If It's Too Loud...

If 2023 is the year of artists reinventing themselves, my number one album has to be Caroline Rose's The Art of Forgetting. I've been a fan since their alt-country days of 2014's I Will Not Be Afraid , through the changes since.  The Art of Forgetting is a concept album of sorts. It's about Rose processing the pandemic (their previous album, Superstar , was released March 6, 2020), along with losing their grandmother to dementia and a particularly rough break up. That makes this album not a particularly fun one. It's not a downer, per se, but it's not exactly filled with road trip ready party jams. But, The Art of Forgetting is art. This is an art pop album that sees Rose pushing their boundaries, and then pushing some more. Even a song that starts off relatively simply like "Miami" slowly veers off into a more experimental direction, and might be the showcase of the album. When I saw Caroline Rose back in April, they commented that they felt they had ...

Sometimes you feel like an album changes you on a molecular level. In The Garden, By The Weeds may have done exactly that to me this year. It all starts with "YKWIM," which has a glitchy music box quality to its intro before rolling directly into an upbeat number with sweet harmonies and an even sweeter sentiment. As the album progresses, it builds on the entire musical theme, with plenty of electronic drums, keyboards, and noisy guitar serving as a foundation for Josaleigh Pollett's gorgeous voice. The album is expertly sequenced, musically deft, and reveals something a little new and different on every listen. "YKWIM," "Empty Things," "Earthquake Song"... they all give a sort of Laura Veirs-by-way-of Jenny Owen Youngs vibe; the sort of song structure and emotional lift that keeps you hooked while keeping you guessing. Even more transitional songs like "The Nothing Answered Back" shine through with ideas and mus...

I loved Sapling's 2020 album No Sequoia , and I was looking forward to amor fati to be released in May. I wasn't quite expecting to love this album as much as I did. The songs on amor fati are somehow both more pop and more experimental than the previous album. Sapling's sense of humor isn't as apparent this time around, but it's more biting. Plus, it's noise punk masquerading as prog rock?  amor fati gets better and better with each listen, as you always discover more to like each time. "A Fox Upon the Tomb" and "11:37" are the songs that initially grab you, but others slowly grow on you until they become favorites. "The Little Monkey Who Wasn't Very Good at the Accordion: A Bedtime Story" is a spoken word story by Amber ToiletFire Tortorelli over accordion that was amusing the first time, but is now one of my favorites on the album. "Inaction in Action" might be the best example of a song that is both more pop and mo...

Sometimes an album from a local act comes out of nowhere, grabs you by the lapel, and refuses to let go. That's what Noble Dust did this year with A Picture for a Frame . In many ways, this album is Jeff catnip - it's folk-adjacent music with soaring instrumental choices, but also inspired by historical letters between the lead singer's grandparents during World War II. The total package creates a timeless-sounding record that feels like it would come out of a brewpub in 2023 or a rural tavern in 1923. It's just a beautiful record, with so many lovely little choices throughout - the distant-sounding trumpet, the strings, the lyricism of songs like "At Sea," the jaunty love song "Abbey" (which is probably my favorite song of the year)... it all just works and needs to be heard to truly appreciate. Noble Dust doesn't have a ton of Spotify listeners, and they're a Boston-area act that deserves to be at the top of everyone'...

Say what you will about Spotify, but thanks to it I discovered Wednesday. They kept getting played at the end of albums I was listening to, and I kept wanting to hear more. I quickly became a fan, and ended up adoring their 2023 album Rat Saw God. I think Wednesday can be summed up by my wife's reaction to hearing them: Are they indie rock or are they country? And my answer was yes. They have one of the most unique sounds out there today. It's a noisy version of indie rock that still has enough pop hooks to keep you listening, and just enough twang to countrify it more than a little bit. A song like "Bull Believer" is a giant, epic indie rock song, while "Chosen to Deserve" is an off-kilter country jam. Wednesday play with Drive-By Truckers quite a bit, which makes perfect sense. They're both rock bands with a hard country edge to them. It's not too many bands with a pedal steel player that can inspire mosh pits, but that's what Wednesday does at...

