Frak's Favorite Albums of 2023
What's this? A non-gaming post?
Look at me, internet, I’m diversifying.
If you’ve known me for any time, you might have realized just how much I love music. So, really, a post like this shouldn’t come as a huge shock.
But make no mistake, I’m no music critic; hell, I’m barely even a video game critic. I, however, like things, and I like talking about the things I like, even more so than the things I don’t like.
Maybe that’s enough to christen myself a critic. I also like to follow new releases, especially of bands I’m already familiar with, so I have listened to plenty of new stuff in 2023, and I’d like to share what I liked the most.
So, without further ado, let’s get this ball rollin’. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite albums to come out in 2023:
Fireworks - Higher Lonely Power
(Punk, Pop, Emo, Indie Rock)
This year started off strong. Higher Lonely Power came out right at the start of the year. I think it even popped up on Spotify right at 12:01 on January 1st, 2023. And though I promised not to number this list, if I were to, this album would have undoubtedly made my top three.
While throughout the year, albums come and go. Even some of the great albums you’ll find on the listen, I only listen to maybe in the weeks after their release before moving on to other albums. Higher Lonely Power, however, has been a mainstay all year.
It was also Fireworks’ first album in almost 10 years, since 2014, and in my opinion, it’s easily their best (although that 2014 album, Oh Common Life, comes close).
As you might imagine from the title, Higher Lonely Power is rife with religious themes—mostly centering around the disillusionment with organized religion (especially in the track “Megachurch”) while touching on themes of love and relationships (Just for once make some time for me / Jesus died at 33 ~ “I Want to Start a Religion with You”).
As someone who grew up in Texas, and was dragged to church numerous times by family (and a few friends) before realizing just how bullshit the whole ordeal was, the lyrics alone really resonated with me.
Not to mention just how fuckin’ catchy and sing-along-able the songs are.
Spanish Love Songs - No Joy
(Pop Punk, Emo)
To talk about Spanish Love Songs, I must also talk about Brave Faces Everyone. So, this is probably going to be a long one. In many ways, Brave Faces Everyone (BFE) might be one of the most important albums of my life, and one of my favorites.
BFE came out just as the pandemic was in full swing, and since so many bands were unable to tour, to help make ends meet, Spanish Love Songs set up a Patreon, with one of the perks being access to a Discord server.
For all intents and purposes, that Discord server became my life for the better part of a year. I made some great friends, and spent many a night on Zoom hanging out with a bunch of like-minded people.
That year directly led to my interest in streaming, and the rest is history. So, even though I don’t think No Joy is as good (but still quite great) as BFE, Spanish Love Songs will probably always be one of the most important bands in my life—mostly cause of that year spent Zoomin’ and Doomin’.
Here we are, three years later, and life has pretty much gotten back to normal. As such, Spanish Love Songs has put out a new album, No Joy, which in many ways is a pretty big departure from BFE, and the band’s previous albums, but it still retains the talent that made the previous albums so infectiously good.
The lyrics are still deeply retrospective and perfectly encapsulate being a middle-class millennial. The songs are still catchy and a joy to sing along to. Last year, Spanish Love Songs put out an alternative take on BFE, called Brave Faces, Etc. This reimagined album took the original BFE, stripped it down, and added a lot of synth/electronic goodness.
It was good in its own right, and fun to listen to a different take on the album, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the original version of BFE. However, you can hear the influences that would eventually become solidified into No Joy. This album is just as emotional (one might even say emo) as the BFE, but the songs don’t rock quite as hard, and the songs don’t seem nearly as angry.
Overall, I appreciate when bands try something new, and this is a great evolution, and it excites me to see where Spanish Love Songs go next.
The National (x 2 - First Two Pages of Frankenstein / Laugh Track
(Indie Rock, Alternative Rock)
Leave it to The National to release not one but two albums this year. The latter of which, Laugh Track, was dropped by surprised, announced just three days before its release.
I’ve been a big fan of The National since High Violet came out in 2010. And since they’ve, they’ve been a huge part of my listening habits over the last 14 years, mostly cause of their chill yet passionate vibes, and of course, Matt Berninger’s to-die-for voice.
Truthfully, I don’t think First Two Pages of Frankenstein (or Laugh Track) top The National’s last album, I Am Easy to Find, and probably sits pretty comfortably in the middle of their catalog. Still, it’s an overall great album with some really stand-out tracks, including “Tropic Morning News,” “Alien,” and “New Order T-Shirt.”
There are also some great guest spots from Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers (on two separate tracks!), and, of course, Taylor Swift, who seems like she’s been like everyone this year.
