Welcome back to Band Practice for a very special end-of-the-year round-up issue! I sorted through the hundreds of 2023 releases I listened to this year and somehow narrowed it down to my top 10 favorite albums. I’ve also included a playlist of my top 23 songs of the year. Whether this is your first time reading, or if you’re a long-time subscriber, these are great albums and songs to catch up on (there are even some new additions). But first, a little preamble…
I don’t know about anyone else here, but this has been a weird (and hard) year. It was a year of loss for me. My grandpa and my sweet dog both passed away and I haven’t recovered yet. These major life events changed the way I listened to music this year. Instead of listening to albums on daily walks with my dog, I listened while cooking or driving—sometimes able to carve out enough time to listen to one without any distractions.
Last year I described a map that my brain had made of all of the different albums I listened to, connecting them to different walking routes. This year, instead of a physical map, it was an emotional one. I can remember how I was feeling and what was happening the first time I listened to an album. I listened to Fred Again.. and Brian Eno’s Secret Life the day my grandpa passed away. I listened to Everyone’s Crushed from Water From Your Eyes while my dog spent his last days in the hospital. And I listened to Sufjan Steven’s Javelin while still trying to process my grief, taking solace in the fact that he was doing the same.
It wasn’t all gloomy, though. I felt relief and joy through albums like That! Feels Good! by Jessie Ware, and let loose with Jungle’s Volcano. And a shout-out to Mac DeMarco’s One Wayne G which allowed me to zone out and turn off my feelings for a little while I made nine hours’ worth of dinners (it’s 199 tracks long).
These albums and so many others defined my weird, hard year. Many of them were so exceptional it was hard to narrow it down to just ten. Ultimately, it came down to what I connected with the most, what I needed to hear the most, and what I kept coming back to. That drawing back and connection are the magic of a good album. I hope you find that magic in some of them, as well.
And to throw out a disclaimer: you are allowed to fundamentally disagree with my picks. Your top albums of the year are just as valid as mine, and I hope you’ll share them with me. Let me know your favorites by leaving a comment or replying to this email.
Ok, for one last time this year, let’s get to it!
Top 10 Albums of 2023
10. Obsidian — Naomi Sharon
R&B/Soul [Released 10/11/23]
There was about a 2,000-way tie for spot #10 on this list, consisting of most of the artists I wrote about this year. The Chemical Brothers, Kali Uchis, and Lana Del Rey all had strong contenders, to name a few. But I wanted to take this opportunity to feature an album I didn’t write about this year but loved just as much. And Obsidian—the debut album from R&B singer Naomi Sharon—is worth standing amongst their company.
This beautiful, moody album feels like wading into a deep pool of water with an endless ripple of soulfulness. Sharon’s voice possesses both a richness and a perfect clarity that gives serious Sade vibes. The conviction and passion in her voice connects me to the music. The album contains two of my favorite tracks this year that are very different from each other: the stripped-down acoustic “Myrrh,” and the ethereal electronic number “Celestial”—both equally moving. It’s a strong, focused debut that feels like it emerged from the mist and I happened to be in the right spot to find it.
Tracks on repeat: If This Is Love, Myrrh, Celestial
Available on Spotify, Apple Music
9. Let’s Start Here. — Lil Yachty
Alternative/Hip-Hop/Rap/Psychedelic Rock [Released 1/27/23]
In listening to hundreds of albums every year, it’s harder to be surprised than you would think. (Nothing new under the sun, amiright?) Let’s Start Here. was the first 2023 release I reviewed this year and it set the bar high. It shattered all of my expectations and blew me away. Singer/rapper Lil Yachty took risks and broke molds, combining rap, psychedelic rock, synthwave, funk, and even disco. This immersive journey into a “Dark Side of The Rainbow” Oz, borrows influences (and sometimes interpolations) from Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, and more.
The fun of the album is the exceptional group of musicians Yachty brought together for some epic jam sessions such as Alex G, Mac DeMarco, Nick Hakim, and vocalists Diana Gordon, Justine Skye, and Fousheé (whose talents, admittedly, sometimes outshine Yachty’s). I get the sense that they were all enjoying themselves—experimenting, letting loose, and producing some great songs. The best way to listen to this album is to enter with no expectations and just go with it. You’ll be glad you did.
Tracks on repeat: the ride-, WE SAW THE SUN!, sAy sOMETHINg
Available on Spotify, Apple Music
8. Heavy Heavy — Young Fathers
Alternative/Avant-Pop [Released 2/03/2023]
I would give anything to be able to listen to this album for the first time again. It’s another that completely surprised me with something I’ve never heard before. From the first second to the last, it is pure joy. This experimental, genre-bending celebration from the Scottish trio merges rock, electronica, R&B, gospel, and more, with a strong through-line of African styles and rhythms. There is nothing “heavy” about it. It is bright, uplifting, and soul-reviving. I felt something shift in me after I listened to it, as though part of my heart was mended. As they sing in “Geronimo,” (if you listen to any of my recommended songs this year, let it be this one) “I’m on the verge of something divine,” and this album is exactly that. It’s a spiritual experience.
