Here's the Music Observer round up of standout albums of the year gone by. As you can see from the length of this post, it’s been hard to keep up with the albums this year; we've witnessed another wonderful flood of great musical art. It's really encouraging to see that this art-form is anything but dead, and in fact is thriving and growing! (My top picks of this year's singles can be found here and EPs are coming soon.)
Coach Party - Killjoy
I put this album straight on my shortlist as soon as I heard it in September. The album as a whole is a full on, fuzz-fuelled, dream rock anthem, with many of the individual tracks functioning like microcosms of that larger world.
What an opening, too: four firmly-hit snare beats count us in for what turns out to be a fast-paced ride, as 'What's the Point in Life' makes it clear that Coach Party aren't going to be wasting any time. It's about short album, 10 tracks taking up less than half an hour end to end; only two tracks are more than three minutes long. But it doesn't feel rushed or dashed off. The album does its job very, very well, mixing some rapid-fire rants with fractionally slowed down songs (which feel almost epic in this context). 'Hi Baby' is one of the shorter ones, and also one of the most catchy and memorable.
'Born Leader' is a stand-out track: it draws you in with a promise right from the start, and doesn't disappoint; the guitar riffs here echo with a muffled wail while the drums beat at just the right level, and vocals from Jess Eastwood veer from strident to sultry.
I'm still itching to see Coach Party live; it just hasn't quite worked out yet. Hopefully 2024 will be the year it finally does.
[Listen here.]
FIZZ - The Secret To Life
This band are perhaps the best gift 2023 has given us. They're a genius collaboration; the super group we probably didn’t realised we desperately needed, but who it would seem hard to live without now.
Their debut album is a record full of unique and often unexpected touches - tiny, carefully-wrapped gifts - and one of those albums where you hear something new every time you listen.
Each individual contributes their own stylistic touches, such as their subtly different but similarly winning vocal styles, but there's never a feeling of anyone wanting to steal - or even borrow - the spotlight. This selflessness brings a strong feeling of easy camaraderie to all of FIZZ's performances, and this is reflected all the way through the album. There’s room for everyone at a FIZZ party.
[Listen here, and read my live review for LeftLion here.]
[Listen here, and read my thoughts on 'I Missed The Joke' here.]
The whole of this record is a swirling, immersive experience, in the best LOTL tradition. It may not mark a particularly progressive stage compared with their last album, but it's a great listen and perhaps the relatively short running time makes it all the more accessible.
[Listen here. Read my previous thoughts on the band here.]
Lastlings - Perfect World
2023 was the year I discovered this Australian duo, and I fell in love quickly with their easy style; the release of their new album cemented that feeling.
This is another real experience of an album; sometimes veering into areas so chilled and vibey that they seem to take over your mind, rather than fading into the background.
Track 1, ‘Holding Me Like Water’, is a statement of intent, starting with chilly floating vocals and ambient sounds before crisp breakbeats join. It builds with care, enveloping you in subtly expanding sounds, falling away slightly at times before easing upwards again towards a soft peak — and we see the rest of the album lying spread out before us.
From there we visit lands of plenty, rich with warm synths and all-encompassing beats, with those clear, engaging vocals always hovering over it all. Look out for ‘Better Of Without You’, where the music reaches spikier peaks, and ‘Out Of My ahead’ which is lush and warm, a tropical interlude.
'Perfect World' is a record which feels entirely coherent; it makes sense and you won’t regret your visit.
[Listen here.]
The Murder Capital - Gigi’s Recovery
Stunning, impactful, brooding and dark; often challenging, but also loads of fun. This record is all of that and more.
It features one of the best and most dramatic individual tracks of the year, ‘The Stars Will Leave Their Stage’. But the path to that track is laid beautifully: beginning with the first strange resonant sounds of ‘Existence’ which are overlaid with uncomfortable vocals, then streaming subconsciously into ‘Crying’, with its shifty beats, siren-like guitars and moments of relief as chords resolve.
Further tracks see the band exploring the limits of more structured songs, while keeping everything flooded in ominous gloaming light. That’s the genius of this record: allowing different shades of expression, experimenting with a theme, finding new and exciting rabbit holes to dive down, and pulling us along with irresistible force.
[Listen here.]
The National - Laugh Track
This record seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise (me included), and was the second album The National released in 2023 (the first was not so well received). It opens with the fabulous 'Alphabet City', which wends around starkly beautiful and often gravelly territories, at times feeling like it could hardly get off the ground but ultimately providing the realisation that sometimes good things need to come gradually; almost an hour and 11 tracks later, it closes out with the somewhat epic 'Smoke Detector' (which the Guardian recently called "the wildest song" the band have ever made). This is a classic album in all the best senses of the word: a long-form work, where each individual (and enjoyable) song knows its place and does a distinct job.
Enriching the record further, we're also treated to collaborations from Bon Iver (track 3, 'Weird Goodbyes'), Phoebe Bridgers (track 6, 'Laugh Track), and Rosanne Cash (track 11, ‘Crumble’).
One of my favourites on the album is ‘Turn off the House’. This is a dream of a track, one of those which just presses on and on, becoming everywhere and everything as you listen — somehow transforming into a part of your consciousness. A lot of the tracks on this album are like that, in fact, particularly throughout the central section of the record. This gives ‘Laugh Track’ its own clear and distinct feel, which soaks through it all, including those collabs. There are variations on the theme (such as ‘Space Invader’ which ramps up the energy and veers in a clamorous direction before surrendering to the beautiful and strangely soothing ‘Hornets’), but those variations never depart too far from the core.