First Two Pages of Frankenstein would’ve made this list regardless, but the fact that the band actually put out two albums this year is pretty fuckin’ rad. One might think that Laugh Track could simply be a compilation of b-sides from Two Pages, but it’s a great album in its own right, with what might be one of the best songs The National has put out in quite some time: Space Invader.
That song is seven minutes of pure bliss, with one of the best outros of any National song ever. Granted, I say outro, but it’s really just the last three minutes of the song.
Great shit.
Fever Ray - Radical Romantics
(Weird)
Radical Romantics might not have made this list if it hadn’t been for a good friend’s recommendation. I don’t think I’d even heard of Fever Ray (the brainchild of Swedish artist Karin Dreijer)—except upon a quick Google search, I learned that one of their songs was used as the intro music for the TV show Vikings. But that’s about as far as my knowledge of the band went.
In fact, to show how stuck I am in my ways, this is probably the only entry on this list of a band that was new to me. Everything else is from artists I’ve listened to for years.
And let me tell you, Radical Romantics is easily one of the best albums this year.
If I could it, or just Fever Ray in general, in one word, it would be “weird.” I mean, just look at that album art. Fever Ray is avant-garde to the max, and to great effect. This album transcends genres; in a way, it’s all over the place, but it does so with deliberate skill and superb execution.
The production on this album is just next-level, and, interestingly enough, a couple of the songs were produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, adding to the album’s mystique.
That mystique is kind of sexy, kinda creepy, a little macabre, and just a touch dangerous. The songs have a great way of eating into your brain, especially “Shiver,” “Kandy,” “North,” and “Looking For A Ghost.” Okay, that’s basically just a big chunk of the album.
And according to last.fm, this is the album I listened to the second most this year, right behind Fireworks.
It really is that good.
Enter Shikari - A Kiss for the Whole World
(Electric … rock… I guess?)
After twenty years and seven albums, Enter Shikari’s still got it, although technically they didn’t put out their first album until 2007. Regardless, they’ve maintained a staple of quality albums in the ensuing year.
Enter Shikari isn’t a band I wouldn’t write home about—mostly because my mom has questionable music tastes—and most other tastes. (I probably wouldn’t tell my dad about Enter Shikari, though; he’s cool. I might even share this post with him when I’m done.)
Regardless, I’m always happy to see a new Enteri Sharki album … they’re kind of like the UK’s more electronic brother of Jimmy Eat World.
And in good fashion, A Kiss for the Whole World is basically 33 minutes of pure bangers. It’s the type of album that you play loud, and then when it flies by, you put it on for another spin.
Enter Shikari has always been a band with a message, political or otherwise. This time around, their message is one of positivity and optimism—something we could probably use a little more of these days.
Say Hi - Elocution Prattle
(Indie, Lo-Fi, Synth Pop)
Some of my streamer friends will know all about copyright-free music. It’s the stuff you can find for free on YouTube or Spotify, and you can play in the background of your stream when you feel like you need background music but don’t want anything too intrusive or that will get your VOD muted.
Now, imagine if someone had made an album like one of those … and it was actually good … something you wanted to listen to on your own with a pair of headphones while you’re just chilling or while working. In fact, this isn’t even one album; it’s a double album featuring 20 songs that clock in at over an hour in length.
Enter Elocution Prattle; I’m typically a sucker for vocals and lyrics, although I am a fan of Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, 65daysofstatic, and a few other instrumental bands. However, this album doesn’t have or need any of that stuff, despite the admittedly clever and ironic name—which basically means needless speaking. It relies on pure synth/electronic goodness and engaging melodies.
I’m actually a relative newcomer to Say Hi (formerly Say Hi to Your Mom). This one-man show (Eric Elbogen) has been making music since 2002, but I didn’t climb aboard his unique little train till 2018.
After loving his 2020 album, Diamonds & Donuts, I was a little bummed to learn that the follow-up would have no vocals, but once I actually gave it a listen, those concerns quickly faded once this album seeped its way into my ear holes.
Hot Mulligan - Why Would I Watch
(Emo, Pop Punk)
Fun little Fraktoid (trademark pending), but I don’t really go to many concerts, although I keep thinking one of these years I’ll change that. However, Hot Mulligan is one of the few bands I’ve seen live, and I went with the same friend who recommended Fever Ray to me earlier this year.
‘Twas a great memory, that one.
Hot Mulligan made a name for themselves with You’ll Be Fine in 2020, and truthfully, I don’t think that Why Should I Watch tops that album, but it’s a worthy follow-up nonetheless.
The hooks are great, and the songs are catchy, but Hot Mulligan’s main draw for me is Nathan “Tades” Sanville’s ability to seamlessly shift from singing to shouting (not quite screaming) in but a moment. It’s a very cool sing-scream style that’s definitely been done before, but is done really well here.
