Top 10 Albums of 2023
The Commuter has done plenty of music and game reviews but we wanted to switch it up a little. Here’s the Commuter’s lineup for top ten album releases of 2023. The albums are not ranked, they’re in alphabetical order.
Words by Ryland Bickley and Mason Wills
André 3000 – “New Blue Sun”
André 3000’s first album since Outkast’s 2006 album “Idlewild” and his first solo project is a massive departure from anything he’s released in the past. Rather than a rap or hip-hop album it is completely composed of flute instrumentals. The title of the first song, “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time”, acts as a tongue and cheek apology to people expecting a rap album and includes the first taste of the breathtaking flute playing by André 3000.
While listening you are forced to follow the title of the first song and see where the wind takes you. There is an air of improvisation over the entire album that creates a surge of creativity and freedom that is impossible to ignore. It’s easy to relax while listening to the soft whistle of the flute and jingle of chimes as you are pulled through the lengthy runtime. Although the album is incredibly long at 87 minutes it never drags and it never pulls you out of the trance that the first song will put you into.
Black Pumas – “Chronicles of a Diamond”
While it lacks the simple charm of the band’s debut record, Black Pumas’ sophomore project “Chronicles of a Diamond” heralds the soul duo heading in a more ambitious and experimental direction. “Mrs. Postman” is built off a jazzy hip-hop line, “Ice Cream (Payphone)” and “Tomorrow” end with massive fuzz guitar solos, and “Hello” contains a swirling choral outro. Frontman Eric Burton sings much of the record in his falsetto – often with a touch of distortion and drenched in reverb. In fact, despite its funk and soul-inspired sound, much of the album’s production wouldn’t sound out of place on a mid-2010s Arctic Monkeys record. The songwriting is diverse as well, from the feel-good groove of “More Than a Love Song,” to the vintage ballad “Angel” and spacey slow jams like the aforementioned “Hello” and “Tomorrow.”
“Chronicles of a Diamond” has an extravagance to it as well. Instead of the laid back sound of their last album’s closing tracks, the band opts for a wall-of-sound approach this time around. “Gemini Sun” and “Rock and Roll” are epic and loud, bursting with melodies and layers of instrumentation. In their previous project, the band faced criticism for being a little too similar to their influences; on “Chronicles of a Diamond,” the music they’ve created is unapologetically their own.
Caroline Polachek – “Desire, I Want to Turn Into You”
If you can get past the eccentricities of the album’s half-rapped opener, you’ll be treated to the best pop record of the year in Caroline Polachek’s “Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.” Polachek, once part of the avant garde pop group Chairlift, is no stranger to off-the-wall creativity and merging different styles, and all of her influences are deftly used in her second solo album. There’s clear inspiration from many past decades of pop music, including plenty of modern hyperpop. Styles from around the world are also incorporated: from the flamenco-inspired “Sunset” to the shockingly effective bagpipe solo in “Blood and Butter.” A children’s choir poignantly closes out the album on “Billions.”
The album’s lush production is one of its biggest strengths, but Polachek’s vocals are what make it something special. She uses her entire range on the record, from near-whistle notes in the opener to the very lowest points in her register in the closer. Her vocal control is uncanny, to the point where it’s hard to tell when she is and isn’t singing with pitch-correction. But “Desire, I Want to Turn Into You” is a pop album first and foremost, and that’s reflected throughout its runtime. Nearly every track has an earworm of a hook and a danceable beat. Polachek’s ability to balance experimentation with accessibility is perhaps the album’s greatest achievement.
Lamp – “Dusk to Dawn”
“Dusk to Dawn” is Japanese band Lamp’s seventh album and first solo album since 2018’s “Her Watch.” It feels like a dreamy journey through nostalgia and what was, more so than some of their prior albums. Sakakibara Kaori, Nagai Yusuke, and Someya Taiyo once again mix their soft vocals and instrumentals to create a world of their own that you can’t help but get lost in. Some songs like “Dusk” and “Alone in My Room” fully embrace the quietness of dreams whereas other songs like “As Time Goes By” and “Cold Way Home” maintain that dreamy aesthetic but are a little more upbeat.
The album is quite long with twenty songs, but each has its own feel reminiscent of the name. Sakakibara Kaori and Nagai Yusuke tend to split the songs, but when they mix their vocals on tracks like “Amidst the Morning Fog” it creates an absolutely splendid atmosphere. Although not as strong as some of their past albums it is still an incredibly wonderful experience.
Laufey – “Bewitched”
“Bewitched” is Laufey’s follow up to her first album “Everything I Know About Love” and holds the vibe and feel of it. Just like in her first album she smoothly mixes the trials and tribulations of the modern world with jazz. This album covers the entire spectrum of romance from falling in love like in “Must Be Love” to immeasurable heartbreak like in “California and Me”. The penultimate song, “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self”, stands apart from the rest because it acts as an emotional letter to her past self rather than directly being about being in love with another person.
Laufey conveys the ups and downs of relationships eloquently between each song. Nearly perfectly dictating the unavoidable stages of love. Almost guiding us through a romance between two people. The falling, doubting, regret, and grief all aligned with sprouting and failed relationships are beautifully sung by Laufey with, sometimes, almost ethereal background instrumentals. Laufey’s “Bewitched” creates an otherworldly hurricane of melancholic love in which any ship who enters will be lost to the sea.