Concept albums can be very hit-or-miss, but Aesop Rock's second straight solo concept record after Spirit World Field Guide is not only his best solo effort in some time, but is one of his best efforts period. There's always a danger, when having a "technology and its impacts" piece of art in front of you, that it becomes incredibly strident, dated, and out-of-step (if not out of touch entirely - looking at you, The Circle by Dave Eggers). Aesop Rock puts that aside very early, setting up the aesthetic from the very start before the driving... everything of "Mindful Solutionism." From there it's classic Aesop Rock - "Pigeonometry" feels vast and elevated in its scope, "Kyanite Toothpick" having a battle rap feel, and even a more spoken-word piece like "On Failure" feels on brand and on point. In short? This album rules, and I'm glad it exists. Songs of Note: "Mindful Solutionism," "In...

When I first heard Be Your Own Pet way back in 2005/2006, I felt like I was far too old to be into them. I was pushing 30, and they were teenagers, but I kept reminding myself that if Thurston Moore and Iggy Pop could be fans, so could I. They disbanded shortly after, and every so often I wondered what they were up to. Suddenly, a few reunion shows were announced, and they released a comeback album in September. With Mommy , Be Your Own Pet and I are now the same age. The songs still have the same punk fury and sense of humor as their original releases, just toned down a bit. Like Jemina Pearl says in "Goodtime!" "I got two kids and a mortgage." Maybe it's because they've been pent up for a decade and a half, but Be Your Own Pet have barely slowed. (Just the appropriate amount.) Mommy is filled with songs about aging, mental health, lefty politics, etc. It's a great punk record for middle aged people that haven't given up and started listening to bro...

This album changed how I listen to rap music. I'm still new-ish to rap. Outside of the super-popular stuff, my knowledge and understanding of rap music was really, really, really low until about 10 years ago. Even today, I tend to like stuff a little more off the beaten path; it took until this past summer for me to "get" Kendrick Lamar, for example, even though I gravitated to an act like Atmosphere rather easily. It was probably when "Sculpting With Fire" dropped at some point late last year that I realized this would be something truly special. The song doesn't adhere to any real expectations, which sets itself up as a truly disorienting listen out of context. In context of an album with some truly incredible sampling and memorable verses throughout, peppered with a number of shorter vignette songs to ease the transition? This sat near the top of my list for a while before the last month or so - the whole thing is near flawless whethe...

Speaking of artists that have leveled up in 2023, Margo Price absolutely killed it with Strays. I've repeatedly said that it seemed like Price realized the world needed a Tom Petty and decided to become one. Strays  still has a country sound, but it has more of that timeless classic rock meets alt-rock sound that Petty mastered. (Plus, I believe we're legally required to mention that this album was written on shrooms since most coverage of it focuses on that fact.) Strays is just a great rock album. "Been to the Mountain" leans into psychedelic rock. "Light Me Up" is a little more straightforward country rock. "Radio" goes a little New Wave and brings in Sharon Van Etten for some vocals. And then there is "Lydia." "Lydia" is this quiet and intense song that is mostly folk but has some indie rock noise moments delivered by strings. And it has Price delivering her vocals in the best speak-singing method since... well... Tom Petty....

I said it back when this came out, and I'll say it again: I am fully aware that I am not the target audience for Olivia Rodrigo's brand of New Adult breakup songs, but I am absolutely here for it nonetheless. 2023 will rightfully go down as the year of Taylor Swift, but for my money? Olivia Rodrigo is the dark horse candidate for stealing the crown away. Rodrigo excels not in changing the game, but perfecting it - every song on GUTS has clearly defined and obvious inspirations (I maintain that "all-american bitch" is her channelling Weezer's "My Name is Jonas," and no one can tell me "get him back!" isn't "Pepper" by the Butthole Surfers), but the raw, unvarnished honesty and self-deprication on the album is a welcome change from a lot of the pop music efforts to hide one's true feelings in a veneer of metaphor and code. As much fun as it is to conspiratorize over the color selection of Tay-Tay's confetti, it...

