amongst one of the best scenes of the last 20 years. Their singer, Marisoul’s take on more traditional regional Mexican/Border music with this record is quite different, and it is very POWERFUL. This whole record, put out on the nearly ALWAYS GREAT Smithsonian Folkways (the best record label of all time) has such heart to it. I don’t know the original versions of most of these tracks or even other cover versions, but the performances on this record really transcend the need to understand or translate the lyrics. If you have any sort of love for canciones, rancheras or boleros and you somehow missed this record, you need to get on it.

Lankum
False Lankum (Rough Trade)
An arresting, engulfing take on Irish folk and drone

This is an exhausting listen. All things considered, it might be the most exhausting listen on this whole list. Ultimately, this is a good thing. After a long absence, Lankum returned with a 70-minute track that sounds cut from the deepest, darkest depths of Ireland. It’s an achievement, this record, it’s harrowing and dark and deep and isn’t something you can put on in the background or perhaps not even with other people around. It’s also fantastic. This is as fully realized as a record gets and the placement this record is getting on many year-end lists is proof positive. It isn’t without beauty, but it’s a dark beauty - the same way that many of Scott Walker’s records are. With False Lankum, the band now occupies a space that is their own. It is unlikely to be one that others will be able to climb to (or that they may even want to).

Lionmilk
Intergalactic Warp Terminal 222 (Leaving Records)
A near beat-less, jazzy, lo-fi collection of dreamscapes and human connection

Lionmilk makes music to share love. He describes his work as “Music to feel less whack to” and through his recent releases, he has definitely delivered on that. IWT222 caught me by total surprise and if RYM ratings are to be believed, I might be the person most high on this release on the internet. On the surface, it is 26 tracks of hazy, delightful ambient music. It works as sound healing without going into the sound healing realm, sounding more like a sojourn into your neighborhood park after a long night out than a full-on reset in a spa. There are jazzy elements throughout with distant keyboard keys struck, percussion that almost turns into repetitive hip hop beats but don’t quite get there. It feels like the modern lo-fi movement made more human. Fans of old Mush records or the more experimental stuff on Stones Throw should love this.

Magic Tuber Stringband
Tarantism (Feeding Tube Records)
Psychedelic fiddle, cello, guitar, banjo and pump

The first time I listened to this record, it was exactly what I needed in the moment. I thought “oh, this is the best thing I’ve heard this year”. It’s still obviously amongst the best and I find it completely transfixing, though it’s not at the top of the list. MTS is Courtney Werner on fiddle and cello and Evan Morgan on guitar, banjo, pump organ and shruti box and they make trance-inducing camp fire music that is equal parts the soundtrack to death and decay as the soundtrack to life coming awake in the morning. This is beautiful, archaic, deeply Southern folk music that may just sound unlike any other folk music you’ve heard.

Marine Eyes & IKSRE
Nurture (Past Inside the Present)
Field recordings, dream pop, angelic wordless vocals and tears from your eyes

I cried the first time I heard this record. It was a perfect moment, a memory I will hold forever. One of those rare days between winter and spring in the PNW with the sun out, but the ground wet. I took my 6-month old baby out on a walk along the Columbia River with him strapped to my chest and one Airpod in my ear as I randomly selected this. This was the first time I had been able to have him facing outwards in the pack for a long walk and the combination of weather, his joy at being outside and the music contained on this album just hit me hard (and that is with ONE headphone in!) This will forever be an album that I associate with the most special being in my life and hope to cherish always. This is probably the most outright beautiful record on this list - with it’s combination of found natural sounds and actual sound healing elements. Your breathing will slow, your thoughts will turn inward and you should be at peace. I listened to a lot of ambient/new age/drone/etc albums this year - and this, this is my favorite.

McKinley Dixon
Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? (City Slang)
Jazzy, Toni Morrison-inspired hip hop

This records fits SO MUCH into 28 minutes. McKinley is a different breed, quickly becoming one of (if not my very) favorite rappers going right now. Comparisons are hard, but he raps in a more rapid-fire style, almost like Daveed Diggs or Kendrick or Danny Brown, but not like any of them. His last record was REALLY good but didn’t reach all time classic status due to it’s run-time and some inconsistencies. That’s remedied here, as he trims the fat without sacrificing content or the variety of sounds that make his work so interesting. I said previously that this year I found very few rap records that I loved - this is one that caught me on first listen and required about a dozen more listens immediately after. The best rap record of the year.

Mighty Poplar
Mighty Poplar (Free Dirt Records)
All-star bluegrass/roots “supergroup” makes a near perfect record

What happens when you take some of the best acoustic players in the world (from bands like Watchhouse, Billy Strings, Leftover Salmon and the Punch Brothers) and put them together? Well - they make an incredible record. This is straight-up classic blue/newgrass and if you have any fondness for the style, I cannot understand not loving this. Everyone is in top form and the instrumental (especially Marlin’s fiddle and Pikelny’s banjo) work is just as perfect as can get. Unlike other similar projects, this doesn’t try to be some workout of pure virtuosity and musical prowess, but comes across like a perfectly formed band putting spins on traditional music the best way they can - like they’ve been doing it for decades. More from these guys please!

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Hey, part 2 is down! Quite different from part 1. Hopefully if you made it this far, you have found some things to check out! If not, that’s ok! Another group of 14 on the next post and the last 8 after that. Thanks for checkin’ in.