Alright, another year in the books, and it was a fantastic one for music. Below is my list of the top albums of 2023. While it's fun to rank things based on my own personal preferences, the ultimate point here is to hopefully expose some people to some new albums that they will like or to help someone look at an album in a fresh way. Happy reading, and more importantly, happy listening!
Honorable Mention with a one-sentence review for each (in alphabetical order by artist):
Animal Collective, Time Skiffs - Their best album since Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Black Thought/Danger Mouse - I love everything that Black Thought does (he has another new one coming out in 2023) and this is a great match for Danger Mouse’s stylings.
Cate Le Bon - Pompeii - She creates a lot of interesting, angular ear worms, I love everything she does.
Dehd, Blue Skies - I love this minimalist, primal Chicago trio, still dying to see them live in a small club.
Deslondes, Ways & Means - Great folky band with some amazing voices here, I’m especially drawn to the songs by Riley Downing, but it’s all awesome.
Hermanos Gutierrez - Dan Auerbach produced this new ambient offering from this acoustic duo who paint pastoral landscapes with (mostly) just two guitars.
Plains, I Walked With You a Ways - Waxahatchee’s hot streak continues with this folky collaboration with Jess Williamson.
Trampled By Turtles, Alpenglow - TbT return with one of their best albums, and it even includes a cover of a Wilco song from their album that came out this year as well.
Vieux Farka Toure/Khruangbin, Ali - Khruangbin’s record of amazing collaborations only grows stronger as they partner with the son of legendary Malian guitarist, Ali Farka Toure.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cool It Down - It’s so good to have this band back as they add some modern cinematic touches to their bombastic sound (despite only being 8 songs after a 9 year hiatus).
10. Alex G, God Save the Animals
This was a late bloomer for me. I’ve been on the periphery of this band for a long while, as they tend to own a space between straightforward folk and freakout folk. This album fits that bill as well. There are some stunningly gorgeous songs here, and some stunningly weird ones. But, it’s always interesting and anchor tracks like “Runner,” “Mission,” and “Miracles” help to tie down the weird that comes between. Despite its meanderings, I never grew tired of this album, and I’ve liked it more with every single listen.
9. Tyler Childers, Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?
I was honestly pretty annoyed when this album was released. At first, i thought, “Holy hell, a triple album from one of the best up-and-comers in the alt-country scene?!?” (or as SiriusXM recently labeled a channel focusing on this genre - Y’allternative). But then I read the details and realized it was actually three different versions of the same album. I would have been more cool with it had he offered a single album vinyl version of any of the versions, but no, a fan would have to shell out $50+ for the triple vinyl if they wanted to own it.
I’m still annoyed by it, but by golly, this album is so damn good, it honestly overcomes that potentially pretentious move. Childers dives head-first into straight up gospel on this one and his incredibly polished band delivers. While in a gospel framework, they touch on everything from Appalachia to funk, oftentimes strutting like the Band (like on the title track among others). The instrumentals are strong here as well, and while they may start on the folky or gospel side, by the end they have locked into a groove with more modern electric flourishes.
When I first dove into this one, I thought I might be able to build the best version of the album by plucking songs from the different versions. Honestly, without listening to different versions back-to-back, it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference, with the exception being Disc 3, which deconstructs each song, almost like Wilco’s recent reissue of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot does with outtakes and weird versions of songs from their masterpiece. I would have preferred if Childers had gone this route and included these versions on a deluxe version or a future reissue. This album is definitely worth the ride, just maybe not worth the triple vinyl version ride. That being said, if I see it onsale someday, I may not be able to resist.
8. Wilco, Cruel Country
The New York Times may have stated it best on this album, calling it an “Understated Magnum Opus.” This album is as expansive as the American West, as sprawling as Manifest Destiny, and as complex as the country today. It’s primary fault may be that it’s too sprawling. I had to force feed myself to fully digest it. Not to say that any of it is painful, but clocking in at 77 minutes, these 21 songs are a lot to take in at once. I honestly do wish they would have chopped it down a bit, but, I honestly can’t pick which songs I would exclude.
The above may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but this album sneakily contains some of Wilco’s best and most expansive songs in years. This is an album to play on a Sunday around the house, or to listen to at work in the background, or to throw on for a long drive. These settings will let certain songs emerge, and others to sink in slowly. It may be understated, but that doesn’t mean it’s an underachievement. Like many of Wilco’s best albums, it demands multiple listens and a steady unfurling to crack the code of these 21 songs. I was recently diving back into Damien Jurado’s brilliant Maraqopa trilogy of albums, and it struck me that many of these Wilco songs could live in that universe as well.
I could go on, but this album feels like more of a personal journey. In the words of Tweedy himself (on a previous album), “Either you will, or you won’t.”