Tracks on repeat: Rice, Drums, Geronimo
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
7. The Loveliest Time — Carly Rae Jepsen
Pop [Released 7/28/23]
Where are my hand-clap emojis? 👏 Do 👏 not 👏 underestimate 👏 Carly 👏 Rae 👏 Jepsen. She continues to be criminally underrated. (Justice for Jepsen!) She polished these B-sides from her 2022 release The Loneliest Time into A-side status. B-sides! Can I emphasize this enough? These were her table scraps and they are absolute fire. The Loveliest Time is lovely—and fun!—with the perfect level of escapism. Its diverse array of pop—from disco to psychedelia—reflects an immense amount of growth from her “Call Me Maybe” days. The hooks are strong, the lyrics are catchy, and the production is on point. These delightfully fresh love songs were enough to pull me out of my funk a few times this summer. They’re an instant jolt of caffeinated, carefree feelings, and I’m always glad to come back to them.
Tracks on repeat: Anything to Be With You, Kamikaze, Psychedelic Switch
Available on Spotify, Apple Music
6. That! Feels Good! — Jessie Ware
Pop [Released 4/28/23]
How many times have I referenced disco so far? The genre has certainly been revived in the past couple of years, but Jessie Ware (this year, at least) did it best. This album is the closest anyone’s come this year to Renaissance-ing. She took a genre, buried herself in it, and emerged a master.
This decadent album (which, okay, does have some pop and R&B in it, too) is full of passion from start to finish. The sound is big and immersive, bringing you right up to the stage for ten tracks of liberating, sweat-inducing energy. I don’t think there’s another album from this year that goes this hard. Listening back now, I appreciate the downtempo songs like “Lightning” and “Hello Love” more, as they are much-needed breathers. But what holds up the most are Ware’s vocals. Her voice is timeless and powerful—strong enough to stand among the disco greats and outshine her contemporaries. She’s another female pop artist who deserves far more accolades than she is given. I’m glad to see her on so many best-of lists, but her rightful place is at the Grammys.
Tracks on repeat: That! Feels Good!, Free Yourself, Begin Again
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
5. Desire, I Want To Turn Into You — Caroline Polachek
Indie Pop [Released 2/14/23]
This was a strong year for powerhouse female pop artists! Caroline Polachek is among the ranks turning out one of the most innovative pop albums this year. The creativity she put into Desire is nothing short of astounding. It’s as if she had a bunch of different ideas written on napkins and then pieced them all together into a chic gown like a Project Runway unconventional materials challenge. She took Spanish guitar, a children’s choir, bagpipes, and so many more dazzling elements and somehow spun them all into a pop album.
Polachek’s voice is a beacon shining out from recorded medium, stretching into the ether, hitting notes that are forbidden to mere mortals. She got me to belt along to songs that are far beyond my range, borrowing some of her ever-present confidence. The album received a well-deserved Grammy nomination for engineering and deserves so much more. I wish I could tap into her brilliant mind and pull it apart. Every time I listen to the album, I think a little bit of it transfers by osmosis.
Edited to add (just to make my partner feel guilty): my biggest regret of the year was not going to see her live when I had the chance. I will not be making that mistake again next time she comes to town, and I suggest you make haste to see her, as well.
Tracks on repeat: Bunny Is A Rider, Sunset, Blood And Butter
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
4. the record — boygenius
Alternative/Indie [Released 3/31/23]
There is no album from this year that I fangirled harder for. As a longtime listener of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus’ music, I was anxious to find out what this supergroup would produce. My expectations were exceeded. Their heart, friendship, and skill magically combined to produce one of this year’s best alternative rock albums. They balance each other out perfectly, harmonize together beautifully, and are equally gifted songwriters. Every song is tight and polished, ranging from soft acoustic rock numbers (Emily I’m Sorry) to scream-along-worthy electric bangers ($20).
As I wrote previously, this album felt like taking a road trip with your best friends, and I’m sure that’s how they felt making it. The energy of strong female friendships permeates this album and is what makes it so special. I’m still thinking about getting a boygenius tattoo.
Tracks on repeat: $20, Emily I’m Sorry, Not Strong Enough
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
3. Romantic Piano — Gia Margaret
Alternative/Ambient [Released 5/26/23]
My most precious resource this year was peace, and this album helped me find it. It came along exactly when I needed it—shortly after my grandpa passed away and while my dog’s health was failing. The ambient artist’s third studio album is a love letter to life, celebrating its simplest moments. It is scored by field recordings and little more than a piano. I used its opening track, “Hinoki Wood” as the soundtrack to a slideshow I made as a tribute to my dog. Each song, though modest in arrangement, is deeply emotive. Just a few notes on the piano can cue up the waterworks for me. Life is captured here in its purest form, and it is heartbreakingly beautiful. This album, along with my next two picks, are my comfort albums, and I hold them in my heart the dearest.
