The VT Albums of the Year 2023

[bickster]

As per title...

As many or as few as you like.

[Genie]

 

[Seat68]

Chase Rice. I hate cowboys and all dogs go to hell, this guy was a contestant on Survivor, he was bland, borderline dislikeable, then he started writing bland dislikeable country songs, including the dreadful Cruise by Florida Georgia Line. He released a string of albums and singles and not a single one got me, I really had a low opinion of him. Then he put out this latest album, he said he wanted to make the album that his dad would be proud of and its the album I have been playing most this year. Spotify says it is, but its been in my car for months and I return to it all the time. 

In the country thread I mentioned the Elle King album, come get your wife. I really think as a singer and songwriter she has hit her stride, like Chase Rice its been in my car for some time, really strong from start to finish and wavering between pop and the pop end of country, with little sojourns off into deeper country. It's fantastic. I think women in country music are for me producing the best music at the moment.

Ashley McBryde, the devil I know, I do not think in mainstream country anyone comes close to her at the moment, not anyone that is releasing albums with any regularity, she is phenomenal and one artist that I have been buying a lot of over the past 12 months. On The devil I know she also teams up with some of my favourite writers in Bobby Pinson and Hillary Linsey, to name 2. Her previous album Lindeville was a favourite from last year, but this is fully formed and more cohesive.

Also in the running were albums by Dierks Bentley, Easton Corbin, and one from last year that I bought this year, Hailey Whitters.

[fightoffyour]

Whatever The National and Taylor Swift released

[Designer1]

My number 1 by a country mile:


Sleaford Mods - UK GRIM

 

 

Joint second:

Joe Unknown - For Better, For Worse

and

Baxter Dury - I Thought I was Better than You

 

Various other bangers and belters:

Prong - State of Emergency
PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old Year Dying
Crosses - Goodnight, God Bless, I Love You, Delete
Twin Temple - God is Dead
The Wytches - Our Guest Can’t be Named
Meursalt - Meursalt
Coffinshakers - Graves, Release Your Dead
Bilk - Bilk
Gina Birch - I Play My Bass Loud
The DSM IV - New Age Paranoia
Grave Pleasures - Plagueboys
Gabrielle Shonk - Across the Room
Blood Ceremony - The Old Ways Remain
Jadu Heart - Derealised
Billy No Mates - Cactus

 

Very decent year again.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Designer1

[PieFacE]

1 minute ago, Designer1 said:

The Wytches - Our Guest Can’t be Named

Had no idea they were still going. Loved their first album. Cheers. 

[blandy]

Billy Nomates - Cacti

SBT (Sarabeth Tucek) - Joan of All

Smoke Fairies - Carried in Sound

Luluc - Diamonds

Daughter - Stereo Mind Game

Boygenius - the record

EBTG - Fuse

Courtney Barnett - End of the Day

PJ Harvey - I Inside The Old Year Dying

In roughly that order, with Billy Nomates being the best (and also because of the separate series of weekly demo releases via bandcamp which are really good too).

[theboyangel]

1 hour ago, PieFacE said:

Had no idea they were still going. Loved their first album. Cheers. 

It’s a cracker @PieFacE and may well feature on my list (when I get around to doing it!)

[chrisp65]

In no particular order I’d go with the following from my around the world / world music purchases:

 

Mythic Sunship - Changing Shapes

Some nice Danish psychedelic jazzy rock.

The Orb - Prism

more stuff just like The Orb, what’s not to love

Hooveriii - Pointe

Never heard of them before, bought on recommendation, a slight twang of American rock and psych and motorik and it all tastes of sunshine

London Odense Ensemble - Jaiyede

More sort of Danish noisy psych jazz with a hint of Krautrock maybe sort of stuff

Hot Chip - Freakout / Release

Very Hot Chip, very danceable electro pop which is not meant to sound as demeaning as it might read, a lot of excellent tracks on here

Alabama 3 - Cold War Classics vol 2

A return to strong form after two mediocre albums, if you can’t sway your hips or nod to this you may well be dead

Les Big Byrd - Eternal Light Brigade

The best band ever to come out of Sweden and motorik masters

Goat - Medicine

It’s not due to be unwrapped for a few weeks, but hey, it’s out there so I’ve listened to it! Swedish what is it? World fusion alt indie rock? No idea what label shite record shops would file it under to make it difficult to find.

 

So yeah, a strong showing for Scandinavia there, not deliberate, there’s just lots of interesting things going on.

 

 

 

[GarethRDR]

Got a clear fave this year:

M83 - Fantasy

An absolutely joyous return to everything I love about Saturdays = Youth and Hurry Up We're, Dreaming era-fare, ably abetted by the fact that they have incorporated members of the excellent BRUIT ≤ into their touring band.  Finally caught them live for the first time at The Roundhouse earlier this year and it did not disappoint.

 

A few noteworthy mentions:

• PLANK! and Teeth Of The Sea are a dead heat for noodly-electro/krautrock record of the year.

• Heavy pick goes to JAAW's debut Supercluster

• The delayed Phoxjaw album notverynicecream - mentioned this in last year's thread as it was due out then, but at that time allegations had sprung up around one of the band members and the release was shelved.  Developments since have ostensibly exonerated said band member; sticking strictly to publicly available facts and attempting to avoid any conjecture, in the immediate aftermath, the band put out a statement claiming the allegations were vexatious and the alleging parties had previously been reported by the band to police prior to any allegations being made public.  Ultimately, the record label would issue a detailed statement in support of the band, having been provided with and reviewed whatever evidence it was that the band had originally gone to the authorities with.  About a month prior to the label's statement, 2000 Trees festival who had originally made public the allegations as part of a statement dropping the band from the bill last year, issued a retraction, an apology and stated they had paid a "substantial sum" in damages to the band.  The band then issued a statement with more details around what their evidence was and their timeline of events leading up to the allegation, and a follow-up stating they had asked their accusers (who had issued similar retractions/apologies) to donate to rapecrisis.org in lieu of paying damages to the band.