7. Wet Leg, Wet Leg
This was the best debut album I heard this year. And I tried really hard to not like a band called Wet Leg, but one single at a time on Sirius slowly wore me down. It was the album closer, “Too Late Now,” that first really hit me. It starts off like a slow building Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song, and the vocals could even be mistaken for a tame Karen O. But the part where it really gets interesting is around the 1:42 mark. Just when it sounds like it’s going to take off to the stratosphere, the “chorus” turns into a second-guessing, self-doubting psyche deep dive that ends in a bubble bath. After this reset the intense building that you would have expected earlier continues and ends on an amazingly effective note. Call it an ode to anxiety or Karen O at her most insecure self, but it RIPS.
While this album is as cohesive as a full unit, other single-worthy songs like “Chaise Longue” (which Pearl Jam covered?!?), “Angelica,” “Wet Dream” (I also tried really hard to not like a song called “Wet Dream,” but this may be the most infectious song on the album), and the absolutely hysterical “Ur Mum,” provide enough of a backbone to carry through any other inconsistencies in flow. Upon a deeper dive listening, there are actually no misses on the album, it just didn’t flow as well for me at first.
6. Peter Matthew Bauer, Flowers
This dude released the lead single from this album, “Knife Fighter,” very early in the year. From first listen, it absolutely enchanted me. I hoped for a full album of this captivating sound, and when I finally got my hands on it, it was a bit disorienting that the album was so diverse. Bauer cut his teeth playing bass in the mid-aughts buzz-band the Walkmen. He has released a couple of solo albums since they announced their “extreme hiatus” (which just ended!!!). I knew nothing of any of this when I heard the lead single, I just knew that the song was going to stick with me for a long time.
When I finally got the album much later, as mentioned, its diverse sounds were a bit jarring. There were full on Walkmen rockers (he recorded this with their drummer, so the rhythm backbone of the original band is intact). There are moments that sound like early War on Drugs (“Flowers”), moments that sound like the best of Bon Iver (“Miracles”) and moments that sound like a carnival band playing as the ship sinks underwater (“21st Century Station”), and more enchanting songs along teh way. The closer builds to a massive driven explosion, and amazing conclusion to an amazing album. Hopefully a sign of what’s to come as well! (Speaking of what’s to come, the Walkmen did announce a few shows for 2023, wouldn’t be pissed if they released some new music as well after their self-proclaimed “extreme hiatus.”
5. MJ Lenderman, Boat Songs
I have said it before, but it’s really hard to write good songs that also make people chuckle. John Prine was among the best at it, and many older country greats could also pull it off, but it’s such a rare gift, especially when you can take those light moments and make them part of something bigger that hits you over the head with an epiphany (Prine was the absolute best at this).
Somehow, 20-something MJ Lenderman has already picked up this skill as well. His songs are full of pop culture references from Michael Jordan to Dan Marino to Table/Ladder/Chairs WWE matches. As light as these references may sound, by the end of each song that references, you’re left with a deeper abstract nugget to think about. For example, “TLC Cagematch” starts off as a Stones-y honky tonk jam about how wrestlers sacrificed their bodies for our entertainment. But he concludes it with the following stanza:
That's why we do what we gotta do
To get through
And I know life will make us crazy
I do
And I know why we get fucked up
Yeah, I know why we get so fucked up
I know why we get so fucked up
I do
It's hard to see you fall so flat
From so high up, hard down on the mat
In this battle royale cage match
Where all things go
Suddenly the self-sacrifice and things that wrestlers have to do to keep going are about us as well. Who knew that pro wrestling could serve as such a strong metaphor for our day to day struggles? This kid, apparently.
Now, the nice thing is, if you’re not into thinking when listening to music (especially to the level of analysis that these reviews reach), these songs are perfect for that as well. They are ready-made for a road trip, a dive bar juke box, a Saturday night party, or as the album title suggests, cruising on a boat. It takes many listens to even care what he’s saying (beyond the obvious pop culture references) because the songs are so damn catchy and good.
Lenderman is actually also a member of an upcoming buzz-band called Wednesday that is due to release an album in 2023. I recently read an interview with him done by my favorite rock ‘n’ roll critic, Steve Hyden, who named this album his album of the year. (Hyden also wrote a remarkable book about Pearl Jam’s evolution as a band this year, and another incredible book about Radiohead’s Kid A). In it, Lenderman sounded exhausted by the whirlwind of the success of the album running right into Wednesday’s forthcoming release. I worry that something has to give, but I hope it’s not his solo work, because I absolutely need more of it!
4. Kevin Morby, This Is a Photograph
Morby’s indie masterpiece hot streak continues. I’d argue this streak started with City Music, but others may go further back. There are no real misses in his ever budding career, and no matter how you slice it, this one is a high point.