[Listen here.]
[Listen here, and read more of my thoughts on this album here.]
RAYE - My 21st Century Blues This LP is vast and rich, covering, in 15 tracks, acres of territory and all the essential topics of these confusing times. RAYE beautifully balances epic sounds and confident, assertive declarations with delightfully self-effacing and honest moments. And there’s loads going on in each track and in the album as a whole.
After this, RAYE begins to show even more influences. There are a couple of strongly soul- and R&B-focused songs, (a standout) the stripped-back but very powerful 'Ice Cream Man', (a standout), an eco-conscious, quirky song backed by liquid DnB beats ('Environmental Anxiety'), a track featuring Mahalia ...
[Listen here.]
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
There are lots this year. I probably should do a top 20, but I’m stubbornly sticking to the format hence the long list below! These are all absolutely worth checking out, too.
Art School Girlfriend - Soft Landing Softly engaging for the most part, with lots of chilled beats and muffled synth lines. But also, some low key bangers - take the first track 'A Place To Lie' for starters. This is a widely-encompassing listen, and very satisfying for many moods. [Listen here.]
Baby Queen - Quarter Life Crisis (Deluxe) A well balanced record, sometimes presenting deceptively sugary pop, but always with a tongue-in-cheek, self-exposing approach; just a great listen, too. [Listen here.]
Billie Marten - Drop Cherries An extensive collection of direct, confident modern folk songs, imbued with a hazy summer essence, but always pointing towards the future. Look out for ‘I Can’t Get My Head Around You’. [Listen here.]
Boygenius - the record The genius (yep) and genuine affection and friendship of the three women who make up this super group really shines through. There’s warmth and closeness even as the trio speak out with unabashed ferocity, and a sense of humour, against this tedious male-dominated world, and as they celebrate life’s good things, too. [Listen here.]
Eleri - The Carnival A joyous and upbeat album, blending pop, country and element of modern folk, and adding her own unique strain and chiming vocals. Eleri sounds energised and confident, happy to be sharing her work with us and always ready to entertain. [Listen here.]
Grian Chatten - Chaos For The Fly A sense of poetic freedom and true self expression. This album only narrowly missed out on my top 10. [Listen here.]
JJ Lovegrove - The Lines We Leave Behind Here’s the microreview I wrote for LeftLion earlier this year: Judi’s voice emerges like a flickering flame from the misty ambience of opening track, ‘Run’, before the album grows in power and intensity. In the centre, ‘The Call’ has a lo-fi feel but high impact, leading into the 80s-drenched ‘Dark Room’, with infectious pounding drums. After a long power down, we finish with the meandering ‘Power Cut’ and the slow-burning, moving, ‘End Credits’. The dawn to dusk concept is well executed, the tracks cross-fading, real-world samples adding a sense of immediacy, and the protagonist herself always present, but never intrusive. An impactful and memorable listen: a well-balanced and poetic work from an artist in a place of confidence. [Listen here.]
Miss Grit - Follow the Cyborg Utterly of the future. While some moments may fall a little short, the album includes some stunning sounds, such as the thrummy, relentless electro-dance title track, and the jittery pulse of ‘Like You’. [Listen here.]
Metric - Formentera II Metric's track 'Doomscroller' was my "Epic banger of the year" in 2022; this year, part two of their album sequence takes the character of that song and teases it out into an entire worldscape. [Listen here, and read my previous thoughts on 'Doomscroller' here.]
Odd Beholder - Feel Better Telling straightforward but important tales through the medium of an electric dreamscape. Highlights for me are ‘Woolen Sweater’, ‘Dirty Secrets’ and ‘Just Because I Regret It’. [Listen here.]
Soda Blonde - Dream Big Expansive, flowing and varied; the band take things to the next level here, covering lots of ground and providing a base for each member to show off their talents. A sense of crispness, urgency and passion. [Listen here and read my live review for the Songbird here.]
Thea Gilmore - Thea Gilmore Deftly delivered, powerfully feminist. The album opens very strongly with ‘Nice Normal Woman’ and just gets better and better as it unfolds. ‘Bones’ thrums along and unrolls like some sort of space highway, and you’re transported … ‘Hope and Fury’ and ‘Unravel Me’ are both robust and totally engaging, with subtle tweaks throughout; ‘Talking Out Of Tune’ is satisfyingly dramatic. Thea’s is an authoritative voice in the conversation here and this album is important as well as a really good listen. [Listen here.]
Tove Lo - Dirt Femme (Extended Cut) / Dirt Femme (Stripped) Tove has treated us to two new variations on her brilliant 2022 album this year. I previously wrote about her ability to create interesting and innovative structures and play with varied ideas and themes; well, the “Stripped” version of ‘Dirt Femme’ shines a whole new light on her songs, revealing her talent for great songwriting - and a perfected voice - even further, and proving (if it’s needed) that Tove is more than “pop” or any other label she’s been given. The stark version of ‘Grapefruit’, just a piano and Tove’s intimate vocal, is sublime; and ‘How Long’ is interpreted with genius. She has not only made it work, but created a whole new beautiful song. I only wish that more than seven tracks had been given this treatment. The “Extended Cut” of the album at least scratches the itch for more Tove with extended versions of four of the album tracks. [Listen here and here and read my thoughts on last year’s album here.]
Slow Readers Club - Knowledge Freedom Power A sustained wave of electro-synth-infused, upbeat euphoric energy, with a beautiful balance of darker tones. [Listen here and read my review for the Songbird here.]