Continuing 2023's theme of bands leveling up with new albums is Lydia Loveless' Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again. Somewhere else was my favorite album of 2014, and while I've enjoyed her releases in between, nothing Loveless has released has quite connected with me that way since. This new album comes pretty close, though. Loveless has all but abandoned her early alt-country sound and has recently picked up a more pop friendly sound. Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again  finds this great middle ground. A song like "Sex and Money" is nearly pure pop, but with more of an indie rock edge to it. What makes this album so great is how it's a purely unique blend of pop, indie rock, punk, and alt-country. "Feel" is a song that is as beautiful as it is discordant. Loveless' vocals have never sounded better, but musically the song is more art and noise rock than anything they've done previously. "Toothache" is power pop, and ...

Another surprise listen for this year launches itself into my best-of list. I missed this when it first came out in April, and on my initial listen in the fall, found it to be super compelling; unique in its presentation of folk-style storytelling, while also showcasing Jackson's distinctive voice. Still, I feel like I slept on it a bit. Every time I listened, I found something more to love, and something that kept me coming back for more. What I love most about this album is how well Kara Jackson jumps between confession and humor, from stark and quiet to more lush and chaotic. "no fun/party" and "rat" couldn't be more different in many ways, but both are awesome. "dickhead blues" and "free" lamenting the state of one's love life in two very disparate approaches. The album is full of these little contradictions of sorts, and ends up being one of the more memorable listens of 2023. Songs of Note: ...

When boygenius (the group made up of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker) released their EP back in 2018, I assumed it was a fun off one project from friends who felt like collaborating. Much like The Bens (the group of Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, and Ben Lee), we'd never hear from the trio again and it would be a fun little footnote in their careers. But boygenius kept going, and this year they released the excellent the record. And they got huge. They're at the level where it's cool to both love them and hate them. Their backlash now has backlash. We obviously love them, and with good reason. At no point do any of the songs on  the record  feel like a Phoebe Bridgers song, or a Lucy Dacus song, or a Julien Baker song. They've accomplished this feat where the entire album somehow sounds like all three of them, and something completely new. Plus, it's a wildly diverse album. "$20" is a full on indie rocker, "Emily I'm Sorry" is alt-pop ...

This album was probably the biggest surprise for me in a year of great music. The project of singer-songwriter Shalom Obisie-Orlu, and featuring some production from producer Ryan Hemsworth, this is alt-rock done right. It's got a lot of different elements in play, equal parts Hatchie and Hole, and is full of surprises across its runtime. This one is a grower, too - while I liked it on first listen, more and more revealed itself over subsequent listens that made me realize how it was truly one of the best of the year. Songs of Note: "Happenstance," "Soccer Mommy," "Did It To Myself," "Lighter"

The theme of 2023 seems to be established artists we've loved for years leveling up and making fantastic, mainstream albums. No band did that more than Deer Tick. Emotional Contracts  sounds like Deer Tick decided they wanted to start headlining much bigger venues, and made a big rock record. Some of their previous album had that same feel, but Emotional Contracts feels much more earnest than some earlier attempts. That isn't meant as a knock on any of Deer Tick's previous releases. This one just sounds like it appeals to OG fans while opening the door as wide as possible for new ones. While Deer Tick may not quite sound like Hank Williams meets Nirvana, both of those artists' roots are all over Emotional Contracts. A song like the Ian O'Neil fronted "Forgiving Ties" is nearly impossible to resist. It still has that twangy and slightly off-tuned guitar, but it's one of the most catchy songs of the year. One of the main appeals of this incarnation of De...

