Top 30 Albums of 2023
Top 30 Albums of 2023
What a year. Perhaps the best in recent memory for new rock ‘n’ roll acts striking out. Social comment has begun to forge bonds with the devil, and the results have been breathtaking. It’s seen plenty of 00s stalwarts prove they’re not done creatively.
Find out where they’ve ranked in our top 30 albums of the year:
30. NGHFB – Council Skies
Some great moments blended with average ones. Lockdown and pending divorce may have hit the consistency, but there’s enough melody to keep you returning for more.
29. The Kynd – Timelines (full review here)
The long-awaited second album from 90s outfit The Kynd is a touch of baggy-mod class.
28. Neev - Catherine
Heartfelt folk from the Glaswegian songwriter who will surely go on to bigger and better things.
27. Adam Nutter – Badlands On Fire
Celestial instrumentals from The Music’s lead guitarist.
26. Andrew Cushin – Waiting For The Rain
The Geordie singer-songwriter’s debut shows glimpses of a much brighter future.
25. Emy P - Lights // Chaos // Action
Intense tales of love, coming-of-age, and mental health. Raw Kai Tempest meets Scroobious Pip vibes.
24. Bag of Cans – We Are A Band
Lunacy. Brilliant, hilarious lunacy!
23. DMAs - How Many Dreams?
Polished anthems from the Aussie heroes.
22. The Boo Radleys - Eight
The cult Scouse heroes continue their fine run of form since returning in 2021.
21. Egyptian Blue – A Living Commodity
Off-beat but cohesive post-punk striving for glory.
20. Death of Guitar Pop - Be Lucky
The third installment from the DIY Ska outfit.
19. Grian Chatten - Chaos For The Fly
The Fontaines frontman strikes out with a timeless sense of songwriting.
18. The Shed Project – Our Fear Is Their Power (Full Review here)
What began as mates in a Shed playing for fun has become the do-or-die rock ‘n’ roll generations live for! Their attempt to convey their moods has given a window into a nation teetering on the edge of revolt at its politicians, media, and institutions falter.
17. Mull Historical Society – In My Mind There’s A Room
Colin McIntyre’s literary project is littered with melodic gold and award-winning author cameos.
16. Jasmine Minks – We Make Our Own History
The former Creation Records maestro’s prove they can still cut it with the best.
15. Treasures of Mexico – Burn The Jets (full review here)
Three albums in, Treasures of Mexico show no signs of tailing off. ‘Burn The Jets’ is a heartfelt slice of guitar joy that all should bask in.
14. King Creosote - I DES
Fife’s finest fok artist continues to find pockets of magic twenty-five years after his debut.
13. Afflecks Palace – The Only Light In This Tunnel Is The Oncoming Train (full review here)
The rise of Afflecks Palace continues steadfastly. It’s beautifully aimless, passionate, and soul-enriching. 100 years from now, they will not be forgotten!
12. Slowdive - Everything Is Alive
Utterly spellbinding.
11. Das Koolies - DK.01
Four members of Super Furry Animals strike out with breathtaking results.
10. Trampolene – Rules of Love and War (full review here)
The journey from ‘Swansea To Hornsey’ youthful fire to ‘Rules Of Love and War’ measured prose has been six years of hope, self-doubt, escape, self-discovery, and now, one of triumphant return. The mission statements they dreamt up in bedrooms in 2017 are now becoming fully realised via richer creative palettes. Coupled with Jack Jones’ purist of souls, long may Trampolene’s ship sail on.
9. Senses – Little Pictures Without Sound (full review here)
‘Little Pictures Without Sound’ is an album by dreamers for dreamers. Even in its most lo-fi moments, it’s touched by the hands of fantasy. It breeds a vision of a better life at every turn.
8. Tom Clarke– The Other Side
2023’s best kept secret! The Enemy frontman’s second solo album is his finest set of songs. Timeless songwriting showcases what a generational talent he is!
7. The Goa Express - The Goa Express
Life-affirming indie that’ll soundtrack a generation coming of age!
6. The Coral – Sea Of Mirrors (full review here)
The drifters charter. Masterful songwriting.
5. The Dream Machine – Thank God It’s The Dream Machine (full review here)
The Wirral has a new set of outsiders to idolise!
4. Joel Stoker – Undertow (full review here)
After two decades with The Rifles, making any solo album was a brave decision. To tackle his living nightmares and chart a musical course a world away was truly courageous.
3. The Velvet Hands – Sucker Punch (full review here)
Skint, downtrodden, and overtaken by those who can afford it or the artistically redundant. Despite the odds against them and cultural pressures pushing them toward a boring mainstream landscape, the band have funnelled their joyous punk debut into something more studied and grander this time out.
