2023 Top 40 Albums: #2-10
10: Spotlights - Alchemy for the Dead
(Doom Metal | Doomgaze | Post-Metal | Sludge Metal)
Spotlights are a trio based in New York, and Alchemy for the Dead is their third release. I already love Doom Metal, but if you add intense and focused Shoegaze-style instrumentation, the atmosphere of Post-Metal, and the grimy distortions of Sludge Metal on top of it…
Look, this scratches itches on my brain.
This is music that is easy to lose yourself in. It is tonally dark and, save for the sax in “False Gods”, abysmally heavy in the sense that everything is tuned low to add this crushing superficial weight to the music. The band rarely actually goes hard, so the heaviness is mostly perception, but it’s still incredibly effective. As I stated in my initial review, Alchemy for the Dead frequently goes beyond being atmospheric – it’s solid and detailed enough to stand on, to walk around in.
Frankly, I haven’t taken the time to analyze the lyrics for theme or throughline because I’m typically too busy getting lost in the soundscape – the music reviewer’s equivalent of exploring off the beaten track in a sandbox RPG and ignoring the main plot because you’d rather marvel at the world. I couldn’t not have this album in my top ten.
9: Nickel Creek - Celebrants
(Progressive Bluegrass)
After nearly a decade on hiatus, extended due to the Pandemic, Nickel Creek finally reunited in 2021 and began writing new material. Celebrants is the result – an hour-long ode to reuniting with old friends, catching up on things you’ve missed in their lives, and learning to work together again. And this concept was applied to the compositions throughout the album, as well, not just the lyrics.
First, I have to acknowledge that Bluegrass is already a pretty technical genre, leaning into playing instruments quickly and with accuracy. Adding “progressive” elements on top makes the instrumentation incredibly complex. So the first thing you’ll noticed on this album, if you listen closely to the instrumentation, is the awesome precision with which the instruments are played. This album provides innumerable moments which could be broken down and analyzed in a music theory class. The harmonies, both vocal and instrumental, are impeccable. They also lean into the thematic throughline of the album by setting up musical conflicts and bringing them to resolution – dissonance to harmony. Honestly, though, it’s a tool that isn’t used frequently enough over the course of the album, which is why it is, ultimately, only just inside the Top Ten.
If you’re looking for incredibly technical acoustic music, this is exactly what you’ve been needing. Celebrants is revelatory.
8: Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
(Indie Folk | Folktronica)
It is often our darkest moments which inspire the greatest beauty. It’s instinctual to try to find the light when you’re locked in the dark. The last six months of production for Sufjan Stevens’ Javelin were marred by the loss of Stevens’ life partner. I do not know, presently, the extent of the impact that this event had on the composition or lyrics of any of the tracks, but it cannot have been zero.
This is a long, slow, mournful tribute to life and love, pain and loss, with moments of excruciating, surreal beauty. If you’re looking for an album which exudes Capital-A “Art”, Javelin is where your search begins and ends. There are many other albums on this list which merit heavy, erudite discussion, but Javelin tops the list.
7: Haken - Fauna
(Progressive Metal)
Haken are one of the most technical acts in modern Prog Metal – in a genre known for its skew towards technicality. Fauna is no exception, and the band really shows off their awesome chops throughout the whole of the album. What matters, though, is that in the course of seeking this technical superiority, the maintain their focus on making truly exceptional music. All of these songs are incredibly good and executed flawlessly.
And then, there’s the strong theme running throughout the album, with each song tying itself, conceptually, to a specific faunal muse1 and relating that back to human nature or emotion in some way. “Nightingale” (below), for example, is about the creative process; “Lovebite” is about (toxic) relationships and love.
It’s a great album, especially as it’s grown on me over the course of the year.
6: Soen - Memorial
(Progressive Metal)
Musically, this Soen album felt like a slight downturn – very slight, as it still had moments which were stronger than similar bits on the last two albums. Part of that has to do with just how much Memorial sounds like Imperial. And maybe that’s because they’ve found their sound now and settled into it, but it’s easy to be disappointed in the lack of growth after poring through their discography and mapping out how the band’s sound has evolved over time.
Don’t let the mild negativity deter you, though – this album is ranked in the single digits for a reason. It’s still incredibly strong, musically. And it is their strongest effort yet, thematically, with a significant shift in sound on the closing track, “Vitals”, to drive the final point home. Feel free to revisit the original review to check my full breakdown of the album’s message and meaning.
As a unit, Memorial is outstanding. Several tracks here are among my favorites for the whole year. Soen continues to be reliably outstanding.