The opening (and title) track comes surging out of the gates, serving as a thesis statement for the album. It’s followed up by “Random Act of Kindness,” which is one of my favorite Morby songs ever. It would have served as a great album opener as well (more on that later). From there, Morby slips into “Bittersweet, TN,” a duet with Erin Rae that is stunningly gorgeous, especially when it takes off with Rae’s voice leading the way for the orchestral swell at the 3:37 mark. Bliss.
Morby wrote much of this album in a hotel room in Memphis, and the city’s fingerprints are all over this album. This includes a mini-suite Jeff Buckley tribute in the middle of the album with “Disappearing” > “Coat of Butterflies.” (Buckley tragically died swimming in the Mississippi River while in Memphis and had also applied for a job as a butterfly keeper at the Memphis Zoo before his passing). Talk about hipster indie rock street cred!
“Rock Bottom” is a straightforward rocker that interestingly features a few recorded giggles in the bridge from Tim Heidecker (of Tim & Eric fame). Things get a bit dark with “Five Easy Pieces” (based on a Jack Nicholson movie from the ‘70’s with the same title), but Morby backs that up with a gorgeous ode to his longtime girlfriend, Katy Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee). He closes it out with two more beauties - “Now It’s Over” and the wistful, yet hopeful, “Goodbye to the Good Times.”
This album is near perfect and it may be a masterpiece. I do have one major beef with it though, and it really bugs me: Why in the hell didn’t he open the album with “Random Act of Kindness”?!?!? That song is an ultimate album opener and sets such a great tone. I get that “This is a Photograph” serves as kind of a thesis statement for the album, but it’s already the album title track. Isn’t that enough? Also, his last album (Sundowner) was inspired by sunsets and the glow that follows. “Random Act of Kindness” peaks with the line, “SUN CAME UUUUP.” What a perfect segue. I know this shouldn’t be as big of a deal as I’m making it, but I think the album does suffer due to this choice. (Rant OVER haha.)
If you’re interested in learning more about this album, I plucked much of the above from an excellent track-by-track interview Morby did with Vulture.
3. The Smile, A Light for Attracting Attention
First and foremost, it’s impossible for me to believe that Radiohead released In Rainbows 15 years ago. Second of all (and more importantly for this writing’s purpose), The Smile’s new album is a damn near masterpiece, and resides as not only the greatest Radiohead side project (I do still have a soft spot for Thom Yorke’s Eraser on a rainy day), but near the top tier of Radiohead releases period.
It’s got everything you’ve ever loved about Radiohead. The menacing opener that serves as a Siren of what’s to come. The angsty, antagonistic guitar rocker (“..Television Again”). The haunting apocalyptic yet somehow still hopeful yearner (“Free in the Knowledge,”), the sexy smooth “I could probably make out to this song if it didn’t make me think so much” song (“The Smoke”). The anthemic manic guitar masher (“We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings”). The acerbic political takedown of one of the worst humans in the history of the planet (“A Hairdryer”). The mid-tempo kind of weird ones that you’ll end up loving on your 97th listen (I’m still not to my 97th listen yet). And the dreamy album closing send off, “Skrting on the Surface.”
Another fun game for this one is trying to figure out which Radiohead album each of these songs would fit best on, because almost every album is represented perfectly here. Oh…but noooooo….it’s definitely not a Radiohead album. Right. Got it.
2. Big Thief, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
In the summer of '21, my friend Kevin (aka Pugs) and I went and saw Big Thief at an outdoor parking lot in Indy (the HiFi Annex). We were both fans, but talked on the way how there were basically 5 or 6 songs we wanted to definitely catch, and, if they played them all early in the set, maybe we could sneak off to catch Phoebe Bridgers at another venue. Big Thief came out and pretty much played those 5-6 songs in the first quarter of the show. It was spellbinding so we decided to give it some more time. Rumors of a pending sprawling masterpiece of an album were already starting to spread.
They proceeded to play much of this new album, with some songs fully fleshed out and others still a massive work in progress. One that stood up was a massive electric rock version of the album’s title track, which ended up as more of a dreamy meditation when they cut it in the studio (HERE’s a link to a video of a similar version to what we witnessed). There was NO WAY we were leaving that concert. We had to stay so we could go tell others what was coming and keep spreading those rumors of a forthcoming sprawling masterpiece…because they were absolutely true.
This album is a bit all over the place. It's like a folky "White Album" in that it doesn't all naturally fit together, but it somehow all fits together. There are rubber band boings (you'll know it when you hear it), fiddles, some electronic beats, folky ditties, dark and dingy road-weary meanderers, and more. It's all anchored by Adrienne Lenker's incredible songwriting, her empathy, and, her pain and how she sorts through it. I had an epiphany earlier this year that I really long music that has a yearning or longing to it. Lenker is a master at creating songs with this factor.
