Your Albums of the Year ‘23

January 20th, and time to post what you’re liking in 2023.

This is an interesting offering with rather nice mid-west US lilted vocals from this new-to-me artist.

Not sure it’ll make a top 10 in December, but gotta start somewhere, and it’s good enough for that!

 

Of the two bought so far, this:

https://huskypantsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tumble-in-shade-2

 

Played this a couple of times via Qobuz - a grower for sure.

 

This year's repeat players for me are:

• Turn The Car Around - Gaz Coombes
• Late Developers - Belle and Sebastian

 

Cracker Island - Gorillaz

A proper entry into the ‘23 list. Not sure how best to describe it, but full of good tracks.

And it’s got Stevie Nicks on it. What’s not to like?

 

You’d do well to visit her discography - not a dud among them.

 

Besides the latest from Margo

Raye - My 21st Century Blues


Samia - Honey

 

Algiers - Shook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BJD9CD7H/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

This feels like it was recorded in the middle of a Floyd George riot, a bleak, dark album, defiantly of the zeitgeist.

As ever, Algiers veer from soul through jazz to gospel to indie and back, often in the same song. This time there is even a bit of MC5s bookended with some trap.

Multiple collaborations pulled into this album including Samuel T Herring, Zack de la Rocha and more, with Big Rube as narrator.

Lots of short spoken word pieces, combined with quite a few songs of 2 or 3 minute length adding to the chaotic, visceral, jittery feel of this album.

Multi facetted, multi-layered, I wouldn't say it always works musically, but definitely a massively powerful soundtrack to these difficult years.

Difficult, heady, demanding listen. I doubt I'll hear anything as good as this in 2023.

This is one of the more approachable tracks, Bite Back, featuring Backxwash and Billy Woods:

 

So far just Heavy Heavy - Young Father's

I'm a massive Damon Albarn fan and usually like everything he has a hand in but this latest Gorillaz release is way off par for me.

I'm always a bit worried when all the hype and build up starts really early and is OTT for months.

 

Rachel Unthank and Paul Smith of Maximo Park make an unlikely collaboration, but I love it
Unthank: Smith Nowhere and Everywhere

Mac

 

Over two months in, and I've bought one back-catalogue album, which has yet to be unwrapped;

Steely Dan – Two Against Nature


Label: Analogue Productions – APP 141-45
Format:
2 x Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, 180g
Country: US
Released: 4 Jun 2022
Genre: Jazz, Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock, Fusion

 

My only '23 release so far, Vega Trails' Tremors in the Static on Gondwana. Duets between double bass and sax, for the most part, and reminiscent of Charlie Haden's duet and Magico projects. Not groundbreaking you could say but, you know, *Nice*:

https://vegatrails.com/

 

I like...

Kali Malone - Does Spring Hide Its Joy
Bianca Scout - The Heart of the Anchoress
Kelela - Raven
Dobrawa Czocher - Dreamscapes
Hania Rani - On Giacometti
Fadi Mohem - MOHEM 02

The last of those isn’t an album, but another killer dub techno twelve from Berghain’s newest resident...

 

As always, some supersmooth vocals and stellar production on Raven...



Whether slow and dreamy, or loud and clubby, Kelela never misses.

 

I only have their first album, it gets a bit samey.

 

New Baxter Dury album coming in June, pre ordered mine. Loved the last three so I'm hoping he keeps the purple patch going.

 

Umm, the thread is for 2023 new releases…