Lil Yachty – “Let’s Start Here”
Lil Yachty made perhaps the biggest musical left turn of the year when he pivoted from his signature “bubblegum trap” to releasing a full-blown psychedelic rock album in 2023. Drawing heavily from the likes of Pink Floyd and Tame Impala, Lil Yachty showed he meant business on the album’s towering opening statement: the near-seven-minute “the BLACK seminole.” The track is built around a bouncy distorted guitar riff while Yachty’s heavily auto-tuned vocals provide a modern twist. The song incorporates a searing guitar solo and ends with “Great Gig in the Sky”-esque vocals in one of the year’s most impactful songs – equal parts throwback and innovative.
Lil Yachty’s hip-hop background is what sets “Let’s Start Here” apart from its modern rock contemporaries. The beat switches on “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST ViSiON!!!!” add to its dark and unpredictable atmosphere, and the soaring tremolo vocals on “WE SAW THE SUN!” give it grand melodic layers that match the track’s all-caps-lock title. When it’s at its best, “Let’s Start Here” is everything Lil Yachty made it to be: genre-pushing, captivating, and ridiculously catchy.
Mitski – “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We”
Mitski’s seventh album “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” is a quiet and melodic journey through loneliness and grief. The synth aesthetic of her previous albums is gone and replaced with country tones and orchestral arrangements leading to a much homier album that packs a deeply emotional punch. “Bug Like an Angel” brings in a sweeping choir to break the quiet solitude of the lyrics, whereas “I’m Your Man” feels like you’re listening to a close friend sing a song by the fire. The tone held in her voice is calm yet still demands your attention.
Mitski chisels away at the deepest thoughts and fears of humanity and vocalizes them in ways that feel welcoming and understanding. Her smooth vocals and quiet instrumentation guides us on a journey through the innate loneliness of humanity as well as the hope of something more. Her methodically written lyrics lead to symbolism intricately interwoven into each song in ways that may seem hidden on a first listen, but reveal themselves more and more every subsequent listen.
Paramore – “This is Why”
“This is Why” sees Paramore leaving their pop punk roots – and even the 80s pop-inspired sound of their last album – to go full indie rock. As is the case with the rest of the band’s catalog, frontwoman Hayley Williams is immediately noticeable as the star of the show with her powerful lead vocals and passionate delivery. But “This is Why” marks the first time Paramore has ever had the same band around Williams for two consecutive albums, giving the group some much-needed stability. Now, Williams isn’t the only member of the trio with a personality; drummer Zac Farro provides masterful backbeats to songs like the title track and “Figure 8,” while Taylor York’s tasteful and effective guitar work can be found throughout the record, most noticeably in tracks like “You First” and “Running out of Time.”
While most of the album is packed with energetic, single-worthy material, the project’s last three songs are slow and contemplative, showing off the group’s range. The album ends on the atmospheric “Thick Skull,” in which Williams’ reflective lyrics and the instrumental’s rising intensity combine for a desperate and bittersweet closer. The final result is Paramore’s best and most cohesive album yet, nearly two decades into their already legendary run as a band.
Yves Tumor – “Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)”
“Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)” is Yves Tumor’s fourth studio album and stands as an experimental journey through a sort of spiritualism that few artists can create. Every song on the album like “Meteora Blues” and “Lovely Sewer” feel like visions into somebody’s life experiences. The backing instrumental done by legends Noah Goldstein and Alan Moulder creates an otherworldly vibe that allows our complete immersion into the lyrics.
The layered vocals throughout each song create a dense atmosphere to sink into as the album progresses. The heavy reverb and Prince inspired instrumentals generate an almost heavenly feel as you soar between each song across a sky of near perfect lyricism. The second half of the album is much slower, but the cohesion created during the play time is brought together by the final track “Ebony Eye.” “Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Doesn’t Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)” is undoubtedly a spiritual experience as the intense meaning seeps into every crevice of your mind.
Zach Bryan – “Zach Bryan”
Modern country music has an authenticity problem. A genre built on blue-collar, working-class anthems has devolved into an over-produced mess of political posturing and odes to materialism sung with a southern accent. But Zach Bryan’s self-titled fourth album is an antidote to the soulless wasteland of contemporary country. The record eschews radio-friendly trap beats and pop song formulas for a more folk-oriented approach. It’s an album that’s often led just by an acoustic guitar and Bryan’s raw, genuine vocals. It’s still an accessible project, with tracks like “Oklahaman Son,” “Hey Driver,” and “I Remember Everything” having instantly catchy melodies despite their simple presentation.
Bryan has been outspoken about his distaste for his sudden fame, and those themes permeate his latest project, where Bryan even wishes for a simpler, hard-working life over his current career in “Tradesman.” With its straightforward lyrics and unpolished recordings seemingly screaming for it to land anywhere but on the Billboard Top 200, “Zach Bryan” ironically debuted at No. 1, and for good reason. Its earnest songwriting goes beyond genre lines, which has been proven by the album’s mass appeal.
If you want to check out more Commuter music recommendations, check out our Spotify playlists! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7u0xqtxO8hDYEiuNQDW4GV