This was a late bloomer for me. I’ve been on the periphery of this band for a long while, as they tend to own a space between straightforward folk and freakout folk. This album fits that bill as well. There are some stunningly gorgeous songs here, and some stunningly weird ones. But, it’s always interesting and anchor tracks like “Runner,” “Mission,” and “Miracles” help to tie down the weird that comes between. Despite its meanderings, I never grew tired of this album, and I’ve liked it more with every single listen.
9. Tyler Childers, Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?
I was honestly pretty annoyed when this album was released. At first, i thought, “Holy hell, a triple album from one of the best up-and-comers in the alt-country scene?!?” (or as SiriusXM recently labeled a channel focusing on this genre - Y’allternative). But then I read the details and realized it was actually three different versions of the same album. I would have been more cool with it had he offered a single album vinyl version of any of the versions, but no, a fan would have to shell out $50+ for the triple vinyl if they wanted to own it.
I’m still annoyed by it, but by golly, this album is so damn good, it honestly overcomes that potentially pretentious move. Childers dives head-first into straight up gospel on this one and his incredibly polished band delivers. While in a gospel framework, they touch on everything from Appalachia to funk, oftentimes strutting like the Band (like on the title track among others). The instrumentals are strong here as well, and while they may start on the folky or gospel side, by the end they have locked into a groove with more modern electric flourishes.
When I first dove into this one, I thought I might be able to build the best version of the album by plucking songs from the different versions. Honestly, without listening to different versions back-to-back, it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference, with the exception being Disc 3, which deconstructs each song, almost like Wilco’s recent reissue of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot does with outtakes and weird versions of songs from their masterpiece. I would have preferred if Childers had gone this route and included these versions on a deluxe version or a future reissue. This album is definitely worth the ride, just maybe not worth the triple vinyl version ride. That being said, if I see it onsale someday, I may not be able to resist.
8. Wilco, Cruel Country
The New York Times may have stated it best on this album, calling it an “Understated Magnum Opus.” This album is as expansive as the American West, as sprawling as Manifest Destiny, and as complex as the country today. It’s primary fault may be that it’s too sprawling. I had to force feed myself to fully digest it. Not to say that any of it is painful, but clocking in at 77 minutes, these 21 songs are a lot to take in at once. I honestly do wish they would have chopped it down a bit, but, I honestly can’t pick which songs I would exclude.
The above may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but this album sneakily contains some of Wilco’s best and most expansive songs in years. This is an album to play on a Sunday around the house, or to listen to at work in the background, or to throw on for a long drive. These settings will let certain songs emerge, and others to sink in slowly. It may be understated, but that doesn’t mean it’s an underachievement. Like many of Wilco’s best albums, it demands multiple listens and a steady unfurling to crack the code of these 21 songs. I was recently diving back into Damien Jurado’s brilliant Maraqopa trilogy of albums, and it struck me that many of these Wilco songs could live in that universe as well.
I could go on, but this album feels like more of a personal journey. In the words of Tweedy himself (on a previous album), “Either you will, or you won’t.”
7. Wet Leg, Wet Leg
This was the best debut album I heard this year. And I tried really hard to not like a band called Wet Leg, but one single at a time on Sirius slowly wore me down. It was the album closer, “Too Late Now,” that first really hit me. It starts off like a slow building Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song, and the vocals could even be mistaken for a tame Karen O. But the part where it really gets interesting is around the 1:42 mark. Just when it sounds like it’s going to take off to the stratosphere, the “chorus” turns into a second-guessing, self-doubting psyche deep dive that ends in a bubble bath. After this reset the intense building that you would have expected earlier continues and ends on an amazingly effective note. Call it an ode to anxiety or Karen O at her most insecure self, but it RIPS.
While this album is as cohesive as a full unit, other single-worthy songs like “Chaise Longue” (which Pearl Jam covered?!?), “Angelica,” “Wet Dream” (I also tried really hard to not like a song called “Wet Dream,” but this may be the most infectious song on the album), and the absolutely hysterical “Ur Mum,” provide enough of a backbone to carry through any other inconsistencies in flow. Upon a deeper dive listening, there are actually no misses on the album, it just didn’t flow as well for me at first.
6. Peter Matthew Bauer, Flowers
This dude released the lead single from this album, “Knife Fighter,” very early in the year. From first listen, it absolutely enchanted me. I hoped for a full album of this captivating sound, and when I finally got my hands on it, it was a bit disorienting that the album was so diverse. Bauer cut his teeth playing bass in the mid-aughts buzz-band the Walkmen. He has released a couple of solo albums since they announced their “extreme hiatus” (which just ended!!!). I knew nothing of any of this when I heard the lead single, I just knew that the song was going to stick with me for a long time.
