My favourite alums of 2023 are as follows. The listing is more for my own reference for later years, to see how my taste in music has changed over the years, than for any other person. Given the somewhat completeness in the exercise I am tempted to share this publicly, although I do concede that it interests no one else.
1- Natalie Merchant returned after a lapse nine years, and it was a winner, as she managed to edge out Noel Gallagher and PJ Harvey. While sister Tilly from that album is possibly the favourite song of the year for me, overall the album's adult contemporary sound managed to beat both the atmospheric folk feel of PJ Harvey, as well as the Noel's very consistent album.
2- While "love is a rich man" is easily my favourite song from the album, Noel continues to be in my favourite lists repeatedly ( Chasing Yesterdays, no.4, 2015; Who built the moon?, no.4, 2017) - and this after Oasis never being my one of my favourite bands in their hey day. Another solid album, by Noel Gallagher, hitting the top 5 thrice in a row.
3- PJ Harvey probably has never released two similar in her esteemed career. This one is possibly the most folky one, with the album giving an overall feel of the eerie, the pastoral, while being atmospheric. It is hard to pick one favourite song from this album, as the whole album hold together tightly bound as an experience. I still can't imagine how this isn't my favourite album of the year ( like Kid A was, and OK computer was back then), but somehow the more middle of the road approaches of Merchant and Gallagher has me listening to those records more than this. Possibly I have little time to spend on this album, as much as it deserves.
4- After some troubled times, Joshe Hommes has come up with a superb album, in, "In times New Roman". This too needs a few spins to appreciate fully, although it isn't short of immediate hooks and rock anthems, with 'Emotion Sickness' being an obvious one.
5- I don't recall Dave Mathews band having an album that appealed much to me after Big Whiskey and the Gru Grux King. This is only their album since, Big Whiskey, but this song had enough appeal in it to end up in the top five, even beating the next two albums which I thought would somehow land in the top 5.
6- Peter Gabriel is back after 14 years with a new album, and after 22 years if we're looking at new music. Another album that needs a lot of listening to really appreciate, and I don't think the half a dozen (or a little more) listens I gave is sufficient to divulge all the hard work that Peter Gabriel has put into the record over the 20 years. Yet it is good enough to just sit outside the top five. I won't be surprised if I feel that this should've tipped out DMB a few years from now.
7- Memeno Mori, for all its beauty, is a little short of something to make it one of my favourite Depeche Mode albums. Yet, it has enough essence and appeal to show up at no. 7, which may be a testament on how slowly I embrace new bands ( although I sure do try - more of that later), or how the new acts that make a splash just don't have that thing to win me over.
8- The Young Fathers album was one of the last albums I listened to of the lot, giving it a listen more out of my credentials of being reasonable (i.e. "I'm a reasonable man, get off my case") than any keenness as such. Yet it is clearly one of the freshest bunch of songs, and possibly the album furthest from my rock sweet spot, this year.
9- Blur, and Damon Albarn too for that matter, has matured to a dead pan delivery of sorts, that is more pronounced (although Blur had it in them all along, but the younger Blur could hold it better without it being apparent). That may not be a good thing, given where I hold Blur - '13' was their best for me - but somehow this album has enough melody, and wit, even when I don't attempt to catch on to the lyrics that hard, to have its place in top 10.
10- EBTG has released an album - get this, after 24 years - and its very good. Lots of great tunes, and although I don't recall their music that much from back then ( other than the obvious anthem of theirs, 'missing'), I embrace this album with much love. Its a great album.
11- Steven Wilson has been one of the more frequent acts in my top 20 (i.e. Hand.Cannot.Erase, no.1, 2015; 4 1/2, no.5, 2016; to the bone, no.13, 2017; Future bites, no.17, 2021; Closure/Continuation, no.4, 2022). Although his solo albums from to the bone on wards hasn't had the same appeal that 'Raven' or 'hand.cannot.erase' did, they are still good enough to end up in the top 20.
12- And my favourite albums don't stop with the top 10, as some of those who failed to get into the top 10 too, are very good albums. I missed 2017's 'Slowdive' somehow, but their 2023 effort was not be missed, as I had since become aware of the show gaze bands' good music (e.g. especially souvlaki).
13- The National released two albums in 2023, and the first had me listening to it a lot. They are an act whose lyrics need to be considered, but it is not hard to do so, as they register with the listener without much effort. Its a good album.
14- The Foo Fighters haven't had much appeal to me since sonic highways, but yet the quality of the music is such that they land a slot in the top 20 more often than not ( Concrete and gold, no.12, 2017; Medicine at midnight, no.19, 2019). I guess it cannot be helped when acts like boygenius, Lana Del Rey, and Greta Van Fleet manage to get the nod in the rock, metal, and alternative category in the Grammys for instance. Mind I tried out the albums of all three acts of 2023, before stating the above.
15- The primary reason I have rejected Lana Del Rey in spite of all the big news she is, is that she sounds mostly monotonous to me. I tire of her very easily, and silence is better than music that tires you. I suspect that Sufjan Stevens has some germs of Lana Del Rey. While Sufjan totally had me with his earlier albums like Illinois, and Carrie and Lowell, I had a faint feel that Javelin sounds more like what he's done before. Hence his positioning only at 15, despite the album being acclaimed elsewhere.
16- Paramore's 'this is why' had energy in large amounts, coupled with the unexpected to make a case for a top 20 entry, despite its pop leanings.
17- Duran Duran never quite went away. Although I had caught them mostly through singles prior to "All you need is now" ('ordinary world' is one of my all time favourite songs), that album was my no. 1 album of 2011, beating Tori Amos' brilliant night of hunters. They had managed to get into the top 20 twice since ( 2017 - paper gods, no.17; and in 2023. They failed in 2021, with what AMG considers their come back album (no.28: Future Past).
18- Jason Isbell too is an act that manages to hang on inside the 20, more often than not. Weathervanes is an album of fine tunes with good country stories largely. Its just that its more of the same with Isbell. Good stuff, but not much new here.
19- I was very patient with the Metallica album. For one thing, I have to concede that I am lesser of a fan of thrash and metal than I used to be. Plus, I am not too sure that Metallica still has much new ideas. Upon repeated listens I had to admit, no, the guys still have enough to come up sounding new, and sufficiently interesting. But 80 minutes is a long time to spend, to glean out the variety, when it is not obvious.
20- Rolling Stones have come up with a solid enough record which is enjoyable while you listen to it. and that was enough to push it inside the top 20 ahead of those who missed it.
Such as,
21. Atum: Smashing Pumpkins ( way too long); 22. Peace... like a river: Gov't Mule ( good album, I felt - but then blues never won over rock for me); 23. Such Ferocious Beauty: Cowboy Junkies ( what about cowboy junkies? - what about the Afghan whigs?); 24. Folkocracy - Rufus Wainwright ( some good covers here, including 'harvest'); 25. The Algorithm- Filter (Consistent enough, but couldn't get the grove, or hang sufficiently - maybe it was just me); 28. Six - Extreme ( Consistent enough album, and a good come back - but maybe a tad too dated for the sound - reminds me how the best Def Lepard album in ages failed to hit the top 20 last year or the year before); 30. Starcatcher - Greta Van Fleet ( Clearly overdoing the screech/scream, indicating their lack of ideas; if there is one indication that there aren't sufficient rock music coming out, or being recognized by the industry, it is this band being nominated for a Grammy); 31. nobody owns you - Joan Osborne ( her lamest album to date) - and Lana Del Rey, and Boy Genius are even below these... somewhere... so low that I didn't even bother to rate them....