The album is chock-full of catchiness melodies and scream-along goodness—except for the 7th track, “Betty,” a short little sad track about the passing of a beloved pet. That one might end up making you cry.
Lanterns on the Lake - Versions Of Us
(Indie Rock)
For a bit of context, I’ve been a fan of Lanterns on the Lake for years now, but they really knocked my socks off (RIP my socks) in 2020, with Spook the Herd. I fully suspect that I’ll look back in years, and that album will be one of my favorites of all time.
For the unfamiliar, Lanterns on the Lake excels at chill, moody vibes, replete with electric guitars, pianos, and some great percussion. They’re great for chilling with headphones on, shutting out the world, and just relaxing.
And so, with Spook the Herd still getting regular plays, Lanterns on the Lake is back with Versions of Us, the follow-up to what might be their best (and one of my favorite) album ever. In that ensuing time, the band scrapped the original version of the album, and parted ways with their original drummer, grabbing Philip Selway, who you might know from a little band called Radiohead.
The results are great, and while I don’t think it hits the mammoth heights set by its predecessor, it most definitely does not disappoint. It turns out that Lanterns on the Lake is also a fan of nine-track albums, because Versions of Us and Spook the Herd both clock in at nine tracks.
In many ways, Versions of Us has a lot in common with Spook the Herd. While the latter had almost a spooky, haunting atmosphere, the former’s a lot more uplifting and optimistic. I love both albums, but I’m a sucker for moodiness. The moodier, the better.
With Honor - Boundless
(Punk, Hardcore, Post-Hardcore)
I’ll keep this one pretty short, much like the album in question! Boundless is a high-octane album of nothing but bangers, closing in at just over thirty minutes. The craziest thing about this album is the fact that it’s as good as it is, considering that With Honor last put out an album in 2005.
Yup. Nearly 20 years later, and the boys turned middle-aged men have churned out another great little album. Outside of a few outliers, all of the songs on Boundless clock in at under three minutes, and it’s great, because I don’t think the kind of energy driving these songs can sustain much more than that.
All the songs on this album are great, but one of the longer ones (at an astounding 3:32) absolutely bangs, and bangs hard. No Escape is one of those songs that I have to listen to on repeat, mostly because it’s absolutely amazing back half. But that back half hits better after the set-up in the first half. It’s glorious.
The other songs on the album are great, and the whole thing flies by in the blink of an eye, begging for back-to-back listens.
Mansions - Tuff Luff
(Alternative, Indie Rock)
Mansions is another band I’ve been a fan of for years, over 15, to be exact. Their 2011 album, Dig Up the Dead, is easily one of my all-time favorites. It’s a lonely and kind of sad affair, but that album is pure gold, and I can fondly remember how teary-eyed some of those songs made me.
They followed up the sublime Dig Up the Dead with Doom Loop in 2013, another great album in its own right that’s just a tad heavier and louder than Dig Up the Dead. Then, Mansions didn’t release another album until 2020’s Big Bad—although they did put out a great little EP by the name of Deserter in 2017.
Big Bad is an interesting album. It sort of came out of nowhere, and was very unlike the other albums Mansions had put out. It was quieter, more stripped down, and slow. It was proof that the pandemic probably had a pretty big impact on musicians and the music they made at the time. Big Bad also went on to be one of my favorite albums of the year.
Truthfully, when I first caught wind of Tuff Luff, I didn’t give it much thought. I felt like Big Bad had just come out (proof that these three years have flown by), and based on the title and cover art, I honestly assumed it was a compilation album of some kind.
Lol, I was wrong. Mansions is following up the stripped-down, subdued, and comparatively quiet Big Bad with a much louder album—and a great one. The first three songs blend together so well that you’d almost think it was just one long song, as the end of each one leads into the next.
After that, it’s a string of jams, one after another, all leading to my favorite song on the album, track 10, “Last Dance.” This is a slower, minor song that reminds me a lot of Dig Up the Dead, but also of getting older: “Bright smiles in your twenties / Now I feel bad.”
The coda, with the repeated lines “Don’t move slowly / Eyes so starry / Speak too softly / You’ll be sorry” will probably sit with me for the foreseeable future. It’s easily the best song on an already fantastic album, and will probably be one of my favorite Mansions songs.
“Last Dance” almost feels like a closer, but Big Bad goes out with one last banger, and I am glad that Mansions is still making music.
Metric - Formentera II
(Synth Pop, New Wave, Art Punk)
I almost feel bad for Metric. When Formentera II—a direct sequel to 2022’s Formentera—was announced, I was like, “Hot damn, two Metric albums in two years … how unbelievably lucky.”
Then, of course, The National had to go and drop two albums in 2023, one by complete surprise.