When I finally got the album much later, as mentioned, its diverse sounds were a bit jarring. There were full on Walkmen rockers (he recorded this with their drummer, so the rhythm backbone of the original band is intact). There are moments that sound like early War on Drugs (“Flowers”), moments that sound like the best of Bon Iver (“Miracles”) and moments that sound like a carnival band playing as the ship sinks underwater (“21st Century Station”), and more enchanting songs along teh way. The closer builds to a massive driven explosion, and amazing conclusion to an amazing album. Hopefully a sign of what’s to come as well! (Speaking of what’s to come, the Walkmen did announce a few shows for 2023, wouldn’t be pissed if they released some new music as well after their self-proclaimed “extreme hiatus.”
5. MJ Lenderman, Boat Songs
I have said it before, but it’s really hard to write good songs that also make people chuckle. John Prine was among the best at it, and many older country greats could also pull it off, but it’s such a rare gift, especially when you can take those light moments and make them part of something bigger that hits you over the head with an epiphany (Prine was the absolute best at this).
Somehow, 20-something MJ Lenderman has already picked up this skill as well. His songs are full of pop culture references from Michael Jordan to Dan Marino to Table/Ladder/Chairs WWE matches. As light as these references may sound, by the end of each song that references, you’re left with a deeper abstract nugget to think about. For example, “TLC Cagematch” starts off as a Stones-y honky tonk jam about how wrestlers sacrificed their bodies for our entertainment. But he concludes it with the following stanza:
That's why we do what we gotta do
To get through
And I know life will make us crazy
I do
And I know why we get fucked up
Yeah, I know why we get so fucked up
I know why we get so fucked up
I do
It's hard to see you fall so flat
From so high up, hard down on the mat
In this battle royale cage match
Where all things go
Suddenly the self-sacrifice and things that wrestlers have to do to keep going are about us as well. Who knew that pro wrestling could serve as such a strong metaphor for our day to day struggles? This kid, apparently.
Now, the nice thing is, if you’re not into thinking when listening to music (especially to the level of analysis that these reviews reach), these songs are perfect for that as well. They are ready-made for a road trip, a dive bar juke box, a Saturday night party, or as the album title suggests, cruising on a boat. It takes many listens to even care what he’s saying (beyond the obvious pop culture references) because the songs are so damn catchy and good.
Lenderman is actually also a member of an upcoming buzz-band called Wednesday that is due to release an album in 2023. I recently read an interview with him done by my favorite rock ‘n’ roll critic, Steve Hyden, who named this album his album of the year. (Hyden also wrote a remarkable book about Pearl Jam’s evolution as a band this year, and another incredible book about Radiohead’s Kid A). In it, Lenderman sounded exhausted by the whirlwind of the success of the album running right into Wednesday’s forthcoming release. I worry that something has to give, but I hope it’s not his solo work, because I absolutely need more of it!
4. Kevin Morby, This Is a Photograph
Morby’s indie masterpiece hot streak continues. I’d argue this streak started with City Music, but others may go further back. There are no real misses in his ever budding career, and no matter how you slice it, this one is a high point.
The opening (and title) track comes surging out of the gates, serving as a thesis statement for the album. It’s followed up by “Random Act of Kindness,” which is one of my favorite Morby songs ever. It would have served as a great album opener as well (more on that later). From there, Morby slips into “Bittersweet, TN,” a duet with Erin Rae that is stunningly gorgeous, especially when it takes off with Rae’s voice leading the way for the orchestral swell at the 3:37 mark. Bliss.
Morby wrote much of this album in a hotel room in Memphis, and the city’s fingerprints are all over this album. This includes a mini-suite Jeff Buckley tribute in the middle of the album with “Disappearing” > “Coat of Butterflies.” (Buckley tragically died swimming in the Mississippi River while in Memphis and had also applied for a job as a butterfly keeper at the Memphis Zoo before his passing). Talk about hipster indie rock street cred!
“Rock Bottom” is a straightforward rocker that interestingly features a few recorded giggles in the bridge from Tim Heidecker (of Tim & Eric fame). Things get a bit dark with “Five Easy Pieces” (based on a Jack Nicholson movie from the ‘70’s with the same title), but Morby backs that up with a gorgeous ode to his longtime girlfriend, Katy Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee). He closes it out with two more beauties - “Now It’s Over” and the wistful, yet hopeful, “Goodbye to the Good Times.”
This album is near perfect and it may be a masterpiece. I do have one major beef with it though, and it really bugs me: Why in the hell didn’t he open the album with “Random Act of Kindness”?!?!? That song is an ultimate album opener and sets such a great tone. I get that “This is a Photograph” serves as kind of a thesis statement for the album, but it’s already the album title track. Isn’t that enough? Also, his last album (Sundowner) was inspired by sunsets and the glow that follows. “Random Act of Kindness” peaks with the line, “SUN CAME UUUUP.” What a perfect segue. I know this shouldn’t be as big of a deal as I’m making it, but I think the album does suffer due to this choice. (Rant OVER haha.)