Tracks on repeat: Hinoki Wood, A Stretch, 2017
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
2. Infinite Spring — Superviolet
Indie Rock [Released 4/21/23]
I only saw this album on one other best-of list this year and it shocks me. Had I not listened to the next album, it would be my #1. I love it because it doesn’t contain a lot of pretentious nonsense (and, per my last email, there’s been a lot of nonsense in my life this year). It’s just solid indie rock with a lot of heart and savvy songwriting. It feels unfussed over and naturally cool.
This debut solo project of Steve Ciolek (formerly of The Sidekicks) is unassuming yet so well-crafted. The sound of the album spans decades—giving 1960s Beach Boys vibes on one track and 1990s indie rock on another. The vocals, the licks, the lyrics—it’s all dialed in. No second is wasted and there’s not a song to be skipped. I’m probably most grateful for this album because it didn’t ask a lot of me as a listener. It didn’t hype me up or make me feel my feelings too much. I could tune in and simply relax and enjoy the ride. And after a nonsensical and difficult year, that was very much needed.
Tracks on repeat: Big Songbirds Don’t Cry, Good Ghost, Wave Back
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
1. Javelin — Sufjan Stevens
Alternative [Released 10/6/23]
This was the last album I reviewed this year and what a way to close it out. The latest album from singer/songwriter/producer Sufjan Stevens is nothing short of a masterpiece and arguably his best work yet. It has the depth of his critically acclaimed album, Carrie and Lowell, with the virtuosity of works like Illinois. Through his storytelling, Stevens catalogs all the different loves of his life, doing so by meticulously recording a symphony’s worth of instruments that he played in his home studio. The level of detail produced by this (almost) one-man band is mind-boggling. His lyrics are as sincere as hymns, and the music builds and refracts into pure beams of light.
I saw a TikTok recently where the creator said that grief isn’t—as the saying goes—“love with nowhere to go,” but “love with everywhere to go.” Stevens lost his long-time partner, Evans Richardson, and he put his love for him everywhere on this album. It stretches through every measure—resting between the pauses and coming alive with every note. What a beautiful way to not only say goodbye but allow him to continue to live.
This year, I am grateful for the gift of music—the memories and emotions it holds that come back every time I listen. As we said goodbye to Stevens’ beloved, great musicians like Sinéad O’Connor, Tina Turner, Shane MacGowan, and all of the other souls we lost this year, let our memories of them live on in the music we listen to.
Tracks on repeat: Everything That Rises, So You Are Tired, Shit Talk
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
What are some of your favorite albums this year? Let me know in the comments.
Top 23 Songs of 2023
These are the songs that left the biggest impression on me this year. They got under my skin, got stuck in my head, and got my toes tapping. If you’ve been following along with my seasonal playlists, you’ll recognize many of them. Just like the albums I listened to, the genres are all over the map: electronic, pop, alternative, R&B, hip-hop, country, and folk. They’re full of smart lyricism, fresh melodies, and innovative production. There are scorched-earth anthems from women who stopped giving any fucks (Salad, namesake), tender ballads from sensitive souls (Oh Me, Oh My; Goldie Hawn), and songs that are so complex, I’m still unpacking them (A&W, Lips). They are metaphorically super-glued to me now.
The songs are not ranked in any order, just arranged in a way that sounded best to me. You’ll notice not all of my top 10 album picks are represented—I wanted to give a little representation to other artists. You can find links to the Spotify and Apple Music versions below.
Apple Music link
If you want more of my favorites from this year, I kept a running playlist of my favorite songs from every new album and EP I listened to. It’s ordered chronologically by the date listened. It’s almost a day’s worth of music, so play it through a little at a time or shuffle it and have fun! You can find it here:
Albums of 2023 - Apple Music playlist
Albums of 2023 - Spotify playlist
You can also find my seasonal playlists on my Spotify profile here, or search for my Apple Music profile under beebesharkey.
Looking forward
Thank you, dear readers, for another year of support. Every subscription, open, like, and comment means the world to me. And a big thank you to the family members and friends who cheered me on and encouraged me. I am also especially grateful to the two readers who lent us their own recommendations this year: Katie and Erica. I hope for more reader recommendations in 2024. I started this newsletter to build a community around music, and I’ve been amazed at how much it’s grown in the past year and a half. Thank you for helping it grow. Thank you for being a part of this.
Band Practice will continue in 2024. I’ve got a couple more issues of 2023 favorites in my drafts, which I’ll share soon. And of course, I’ll start covering any spicy 2024 releases when they come in. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss any of it. Happy New Year! Here’s to another year of good music!