Finishing up the end of year roundup with some of my favourite songs from 2023. I’ve implemented an arbitrary ‘no repeats’ rule so anything from the Top 10 Albums and Hidden Gems lists is ineligible because I’ve already told you how good they are, and this way I get to talk up more music. All these tunes, plus loads more are included in the Big 2023 playlist. Throw it on shuffle and you’re bound to find something you’ll like; and, if you don’t, well I’m afraid you’ve just got bad taste.
23. BIG SPECIAL SHITHOUSE
“This year’s been a belter”
The Birmingham duo announced their arrival with this crazed punk/soul stomper of a debut single. It’s immediate and in-your-face, yet sneakily slow-burning and minimalistic. Singer, Joe Hicklin, alternates between authoritative aggression, blasé self-reflection, and gentle crooning, with lyrics echoing the eminently quotable, everyday surrealism of John Cooper Clarke. A string of equally impressive releases have followed so expect them to really make an impact in 2024.
22. Gabe ‘Nandez Louis XIV
“My accomplishments is causing consequences to my fame”
The New York rapper’s laid-back style may not be destined for the mainstream, but he’s slowly building his reputation as one of the top wordsmiths in underground hip-hop. Israeli producer, Argov, provides a smooth jazzy soul beat that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Wu-Tang album. ‘Nandez’s flow is effortlessly breathless as his wordplay veers between boasts of taking out the king to infatuated frustrations. All delivered in a low smokey growl; like DMX if the raw aggression was replaced by stoic brooding.
21. KAM-BU LIVE-O
“Dance to the beat, it freed our minds quick”
The South London rapper doesn’t sound like much of the UK hip-hop scene, with his releases this year leaning heavily into dance and electronica. This tribute to club culture and losing yourself in the music is like a grime track set at a 90’s rave. KAM’s abruptly poetic stories soundtracked by an undercurrent of Prodigy-style menace, making it all the more emphatic when the euphoria of the chorus emerges.
20. CVC Good Morning Vietnam
“Is it ok, if I’m yours for the night?”
The Welsh sextet specialise in straight-up catchy tunes. This is just one of several from debut album, Get Real, which could easily be mistaken for a 70’s classic. Sounding something like Joe Cocker fronting Steely Dan, with Crosby, Stills, & Nash on backing vocals.
19. SOFT PLAY Punk’s Dead
“Why can’t you just stay the same”
The duo formerly known as Slaves returned by addressing the backlash against that name change head-on. The lyrics replay their critics complaints, skewering the would-be gatekeepers of the ‘punk spirit’ by laying bare their petulant offence over even the most inconsequential change. Oh and it’s a banger.
18. KNEECAP ITS BEEN AGES
“Back to annoy ’em cunts that hate us”
Whatever the spirit of punk means these days, it surely lives on in Irish rappers, KNEECAP. They returned with their first single in a couple of years, playing up their controversial credentials. In their usual style, they flit between their native Irish and English, taking aim at the opportunistic politicians and media outlets that are willing to use them to further their own agendas, while excelling in the kind of self-mythologising that hip-hop does best.
17. Militarie Gun Big Disappointment
“Addicted to disappointment”
With just a few lines across two and a half minutes, frontman, Ian Shelton, conveys a cycle of self-development offset by self-destruction. Filled with frustration, but filled with hooks to match; the LA hardcore rockers turn this into a cathartically hopeful anthem.
16. Rockwell Knuckles Like A Try
“Nothing beats a fail, Like a try”
Taken from the St. Louis rap veteran’s latest album, RAYTOWN, this is a hook-heavy, vocal showcase. But his normal booming raps are out, for an authoritative Timbaland-esque sing/rap, ably assisted by powerful backing from Aloha Mischeaux and Maxa. A soulful gospel ode to striving to survive amidst struggle.
15. harf. For You I’ll Wait
“Why do all my feelings wear these disguises”
Having racked up nearly 800k streams on Spotify alone, this was something of a breakthrough for young Virginia songwriter, Will Harford (who also makes up 1/5 of newcomers, Dogpark). A country-tinged, indie folk strum bringing to mind Lumineers, with his voice ranging from a soft falsetto croon to a great throat-cracking drawl. The kind of song which manages to conjure up imagined memories of acoustic singalongs and drinks around the campfire.
14. Chappell Roan Pink Pony Club
“Every night’s another reason why I left it all”
Roan may well be THE next big pop superstar in waiting. A mix of Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift, with a big splash of Drag culture thrown on top. Originally released in 2020, but increasingly gaining momentum ever since and included on her debut album in September. This is a transformative tale of a small town girl leaving home to pursue dreams of the bright-lights of a big city queer scene, even if it disappoints her mother. Look, I’m a 35-year-old straight bloke, this probably isn’t really for me, but if you’ve got tunes as big as this, then I’m on board.
13. The Last Dinner Party Nothing Matters
“I will fuck you like nothing matters”
Londoners, The Last Dinner Party, burst onto the scene this year amid a wave of hype and “industry plant” accusations from the indie corners of social media. But they backed up the buzz by simply having pretty great songs. This debut is a theatrical baroque pop anthem, kind of like Kate Bush doing Like A Prayer.
12. Mother Said Tallulah
“Don’t make me walk the fucking dog”
The debut single from the Leeds-based five-piece is rock in its purest form, an expression of raw feeling. And that feeling is that you just can’t be arsed. There’s a hint of The White Stripes in the way they take a fairly simple riff and manage to make it bigger and bigger across three minutes, turning this into a raucous protest about not wanting to do various chores. I suppose, it’s actually a metaphor about rebelling against domestic conformity and boredom. But, you don’t really need to think about it too deep for this to be completely relatable and absolutely banging.