If you’re interested in learning more about this album, I plucked much of the above from an excellent track-by-track interview Morby did with Vulture.
3. The Smile, A Light for Attracting Attention
Headline: “Radiohead” Releases Best Radiohead Album in 15 Years!!!
First and foremost, it’s impossible for me to believe that Radiohead released In Rainbows 15 years ago. Second of all (and more importantly for this writing’s purpose), The Smile’s new album is a damn near masterpiece, and resides as not only the greatest Radiohead side project (I do still have a soft spot for Thom Yorke’s Eraser on a rainy day), but near the top tier of Radiohead releases period.
It’s got everything you’ve ever loved about Radiohead. The menacing opener that serves as a Siren of what’s to come. The angsty, antagonistic guitar rocker (“..Television Again”). The haunting apocalyptic yet somehow still hopeful yearner (“Free in the Knowledge,”), the sexy smooth “I could probably make out to this song if it didn’t make me think so much” song (“The Smoke”). The anthemic manic guitar masher (“We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings”). The acerbic political takedown of one of the worst humans in the history of the planet (“A Hairdryer”). The mid-tempo kind of weird ones that you’ll end up loving on your 97th listen (I’m still not to my 97th listen yet). And the dreamy album closing send off, “Skrting on the Surface.”
Another fun game for this one is trying to figure out which Radiohead album each of these songs would fit best on, because almost every album is represented perfectly here. Oh…but noooooo….it’s definitely not a Radiohead album. Right. Got it.
2. Big Thief, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
In the summer of '21, my friend Kevin (aka Pugs) and I went and saw Big Thief at an outdoor parking lot in Indy (the HiFi Annex). We were both fans, but talked on the way how there were basically 5 or 6 songs we wanted to definitely catch, and, if they played them all early in the set, maybe we could sneak off to catch Phoebe Bridgers at another venue. Big Thief came out and pretty much played those 5-6 songs in the first quarter of the show. It was spellbinding so we decided to give it some more time. Rumors of a pending sprawling masterpiece of an album were already starting to spread.
They proceeded to play much of this new album, with some songs fully fleshed out and others still a massive work in progress. One that stood up was a massive electric rock version of the album’s title track, which ended up as more of a dreamy meditation when they cut it in the studio (HERE’s a link to a video of a similar version to what we witnessed). There was NO WAY we were leaving that concert. We had to stay so we could go tell others what was coming and keep spreading those rumors of a forthcoming sprawling masterpiece…because they were absolutely true.
This album is a bit all over the place. It's like a folky "White Album" in that it doesn't all naturally fit together, but it somehow all fits together. There are rubber band boings (you'll know it when you hear it), fiddles, some electronic beats, folky ditties, dark and dingy road-weary meanderers, and more. It's all anchored by Adrienne Lenker's incredible songwriting, her empathy, and, her pain and how she sorts through it. I had an epiphany earlier this year that I really long music that has a yearning or longing to it. Lenker is a master at creating songs with this factor.
While Lenker is clearly the center of the band's solar system, another thing that stood out to Kevin (aka Burger Boi) and I, was the cohesiveness of the band. That cohesion shines through on this album as well. The band actually recorded this album in four different settings across the country and it's easy to imagine them as a folky collective holing up in various cabins and studios to create this album.
Despite the expanse of this insanely vast landscape, I’m honestly somewhat surprised that this incredibly prolific band didn’t release another album this year. There were many cuts they played live that didn’t make the cut (including this lovely John Prine-esque ditty) and they haven’t been shy about an abundant release schedule in the past. That’s not to say I’m disappointed, I’m definitely still unraveling this one.
Despite the expanse of this insanely vast landscape, I’m honestly somewhat surprised that this incredibly prolific band didn’t release another album this year. There were many cuts they played live that didn’t make the cut (including this lovely John Prine-esque ditty) and they haven’t been shy about an abundant release schedule in the past. That’s not to say I’m disappointed, I’m definitely still unraveling this one.
For instance, my good buddy Corey more recently revealed the beauty of deep album cut “12,000 Lines.” It’s so deep in the album that I don’t make it there every time, but man, what a vibe. This one will continue to reveal itself, and I cannot wait to see what this band does next, because they've proven they can literally do anything.
1. Spoon, Lucifer on the Sofa
The week this album came out in February, my wife Liz jokingly asked if this was going to be my album of the year. At the time, I said, “This isn’t even the best album to come out this week!” because the much anticipated Big Thief album had just dropped on the same day. Big Thief held the top spot in my mind for a while, before Spoon eventually took over for the summer. I presumed once the weather turned cooler, I’d dig back into Big Thief’s sprawling epic, and it would eventually prevail (these are the mental "battles" that happen in mind 😂).