One last word(s) before I actually say something about the bloody album; my own position wound up being "wait and see", to the point I held off on cancelling my pre-order for the album.  Once the statement from the label came out, that was enough for me to inwardly resolve any moral introspection on my part, to the point where I was happy enough to go and see the band's Guildford gig this year.  I had - I guess selfishly - reasoned in my own head that regardless of the outcome in favour of the band, that they would simply be persona non grata with some promoters from now on, and chances to see them live again may become few and far between.  Though I don't necessarily intend for this to sound like some self-serving confessional, I am aware that whatever opinions or stance I have on the whole matter, these were undoubtedly driven by my own bias given how much I enjoy the band and their output, and that this feasibly puts me at somewhat hypocritical odds with my own belief that the judicial system in it's current format does not do near enough to support victims of sexual abuse.  Time and hindsight hasn't really made things clearer for me, some days I feel like I may have compromised my own moral compass, others that it would have been disingenuous of me to simply cast the band aside (and I guess to that point, do my own actions suggest I had no intention of doing so anyway?).  Urgh.  I'm just going to shut up now.  Musically, it's a great album.  Have a listen, or don't.

[mjmooney]

As usual, pretty much nothing beyond old stuff - Dylan's Shadow Kingdom and the Time Out Of Mind sessions box set. Joni's Archives vol. 3. Neil Young's old live recordings with The Ducks. 

Oh, Israel Nash's 'Ozarker' I suppose. 

Discovery of the year was Daniel Norgren, who got plenty of Spotify time, but I haven't bought a physical CD yet, so doesn't count. 

Plenty of jazz and classical purchases, but nothing that was actually released in 2023. 

[leemond2008]

Paramore - This Is Why

Morgan Wade - Psychopath

Megan Moroney - Lucky

Charles Wesley Godwin - Family Ties

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Live in London

Real Gone - Ally Venable

[Lichfield Dean]

My favourite album this year is probably:

• Katatonia - Sky Void Of Stars

Honourable mention to the EP with some top covers (and some ok but possibly pointless covers) :

• Ghost - Phantomime

[chrisp65]

Record Collector here, really pushing and promoting the new talent.

[GarethRDR]

At least they're not wrong on the new Slowdive, very near contender for me that was.

[villa4europe]

Gorillaz cracker island for me

Disappointed with both the national albums 

[bickster]

3 hours ago, GarethRDR said:

At least they're not wrong on the new Slowdive, very near contender for me that was.

Might have to give that another go, my first impression was it was not as good as the previous one

[theboyangel]

Right here we go! Apologies in advance for being so big (insert KW gif)

In alphabetical order this is what I've really loved this year (but will highlight my top ten choices)

A.Savage - Several Songs About Fire

Bar Italia - Tracey Denim

Baxter Dury - I Thought I Was Better Than You

BC Camplight - The Last Rotation Of Earth

Brad - In The Moment That You Were Born

The Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling

Civic - Taken By Force

The Coral - Sea Of Mirrors

CVC - Get Real

Das Koolies - DK.01

The Dream Machine - Thank God! It's The Dream Machine

Frankie & The Witch Fingers - Data Doom

Gaadge - Somewhere Down Below

Geese - 3D Country

The Goa Express - The Goa Express

Goat - Medicine

Golden Hours - Golden Hours

Jadu Heart - Derealised

John - A Life Diagramatic

John J.Presley - Chaos & Calypso

Katy J Pearson - Songs From The Wicker Man

King Tuff - Smalltown Stardust

Kurt Vile - Back To Moon Beach

The Murlocs - Calm Ya Farm

Mystic 100s - On A Micro Diet

Osees - Intercepted Message

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Fronzoli

Purling Hiss - Drag On Girard

Quasi - Breaking The Balls Of History

Shame - Food For Worms

Timber Timbre - Lovage

Water From Your Eyes - Everyone's Crushed

The Wytches - Our Guest Can't Be Named

 

There's also been some terrific EP/Single releases from new and up and coming bands too.

Big Special - all three singles, Shithouse, This Here Ain't Water and Desperate Breakfast (one of my tips for 2024!)

Cooper T - Sapiens EP

Cowboyy - Epic The Movie EP

Deadletter - Heat! EP

Geese - 4D Country EP

Opus Kink  - My Eyes, Brother EP

Youth Sector - Quarrels EP

 

Already looking forward to these albums due for release in the New Year

Sprints - Letter To Self (05/01/2024)

The Folly Group - Down There (12/01/2024)

Bill Ryder-Jones - Iechyd Da (12/01/2024)

Gruff Rhys - Sadness Sets Me Free (26/01/2024)

Royel Otis -  Pratts & Pains (09/02/2024)

Idles - Tangk (16/02/2024)

Granddaddy - Blue Wav (16/02/2024)

Yard Act - Where's My Utopia (01/03/2024)

[mjmooney]

I've just discovered that Tim Smith (ex Midlake) has a new album out, under the name Harp - I will be buying it, even though it's called er, Albion. Sounds very much like The Courage of Others, which is A Good Thing. 

 

[OutByEaster?]

Boygenius for me.