5: OK Goodnight - The Fox and the Bird
(Progressive Metal)
This is only the second full-length effort from Boston’s OK Goodnight. It’s an incredibly technical and ambitious album. OK Goodnight utilizes a variety of modes throughout the album – from light and airy to heavy and aggressive, and in each, the music is, again, technical and precise. The production on the album isn’t as polished as most other artists on this list, including many other Prog bands that they’ve outranked. “The Snake”, for example, wouldn’t rate anywhere near the best song of the year, but the album as a whole is an impeccable unit.
Much of this deals with the concept, as the album tells a powerful, and tragic, story over the course of its 51-minute playtime. It’s one of the best concept albums of the year – one that I hadn’t fully figured out as-of my initial review (either the lyrics weren’t available, or I just didn’t take the time to read through them). The album’s story recounts the partnership of a fox and a bird who undertake a harrowing journey to try to save their homeland, which is suffering from a serious drought. Together, they must collect charms, of a sort, from dangerous enemies – a snake, a falcon, a bear, and a crocodile – and take them to the top of a mountain. It’s a story of friendship, love, and selflessness in a selfish and unforgiving world; of hope in a world of hopelessness. And the melodies here eat their way into my brain every time one of the songs plays – especially the lighter tracks. I love this album, and I highly recommend it.
4: Gunship - Unicorn
(Synthwave)
Gunship’s third album, Unicorn, is full of gorgeous, deep, and atmospheric synthwave. It’s full digital immersion, and the entire album is delectable. There are a large number of featured artists here, as well, but (as I stated in my initial review) the features are all truly additive. Their inclusion doesn’t seem to take away from Gunship’s artistry – they’re simply adding their own talents to the framework to make each track something more than it was. The only possible caveats for creative control are found with the presence of two genuine 80s Synth Godfathers, Tim Cappello and John Carpenter, whose inclusion on this album gives it serious pedigree affirmation (and the epic sax work of Tim Cappello; he isn’t the only sax on the album, but he’s the best sax on the album).
On top of this, there is a loose conceptual throughline tying the album together: “fantasy”. It’s a word with multiple contexts, and each of them are in play somewhere on the album as each song includes imaginative elements. This album is nearly flawless. It’s captivating and fun and you really just need to give it a try. I’m including “Monster in Paradise” below because its video gives serious cyberpunk vibes, but I also highly recommend “Empress of the Damned” because Lights absolutely kills her feature.
3: Earthside - Let the Truth Speak
(Progressive Metal)
This is one I almost missed. I only caught this album because Caligula’s Horse announced that Earthside would be joining them on tour in the US. Naturally, if a band I love gives the nod to a band I’ve never heard of, I need to check them out. Let the Truth Speak quickly became one of my favorite releases of the year. It is unceasingly exquisite. The attention to detail within the instrumentation; the sheer perfection of the production; the adventurous mix of styles across the album as a whole.
And, as the band does not include a vocalist, there are numerous features across the album – and not all are vocalists. I am including “Pattern of Rebirth” below because it:
Has an actual music video
Is a more accessible length than the other music video the band has for the album
Featured vocalist AJ Channer sounds very much like Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust.
I do also highly recommend “The Lesser Evil” for anybody looking to try another song from the album. This is deep, intricate Prog Metal, but with several tracks (namely “Pattern of Rebirth” and “Denial’s Aria”) that feel accessible for listeners new to the space.
I almost missed it, but this album is one of only three to clear a score of 9.5/10 (Purple).
2: Hozier - Unreal Unearth
(Blues Rock | Folk Rock | Folk Pop | Soul)
To say that Hozier is a generational talent is, in my opinion, like saying that the sun is kinda hot. It’s incredibly obvious, and yet also a vast understatement. His raw talent is undeniable, and that’s been apparent since his debut album, which had several stellar tracks, but wasn’t necessarily a cohesive unit. His sophomore effort, Wasteland, Baby!, felt like a whiff. But on Unreal Unearth, it feels like Hozier has finally figured out how to craft a complete album. It’s his best work to date – on every level.
You’ve likely already heard “Eat Your Young”, as its initial release, accompanied by an EP, early in the year caught a ton of attention. It is, ironically, one of the minor flaws on the album, as it fails to match the rest of the album in theme and tone, but that doesn’t change the fact that the song is an instant classic. And, really, the majority of the album blows away everything else Hozier has ever done. It is spirited and passionate and emotionally raw without losing its gloss. I’ve replayed this album in its entirety several times since its release, and it never fails to give me chills.
Only the top album of the year remains!
AOTY | #2-10 | #11-20 | #21-30 | #31-40 | Honorable Mentions
If this term is confusing, I’m trying to move away from the term “spirit animal” while retaining the tie between the album’s concept and the animal kingdom. Each song uses a specific animal or animalian concept as a foundation to build upon.