I am too old to enjoy 100 gecs as much as I do. Listen, this album isn't for everyone. I get iot. It doesn't help matters that this is sort of a major label coming out party for the duo, and the mainstream introduction to hyperpop is a little less frenetic and a little more melodic. The production values and level of investment is clear, and 25 years ago they'd probably be accused of "selling out." But then you're about midway through and a song called "Frog on the Floor" comes on that's basically a love letter to 1990s ska music with a frog croaking on the downbeat and you realize that the evolution of sound is deliberate. At well under under 30 minutes, it's gone before it starts in many ways, but it's also deliberately scattered across its runtime in a way that shifts themes before you can get into a groove. That unpredictability means that a song like "Hollywood Baby" and its traditional noisy rock trapp...

I discovered Bella White's 2020 album Just Like Leaving  a year late, but I quickly became smitten with the singer's blend of traditional folk and bluegrass. She released her sophomore album this year, and Among Other Things may be even better than her first. The songs on Among Other Things  are still traditional folk and bluegrass, but for this album White updated the sound to a more modern version that at times stops just short of folk-pop. The Canadian native just has that kind of voice that sucks you in. White just sucks you in with her natural talent as soon as "The Way I Oughta Go" starts, and keeps you mesmerized until the album closes with "Among Other Things." The standout track for me is "Flowers On My Bedside," a song that stretches the genre of traditional folk just about as far as it can go while still being traditional folk, and is one of the most engaging songs of the year. As with any article about Bella White, I have to mention tha...

The three women of boygenius are having a moment, and I'm here for it. This is a multiple-Grammy contender, has the Taylor Swift seal of approval, has Rolling Stone apparently confusing Lucy Dacus with Julien Baker , and it just a musically superior album than most of what I listened to this year. Where the record ultimately excels is that, while you can probably figure out who was the lead songwriter from track to track if you're a fan of all three members, the songs do not end up being solo showcases with their friends as backups. There's a little bit of magic in this collaboration, and it's great to see everyone getting their due. The album itself? It's gorgeous singer-songwriter stuff sometimes ("True Blue," "Cool About It"), it's radio-friendly rock ("Not Strong Enough," a favorite track of the year period), or just loud indie rock ("$20," "Satanist"). The band easily shifts between dif...

If you've been paying attention to David Wax Museum for the past few years, you'll know that they've been talking about having a great album in the can that they were just waiting to release when they felt they could truly tour behind it and promote it properly. That album is You Must Change Your Life , and it's truly a culmination of David Wax Museum's recent sound experimentation as they've moved away from the traditional Mexican folk of 2011's Everything is Saved and 2009's Carpenter Bird to a more modern folk sound (along with some experimentation.) Sometimes an album sounds like a band is trying to make a big, hit record, and that is certainly the case with You Must Change Your Life , but it still feels like an earnest release. David Wax Museum are a band I've been a huge fan of for a while. Since discovering them through the Newport Folk Festival and NPR way back in 2010, this is a band I feel a strong connection to. ("When You Are Still...

Sometimes an album comes out of nowhere and catches your ear, and then decides to stay there for a little while and uncover more and more as it sets up shop. Such is the case with Angel Numbers , Hamish Hawk's album that provides a glossy sheen and gorgeous melodies to accompany his distinctive baritone. It's a little bit Britpop, a little bit chamber/artsy, and owes as much to the Smiths and Scott Walker as it does in blazing its own path. The high production values and polished presentation don't make it feel like a perfect and pristine work, but it *is* a high-quality achievement of music in an era where it's more difficult than ever to capture an audience. Songs like "Elvis Look-alike Shadows" and "Angel Numbers" sound both familiar and foreign, and more straightforward forays into pop territory in "Money" and "Think of Us Kissing" feel accessible without being stale. Hawk strikes a great balance on a musical tightrope a...