But, oh well, that doesn’t make this album any worse. It’s still great, and it’s no surprise since Formentera was one of my favorite albums last year—and my favorite Metric album since Fantasies in 2009, and Synthetica after that in 2012. Since then, Metric has continued to put out music, and while I was a big fan of Art of Doubt in 2018, it pales in comparison to the duo that is Formentera.
Both albums are great, and though I’m putting numero dos on this list, you’d be remiss not to also check out the first album if you haven’t listened to it. Both have nine tracks, and in both, Emily Haines still sounds great.
All these years, the band has expertly woven indie rock with new wave and electronic influences to great effect. I can probably, in part, thank Metric for my acceptance of more fully electronic music, like the previously mentioned Say Hi. And those skills are fully on display in Formentera.
Blink-182 - One More Time
(Pop Punk)
On some level, I really did save best for last. I’m not sure I would go as far as to say that One More Time is my favorite album of the year, but if you had asked me just a year or two ago if I would love a new Blink-182 album this much, I would have probably believed you, but been really curious what would’ve transpired for such a thing to occur.
Evidently, that answer was Mark Hoppus getting cancer.
That’s “all” it took for Blink-182 to put out their best album since 2003. That self-titled album is still probably my favorite, but this one comes close.
At the end of the day, One More Time is just fun, while still having a bit of maturity and some heavier songs (thematically). It’s obvious that the band (the Mark, Tom, and Travis show) have gotten over (at least for now) whatever shit had been keeping them apart for the last few years, and the chemistry is back.
And while I’ve been a Blink apologist over the years—I thought Nine was solid with some really great songs on it—but it’s obvious that all of the Skiba-era Blink-182 albums were missing something, and that something was obviously Tom DeLonge, who is also not only the key to Blink’s success, but also the key to uncovering alien cover-ups.
All hail DeLong (and this album).
Honorable Mentions
While this list could’ve been much longer—I’ll touch on that at the end—there are a couple of releases this year I wanted to mention that really wouldn’t have fit on the list over technicalities.
Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance (Revisited)
(Alternative Rock, Post-Hardcore)
This year, Thrice put out a revisited, re-recorded version of their classic 2003 album, The Artist in the Ambulance. So, I don’t want to put what’s, in essence, a 20-year-old album on the list, but I wanted to give it an (honorable) mention. Because I loved it.
For the vast majority of my life, Thrice has been a very important band to me. I grew up listening to them, from Identity Crisis to Vheiss to everything between and since. The Artist in the Ambulance came out in 2003, as I was in my junior year of high-school.
To say it was formative would be an understatement. I listened to this album till my ears bled, and I loved every second of it and have loved Thrice ever since. And it has been fun to grow as a person as Thrice has grown as a band, which is something to be said for a lot of these bands I have grown up and eventually grown older listening to.
So, with that said, it was exceedingly cool to hear a classic Thrice album, one that I knew almost like the back of my hand, recorded with 20 years of musical experience fueling it.
It’s similar enough to the original version that it still feels like the same album, but different enough to make it an interesting listen on its own, with plenty of guest singers for it to feel fresh.
I don’t think it’ll become my personal definitive edition of the album, but I like it a lot, and I’ll be looking forward to having two different takes on one of my favorite albums.
The Republic of Wolves - Why Would Anyone Want to Live This Long?
(Indie Rock, Pop Punk, Alternative, Post Hardcore, Emo)
After going quiet for about five years, The Republic of Wolves is back with this fantastic EP, and some of the best material they’ve written.
However, when I say favorite “albums” of 2023, I mean it. And, I don’t think EPs really count as “albums,” at least not in a way that would qualify them for an AotY list. So, I definitely wanted to give this little thing its due, which is why I created the honorable mention category!
Nevertheless, this EP was another thing that was dropped by surprise, and it was about time, seeing as the band put out their last material in 2018. And in many ways, this album feels like a great mix between their newer stuff and their older stuff. Great melodies and satisfying hooks, along with some good screaming mixed in for good measure.
It’s great, because I find myself returning to their first album, Varuna, more than their more recent albums. But I love all their stuff, so to the name of this EP, I say: “To listen to more Republic of Wolves, of course.”
THAT IT?
Holy shit, this ended up being far longer than I thought it’d be. I might try to reign it in a bit if I do one of these for 2024’s albums.
And to think: there are so many great albums that I didn’t include on this list, mostly because I didn’t want this thing to go on too long. Palette Knife, Fucked Up, City and Color, Sleep Token, The Gaslight Anthem, and hell, even Taking Back Sunday all put out great albums this year. It was super hard for me to just keep it to these 12 (14 if you count the honorable mentions).
No joke, I originally had like 20 albums on this list, but I had to kill a few of my darlings. Maybe I’ll try to keep my 2024 list under 10 albums. Wishful thinking … but we’ll see in about a year.
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