REVIEW | Why Our Music Taste is Objectively Better Than Yours: A 2023 Music Review
Despite Drake releasing an album, 2023 was actually a fantastic year for music. While this year might not have been for all the dogs, there were quite a few mainstream artists who released solid albums. However, listening to all of those will leave a blank space in your head. Therefore, we would like to review some of the albums that you definitely should have listened to this year but have probably never heard of.
Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? – McKinley Dixon
Song: Run, Run, Run
It’s beloved, paradisal, but leaves you asking one question: jazz!? Known for his poetic lyrics and rich instrumentation, McKinley Dixon’s latest jazz-rap album, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?, exemplifies his continuous innovation.
From the start, Dixon sets the tone with a poetic reading of a work from novelist Toni Morrison. The poem depicts scenes of hardship and triumph, a theme that is carried throughout the album.
In its modest 28-minute runtime, the album covers a lot of ground, from the sweeping strings on the track “Sun, I Rise” to the vibrant saxophones on “Live! from the Kitchen Table”. All the while, Dixon’s linguistic creativity shines as he delivers some of his most poetic and personal lyrics. The album comes alive with the song “Run, Run, Run”, on which Dixon masterfully contrasts playful piano riffs and grim depictions of violence.
The velocity and grace Dixon demonstrates as he flows through this album are outstanding. While short in length, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? manages to deliver an auditory experience unlike anything you have heard before.
Photo Credit: KGLW
Petrodragonic Apocalypse – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Song: Witchcraft
The prolific Australian band is back, because what else is there to do in Australia? King Gizzard, fresh off releasing five albums last year, returned this year with a complete change of pace from last year's Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms, and Lava’s jazz rock and Timeland’s techno-thrash metal.
King Gizz have thrown themselves completely into their metal sounds, creating an insane album about the end of the world. The album prominently features the dynamic psychedelic guitars that the band is known for, making the metal sound much more palatable for a general audience. That’s not to say Petrodragonic is anything but heavy metal, though. Drums pound while lead singer Stu sings with a far hoarser, screamed voice than usual. Despite being 50 minutes in length, the album is filled with enough high-intensity moments and occasional periods of rest to keep it feeling new and exciting the entire time.
mini mix vol. 3 – Magdalena Bay
Song: 2 Wheel Drive
Magdalena Bay creates the music that 2022’s Midnights wishes it was. The synth-pop duo of Mathew and Mica has been putting out some of the best music in the genre, with the duo really finding their sound in their 2021 album Mercurial World.
mini mix vol. 3 has much of the same retro synth sounds condensed into a little over 15 minutes. While not a full album like the rest of the projects in this article, mini mix more than makes up for its short runtime. Each track sees the duo affirm the signature style they have built by integrating Matt’s exquisite production and some of Mica’s catchiest choruses yet. Songs like “2 Wheel Drive” sell their sound perfectly, as Mica’s tongue-in-cheek hooks give way to a surprisingly impactful synth beat drop.
3D Country – Geese
Song: 3D Country (title track)
You might not expect a group of birds to make fantastic music, but in this case, you would be dead wrong. New York band Geese’s sophomore album 3D Country is a complete departure from their previous work, somehow pivoting from traditional alt-rock into a strange post-punk-country-rock hybrid.
What really makes this album are the incredible vocals from lead singer Cameron Winter. Winter’s vocal range is simply extraordinary, with low, almost whispered lines and incredible falsettos. No song better illustrates this than the title track “3D Country”, where Winter’s vocals are practically flying away, only brought back to earth by the suaveness of the backing vocals.
“Gravity Blues” is another highlight of the album, with Geese creating a surprisingly genuine ballad. The instrumentation once again perfectly brings out Winter’s vocals. As well, the revamped guitar sound that Geese implemented helps the song ascend at the end.
However, the album still has much of the alternative tendencies Geese developed on their breakthrough album, with screamed vocals and walls of noise to contrast the otherwise smooth production.
But do skip “undoer".
No Highs – Tim Hecker
Song: Monotony II
Vancouver native Tim Hecker has been in the electronic and ambient space for a while now. Whether it be on his stark 2011 extended play Dropped Pianos or his more atmospheric debut Haunt Me, Hecker has always focused on the slow build of his instrumentals to create vast soundscapes.