2. Pynch – Howling At A Concrete Moon (full review here)
Pynch’s debut album is full of such great era-defining couplets it's easy to overlook just how many great musical moments it possesses. The dreamy Real Estate and Horrors-esque (circa ’V’) synths of opener ‘Haven’t Lived a Day’ or the solos on ‘Tin Foil’ and ‘Maybe’, to name just a few.
A truly great moment in a sea of political despair. Viva la hope!
1. The Utopiates – The Sun Also Rises (full review here)
Whether you’re coming of age or finding a new lease on life, The Utopiates are the band to soundtrack it. From ‘Devolution’ to ‘It’s Coming To You’ they clutch onto hope with their fingernails as their sonic tumbles towards the darkness. Like all great bands before them, they find a way to lead the mortals out of their doldrums. During the introspection of ‘The Sun Also Rises’ the fog begins to lift allowing the rhapsodic ‘Ups and Downs’ conjures a moment of unrivalled happiness. The journey to their promised land is completed on the angelic reflective come-down piece ‘Simple Minds’.
Undeterred by Spotify’s influences, they take their time on intros and solos alike. They’ve allowed rock ‘n’ roll to breathe once more. The results are nothing short of a perfect debut album.
Top 20 Albums of 2017
20. Ride – Weather Diaries
The Oxford quartet’s first album since 1996’s ‘Tarantula’ saw them on mixed form. At it’s best though, ‘Cali’ and ‘Lannoy Point’ deliver their brand of melodic shoegaze.
19. Cast – Kicking Up The Dust
The Scouse legends deliver their best album since the 1995 classic ‘All Change’. Flitting between their free flowing blues and spritely pop numbers, John Power has hit a purple patch of song writing once more
18. Noel Gallagher – Who The Built Moon
The old mongrel shed a few coats for his latest album. When he nails it, as he does on ‘Holy Mountain’, it’s magnificent. It’s big bold and new. Alas, when he doesn’t, its because the leaps are not big enough or he doesn’t remain in his big key change comfort zone. Nevertheless, with plans to make another record with David Holmes, this could be the start of a glorious journey.
17. Public Service Broadcasting – Every Valley
Those clever clever bastards have churned out the goods once more. Getting to grips with pit life in Wales this time round. The guest vocals from Camer Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell and Manics’ James Dean Bradfield were welcome additions to their sound. However, the standout track comes from the rage
16. GospelbeacH – Another Summer of Love
The West Coast veterans channel their inner Byrds spirit and deliver exactly what it says on the tin. As the cold sets in and all that’s left to eat is cold meat, this blast of sunshine will see you through to your next holiday.
15. Alvvays – Antisocialites
Molly Rankin’s sublime vocals should be saved for a long journey staring out windows at vast landscapes. Everything this band do sounds life changing or affirming.
14. Girl Ray – Earl Grey
With the single of the year ‘Touble’ on its books, Girl Ray were always making this list. Brilliant melodies, unique vocals and a sense of humour unrivalled, they are band with magic at their fingertips.
13. Tom Williams – All Change
History has always proven the poet can achieve far more than social comment. Nevertheless, the social commentary here is smothered such warming pop music vibes, it’s hard to picture this not reaching even those who disagree.
12. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band
There is nothing we can say, that the genius John Dorman hasn’t about Michael Head already: https://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/article/3ka349/the-british-masters-michael-head Nevertheless, we love this album, we love that Head is in a good place and long may it continue.
11. Liam Gallagher – As You Were
To quote Jurassic Park, “clever girl”. Did anyone see this album coming? All the money was on a flailing Beatles via psyche album. What we got was, big emotive albums with remarkably honest and humble lyrics from the icon.
10. Shed Seven – Instant Pleasures
Sixteen years was well worth the wait. All the pain and bitterness felt by band and fans alike when they were shunned by the industry has dissipated. Emerging from the fog are the unsung heroes of Britpop. This new offing is packed with great choruses, wit, and a charming underdog spirit. Business as usual!
9. The Moonlandingz – Interplanetary Class Classics
This supergroup was always going to deliver wasn’t it? Whether it’s the Mary Chain inspired ‘The Strangle of Anna’, the Gary Numan-esque ‘The Rabies are Back’ or Earl Brutus via The Horrors ‘Black Hanz’, everything sounds so fresh!
8. Idles – Brutalism
Wry, sarcastic and effing hilarious. This pitiless body of work will stop at nothing to take the piss and provide punk rock nirvana.
7. Johnny Flynn – Sillion
The one true genius of the nu-folk era returned from acting to prove he is still the master. No one in the folk world can touch him for sincerity of song writing. Everything he delivers has a warmth and depth of emotion to be admired.