And, while Big Thief did make a comeback in the fall, the damage was done and there was no turning back. Spoon had released a masterpiece. I heard WXRT’s Marty Lennarts comment that somehow, every album this band releases is better than the last one. I wholeheartedly agree, especially this run of their last three albums (They Want My Soul > Hot Thoughts > Lucifer).
This album is so freaking perfect. It has all of the elements of a spectacular album - Amazing opener; an incredible Song of the Year worthy (and winning!) single; other single-worthy tunes to back it up; deep tracks that you warm up to months later; and a great send off of a closer.
It all starts with an almost unrecognizable cover of Bill Callahan’s side project, Smog’s, song “Held.” When I first heard it, I did think, “These are really interesting lyrics for Britt Daniel to write,” before I figured out it was in fact written by Callahan. This version struts and flexes Spoon’s sinister side and is filllllthy. (Dear Spoon, while you are at it, can you just cover the entire Smog album? It’s one of my favorite lo-fi albums ever, and before you recorded this cover, this wasn’t even one of my favorite songs on it!)
It then rips into the aptly titled “Hardest Cut,” before seguing into sleek and once again strutting “Devil and Mr. Jones” (one of those mid-tempo numbers that really hits you many listens later). After that we get to the best song of the year: “Wild.” Before we get to that, back to the “Devil and Mr. Jones,” real quick….its fits of starting and stopping almost make it seem like the perfect prelude to “Wild.” That transition between the two is FLAWLESS.
And “Wild.” This was my song of the year. I wrote about it more on my year-end songs list, which you can find HERE.
How could they possibly follow up the best song of the year and likely their career? With the stunningly perfect, “My Babe.” It doesn’t come close to the career-defining “Wild,” but holds its own as one of the best singles of their career. It’ll also have all the couples in the crowd holding each other close and singing to each other.
Spoon then follows that double-whammy up with the back-to-back of single-worthy “Feels Alright” and “On the Radio.” These could be two of the best songs on most other albums this year. Or two of the best songs on any Spoon album. The much softer “Astral Jacket” follows and might be a chance to catch your breath, but is by no means filler. It flows perfectly into the shimmering and driving “Satellite,” which is a deep secret weapon that continues to reveal the depth of this masterpiece. The album-closing title track is smoky and sexy and a perfect send-off into the night.
Before a Spoon show in Chicago this spring, my good friend Mary (Paul’s better half) said that Spoon may be the best indie rock band around. At the time I could certainly think of a couple of others who may qualify, but looking at Spoon’s body of work after this album, they may be one of the greatest ROCK BANDS of the last 20 years. The herd is actually pretty thin. One could also easily argue the Black Keys, or Jack White/Stripes. The Strokes are certainly bigger, but their catalog during this time isn't as rock solid as Spoon's.
I could certainly be convinced of the Keys, as they are like a modern-day Rolling Stones hit machine and their influence has spread through collaborations and producing others’ albums as well. Jack White is a similar institution, and both of these entities have a much bigger following than Spoon. Another worthy challenger is obviously Radiohead.
But, just as an exercise, let’s stack Spoon’s last-20-year-catalog (Kill the Moonlight through Lucifer on the Sofa) up against Radiohead’s (Hail to the Thief > In Rainbows > King of Limbs > A Moon Shaped Pool). Radiohead certainly started the double-decade off strong, but it’s been a steady decline since In Rainbows (UNLESS you count the new Smile album…which…once again, is NOT a Radiohead album 😁). Meanwhile, Spoon’s arrow points up with almost every subsequent release without a dud album in that time span (Transference may be an aberration, but it certainly doesn’t suck...and it won't put you to sleep like A Moon Shaped Pool).
Aaaaand…if we’re talking about 20 year runs of American rock bands…maybe, just maybe, Spoon is secretly one of the greatest American rock bands ever?? Certainly of my lifetime and most certainly of the past 20 years. How many American bands have a better 20-year run in them? The Dead….Bruce & the E Street Band….Aerosmith (it’s easy to knock Aerosmith at this point that they've basically become a parody of themselves, but in the mid-90’s, one could have made the case of them being the greatest American rock n roll band, and their 20 year run from the release of the song “Dream On” to the album Get A Grip is about as epic as any).
I can’t say any band from the grunge era had that long of a near-flawless run of records, and I have an extreme bias for that era.. All food for thought, but at the very least I think we need to reconsider Spoon’s place in the rock n roll pantheon. Chew on it and let me know what you think. Orrrrr....just go bliss out while listening to this year’s best album.