11. 86TVs Worn Out Buildings
“You don’t have to hide your sadness, not all wounds need a bandage”
A really strong debut single from a new band with plenty of indie pedigree, featuring three former Maccabees and a Noisette. It combines the spacey euphoria of early MGMT with the pulsating magic of Florence and The Machine’s Dog Days. Expect these to be packing out festival tents next year.
10. boygenius Anti-Curse
“I never listened, I had to see for myself”
Eagle-eyed blog readers may have spotted that boygenius were included in my most overrated albums of 2023, but this tune packed the emotional punch that was otherwise absent. Julien Baker takes the lead, recounting a near drowning and her apparent acceptance at inevitable death. The slow build to the cathartic burst when she decides to literally fight the tide makes that 20-ish second payoff one of the year’s best musical moments.
9. Komparrison He Doesn’t Get It
“Only took me 21 years to realise what I really want”
An indie pop banger from the North-East five-piece. Absolutely packed with hooks as grungey guitars collide with sugary sweet vocal harmonies. An anthemic celebration of sexual awakenings emerging from teenage confusion.
8. Meryl Streek If This Is Life
“I do feel blessed with what I got, A shed out the back, And that says a lot”
A punk-folk distortion from the Irish musician where personal reflections of artistic ambitions conflict with reality and double as damning indictments of the decisions which have led to a housing crisis in his home country. A masterclass in making the political feel personal, and catchy as fuck to boot.
7. emzae I Guess, Anyway
“If only I’d taken a moment to capture the confidence I had before”
The standout track from the debut of the Derby alt-pop musician. Like the album’s recurring theme, it documents a battle for normality against a backdrop of health struggles. With entrancing spacey production and a restrained vocal performance where just the slightest change in inflection conveys more than any belted-out chorus could. It’s an excellent modern pop ballad; teeming with melancholy, but tinged with an almost pragmatic sense of optimism.
6. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Ultimate Hammer
“What a time to be alive”
The Newcastle psych metal merchants deliver an absolute bludgeoning with this one. Frontman, Matthew Baty howls atop a barrage of riffs and thunderous drums like a crazed Ozzy-Lemmy hybrid. After slowing to a crawl half way through, they emerge almost victorious for the closing stretch; a celebration of hard rock in all its glory. Let’s just say Ultimate Hammer makes an apt title.
5. Joanna Sternberg I’ve Got Me
“Between self-hatred and self-awareness is a very, small thin line”
The title track of the New York singer songwriter’s second album is a triumph in simplicity and vulnerability. As with many of their songs, the music becomes almost instantly recognisable; like you’re pretty sure this song should have been written before. Lyrically, it’s as plain-spoken as you can get and would only really work with a voice like Sternberg’s. There’s a sense that the whole thing could fall apart at any moment, but that fragility is key; mirroring the feelings being laid bare. An expression of emotions so raw that you wonder why anyone bothers to express them any other way.
4. Bill Ryder-Jones This Can’t Go On
“Gotta get myself together”
On the lead single from his upcoming album, the Merseyside songwriter contrasts musical grandeur with painful introspection. While a rousing orchestral epic builds around him, Ryder-Jones seems to be withering under the pressure. His vocals an almost unintelligible half-mumble at times. It’s a powerful reflection of barely staying afloat while feeling drowned under the weight of the world. Desperately beautiful.
3. Red Telephone Waiting For Your Good Days
“Just in sight so you can lose it”
The closer to the Cardiff band’s debut album, Hollowing Out, which immerses you into an 80’s sci-fi dystopia. Frontman, Declan Andrews channels early 70’s Bowie with robotic, androgynous vocals. Giving the song an almost emotionless restraint as he struggles to realise the dreams which remain just out of reach. That sense of restraint makes every moment feel a little bigger; the twinkling, ethereal magic of the chorus hanging in the air, and the triumphant relief of the riffs which arise from the dreamy haze. A climactic epic.
2. Reignmaker Find My Own Way
“I’ll get by on my own”
When I first heard this song from the young Liverpool group I thought it sounded like an evolution of the Stone Roses. It’s a comparison I’m hesitant to make; partly because it feels too big and partly because it’s been overused for many crap imitators over the past 30 years. But 10 months on from its release, I’d stand by that. It combines anthemic swagger with dreamy psychedelia, and the vocals are brilliantly northern; these harmonies aren’t possible without that Scouse accent shining through. A celebration of youthful pride and defiance from a band that are surely destined for big things.
1. Feist Borrow Trouble
“It’s a poor skill to get so good at,
Making wrong what is all right”
Borrow Trouble is an outlier from the Canadian songwriter’s sixth album, Multitudes. Her voice is as sweet as ever, but something isn’t quite right; it’s like she’s in a fight against the music itself. Even when it softens to a gentle acoustic strum, there’s a constant tension bubbling under the surface. It breaks out in bursts of rumbling marching drums, avant-jazz freakouts, or the chorus’ warped approximation of Bowie’s Heroes. It echoes an internal battle where self-imposed pressures become overwhelming. It all culminates as she tries to expel these self-destructive habits; her voice exploding in feral howls of joyful relief. The chaotic conclusion is the most exhilarating music of her career and 2023’s most powerful musical moment.
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