6. British Sea Power – Let The Dancers Inherit The Party
Is this the first ‘Remainer’ album? Quite possibly. It has overarching sense of together is better and, inevitably, a sense of loss.
Forever consistent, BSP have risen their pop sensibilities to ‘Open Season’ standard and, on leadoff single ‘Bad Bohemian’, surpassed it. Despite the “half glass empty” and “what’s done is done” lyrics, it’s as defiant single your likely to hear. Effortlessly free, it tumbles and swirls with abandon.
Elsewhere, ‘Don’t Let The Sun Get In The Way’ is a sauntering rock behemoth which will stop you dead in your tracks to ponder life as you know it.
5. Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders – Scenery For Dreamers
Proving age is but number, Wylie, 59, as delivered a masterpiece. No one thought it was possible for him to ever reach the heights of the Cosmic Rough Riders’ ‘Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine’ but, this Teenage Fanclub via Neil Young offering just does that.
4. Theatre Royal – And Then It Fell Out My Head
Comfortably the pop record of the year. Smart, funny and always brave in its song writing topics. The heartfelt ‘Standing in the Land’ just grows in resonance the more the British press turns away from atrocities of Syria. To wrap such a subject in a achingly beautiful acoustic number is the very reason why so many people think Ed Sheeran is shit. This is the pinnacle of a simple song!
‘Locked Together on the Lines’, ‘Port Bou’, and ‘Will Somebody Please Write Me a Song’ ooze a carefree spirit that demands instant affection.
3. Ryan Adams – Prisoner
Mr Prolific is back, and his back with the most brutal of break up records. This is the sound of a crushing divorce and searing unseen pain. Channelled through big rock riffs and dream pop production, Adams is at his scintillating best.
2. Wolf Alice – Visions of Life
The hottest property in the UK right now, and rightly so. They’ve combined a sense of experimentation with punk and pop immediacy on an album that is forever shape shifting in sound. Rock music might not be dominating the charts right now but, Wolf Alice have taking a big stride towards making it relevant again and, they’ve done it with the utmost integrity.
1. Trampolene – Swansea to Hornsey
What a year these boys have had. As if supporting The Libertines and Liam Gallagher wasn’t enough, all the promise from the early EPs has been followed up with an instant classic. There's the aching beauty of ‘Gangway’ and ‘Beautiful Pain, the vitriolic social comment of ‘Dreams So Rich, Life So Poor’ and William Blake poetry scattered throughout, it has it all
The Final Five: A New Hope
5. Pete Astor - Spilt Milk
Astor's foray into his past delivers richness and warmth much, which, in year beset by iconic loss, is needed ever so badly. 'Really Something', 'Mr Music' and 'My Perfect Life' act as a holy trinity of alternative pop music. Simplistic tunes to warm the heart but with complex discourse. Bravo!
4. Savages - Adore Life
‘Adore Life’ is an album that delivers on the potential of the debut and explores new possibilities simultaneously. They have gone from being an exciting post-punk band to one threatening greatness on this record.
3. Hooton Tennis Club – Big Box of Chocolates
The slackers from Wirral have emerged from their debut album with astonishing results. Their follow up has invoked several new styles including fuzz, rock n roll and an all round more emotive edge. 'Statue of the Greatest Woman I Know' has put The Vaccines on notice for rock n roll kings. 2017 is theres to take on the live circuit.
2 Boxed In - Melt
From the early days of Keith, Oli Bayston has been threatening this kind of breakthrough. This album will hypnotise you and gently release you onto a sun kissed wave of bliss. Boxed In were once Annakin Skywalker to Hot Chip's Obi Wan. Now they are the masters!
1. Trampolene – Pocket Album Five (Divided Kingdom)
Yes this may be an EP but, we've not heard anything over a longer format that compete with these 4 songs and poem. Divided Kingdom's glorious social comment is set to devastating guitars. This is a real single of the year contender.
'Dreams So Rich / Life So Poor' continues the rich vein of British cultural observation. It wraps itself up in Strokes-esque rock n roll but, crucially, has personality oozing from every pore.
'Blue Balls & A Broken Heart' suggests the brilliance of the Libertines wasn't lost on a fashion of trilby hats and lies about being at Filthy McNasty's. This ballad encapsulates Blake, Morrissey, Doherty and anyone who ever dreamt of Arcadia in Albion.
Like the aforementioned Blake, head honcho Jack Jones can self reflect beautifully in his natural surroundings. Even with a slug. Today's political climate is so centered around on burying 'the other', well, this finds beauty in the outsider and encourages everyone to embrace the different.
Closing this glorious EP is 'She Is A Nice Girl'. A sprightly Libertines via The La's acoustic number which relays the fondness of yet another who is misunderstood. 2016 has been a year of misunderstandings on a monumental level, let this track guide us back to humility in 2017.