No Highs is a culmination of Hecker’s work, featuring the electronic sounds he broke out with but with the careful orchestration he has developed since. The first track, “Monotony”, is a great example of this. A rhythmic pulsing slowly combines with droning synths as the song builds. No Highs is less mysterious than most of Hecker’s work, layering heavy chords which work towards a feeling of gentle triumph.
“Monotony II”, which features saxophonist and fellow titan of the ambient scene, Colin Stetson, demonstrates best what separates No Highs from the rest of Hecker’s catalogue. The song mixes the digital synths that characterize the album with Stetson’s raw saxophone, creating a song that stands out in the mix.
Photo Credit: Motown Records
Let’s Start Here – Lil Yachty
Song: running out of time
Lil Yachty, originally stemming from SoundCloud’s rap era, managed to pull off one of the wildest music career pivots with his latest album Let’s Start Here. While he carries over his signature melodic hooks, his success is far more reliant on his curation.
To fulfill his psychedelic sound, Lil Yachty clearly took advantage of his connections, as evidenced by Magdalena Bay’s synthpop production on the standout track “running out of time”. Between his instantly catchy hooks and the chilled production, Lil Yachty crafts a wacky experience full of surprises.
As a result, the instrumentals on Let’s Start Here are quite strong, and his vocals are sometimes overpowered. However, despite his occasional vocal shortcomings, like on the song “pretty”, he still manages to craft a unique fusion of rap and indie that marked a shocking rebranding. Sadly, none of this matters anymore, as he quickly regressed back into his old self.
Scaring The Ho*s – JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown
Song: Burfict!
What’s better than one niche underground rapper? How about two? The dream team of Danny Brown and Peggy is for real. Scaring the Ho*s is by far the most dynamic, insane rap project released this year. JPEGMAFIA’s unique, out-of-the-box production miraculously works.
In many ways, the album is a passing of the torch for the two underground artists, with JPEGMAFIA once expected to replace Danny in the underground space. Their collaboration has led to one of the most wild experiences on record. On tracks like “Garbage Pale Kids”, Peggy’s chaotic production finds its most jarring moments yet as he reworks old commercials into the dizzying beat.
Danny and Peggy often trade lines, somehow finding rhythm over the collage of beats. “Burfict'' shows the power the duo have. It features some of the most grand production, including a huge horn section at points, bringing some of the most extreme energy across the entire album. It’s not normal, but that’s not a bad thing.
Live At Bush Hall – Black Country, New Roads
Song: Dancers
When the lead singer of Black Country, New Roads (BCNR) left to become a baker, the future of the band was completely uncertain. However, as BCNR has proven with this live long-playing record, the departure might have simply made them better. The live album features songs with vocals from a variety of the band members, giving the album a lot of variety. While the quality of each vocalist varies and the absence of the former lead singer is noticeable, it is impressive to see the band move through such a dramatic change with such poise.
The music itself is essentially what you would expect from BCNR, with rock sound influenced by saxophone and strings. The live is full of standout tracks that feature this rich instrumentation, with the song “Dancers” perhaps being the pinnacle of this. The track also serves to highlight vocalist Tyler Hyde’s skills, showing that whatever the band chooses to do in the future, they’ll have success.
STRUGGLER – Genesis Owusu
Song: The Roach
Genesis Owusu continues Australia’s legacy of great artists with his sophomore album STRUGGLER. Following his innovative debut, Owusu’s follow-up continues to take risks. Following the neo-soul-infused funk sound of his previous album, Smiling With No Teeth, songs like “The Roach” see him pivot into dance-punk, with heavy synths and driving drums.
Under the danceable beats and melodies, Owusu takes the opportunity to tackle a new complex concept. As a concept album, Owusus’s lyrics focus on struggling against an insurmountable force, with Owusu becoming a roach to society.
Despite the intense focus he maintains throughout the album, the off-moments are equally impressive. Songs like “That’s Life (A Swamp)” and “See Ya There” give the album space to breathe, incorporating relaxing funk into his synth-centric sound.