1. Spoon, Lucifer on the Sofa
The week this album came out in February, my wife Liz jokingly asked if this was going to be my album of the year. At the time, I said, “This isn’t even the best album to come out this week!” because the much anticipated Big Thief album had just dropped on the same day. Big Thief held the top spot in my mind for a while, before Spoon eventually took over for the summer. I presumed once the weather turned cooler, I’d dig back into Big Thief’s sprawling epic, and it would eventually prevail (these are the mental "battles" that happen in mind 😂).
And, while Big Thief did make a comeback in the fall, the damage was done and there was no turning back. Spoon had released a masterpiece. I heard WXRT’s Marty Lennarts comment that somehow, every album this band releases is better than the last one. I wholeheartedly agree, especially this run of their last three albums (They Want My Soul > Hot Thoughts > Lucifer).
This album is so freaking perfect. It has all of the elements of a spectacular album - Amazing opener; an incredible Song of the Year worthy (and winning!) single; other single-worthy tunes to back it up; deep tracks that you warm up to months later; and a great send off of a closer.
It all starts with an almost unrecognizable cover of Bill Callahan’s side project, Smog’s, song “Held.” When I first heard it, I did think, “These are really interesting lyrics for Britt Daniel to write,” before I figured out it was in fact written by Callahan. This version struts and flexes Spoon’s sinister side and is filllllthy. (Dear Spoon, while you are at it, can you just cover the entire Smog album? It’s one of my favorite lo-fi albums ever, and before you recorded this cover, this wasn’t even one of my favorite songs on it!)
It then rips into the aptly titled “Hardest Cut,” before seguing into sleek and once again strutting “Devil and Mr. Jones” (one of those mid-tempo numbers that really hits you many listens later). After that we get to the best song of the year: “Wild.” Before we get to that, back to the “Devil and Mr. Jones,” real quick….its fits of starting and stopping almost make it seem like the perfect prelude to “Wild.” That transition between the two is FLAWLESS.
And “Wild.” This was my song of the year. I wrote about it more on my year-end songs list, which you can find HERE.
How could they possibly follow up the best song of the year and likely their career? With the stunningly perfect, “My Babe.” It doesn’t come close to the career-defining “Wild,” but holds its own as one of the best singles of their career. It’ll also have all the couples in the crowd holding each other close and singing to each other.
Spoon then follows that double-whammy up with the back-to-back of single-worthy “Feels Alright” and “On the Radio.” These could be two of the best songs on most other albums this year. Or two of the best songs on any Spoon album. The much softer “Astral Jacket” follows and might be a chance to catch your breath, but is by no means filler. It flows perfectly into the shimmering and driving “Satellite,” which is a deep secret weapon that continues to reveal the depth of this masterpiece. The album-closing title track is smoky and sexy and a perfect send-off into the night.
Before a Spoon show in Chicago this spring, my good friend Mary (Paul’s better half) said that Spoon may be the best indie rock band around. At the time I could certainly think of a couple of others who may qualify, but looking at Spoon’s body of work after this album, they may be one of the greatest ROCK BANDS of the last 20 years. The herd is actually pretty thin. One could also easily argue the Black Keys, or Jack White/Stripes. The Strokes are certainly bigger, but their catalog during this time isn't as rock solid as Spoon's.
I could certainly be convinced of the Keys, as they are like a modern-day Rolling Stones hit machine and their influence has spread through collaborations and producing others’ albums as well. Jack White is a similar institution, and both of these entities have a much bigger following than Spoon. Another worthy challenger is obviously Radiohead.
But, just as an exercise, let’s stack Spoon’s last-20-year-catalog (Kill the Moonlight through Lucifer on the Sofa) up against Radiohead’s (Hail to the Thief > In Rainbows > King of Limbs > A Moon Shaped Pool). Radiohead certainly started the double-decade off strong, but it’s been a steady decline since In Rainbows (UNLESS you count the new Smile album…which…once again, is NOT a Radiohead album 😁). Meanwhile, Spoon’s arrow points up with almost every subsequent release without a dud album in that time span (Transference may be an aberration, but it certainly doesn’t suck...and it won't put you to sleep like A Moon Shaped Pool).
Aaaaand…if we’re talking about 20 year runs of American rock bands…maybe, just maybe, Spoon is secretly one of the greatest American rock bands ever?? Certainly of my lifetime and most certainly of the past 20 years. How many American bands have a better 20-year run in them? The Dead….Bruce & the E Street Band….Aerosmith (it’s easy to knock Aerosmith at this point that they've basically become a parody of themselves, but in the mid-90’s, one could have made the case of them being the greatest American rock n roll band, and their 20 year run from the release of the song “Dream On” to the album Get A Grip is about as epic as any).
I can’t say any band from the grunge era had that long of a near-flawless run of records, and I have an extreme bias for that era.. All food for thought, but at the very least I think we need to reconsider Spoon’s place in the rock n roll pantheon. Chew on it and let me know what you think. Orrrrr....just go bliss out while listening to this year’s best album.
