the best albums of 2023

For the very few of you who followed along with the silly little music blog I had when I was in high school and college you might be thinking "Cool, Mike's writing about music again." But for the majority of folks who had no idea that Rego Reviews existed might be thinking "Wait, Mikey writes about music?" Well, it's been about a decade, I think 2013 was the last year I did a proper write up for an album or end of year list. But I listened to quite a bit of new music in 2023 and I don't want to keep it to myself. There were a lot of kick ass albums released last year and I'm tired of texting the same two people about it.

Over the course of 2023 I listened to 281 releases for the first time (I'm not separating EPs and LP, so I'll just say "releases"), with 112 of them from last year. I didn't quite hit the album-a-day benchmark I set myself, but there's always room for improvement in 2024. My backlog of albums to get through is ever growing and it's pretty much guaranteed that I've missed new releases that I would've absolutely loved. So that's what I'd like to highlight before we get into 2023's top 12. The biggest I can't believe I missed this of 2022

THE BIGGEST I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED THIS OF 2022

Like I said, there's no way I can keep up with every album I want to, so I want to start off by highlighting something that fell through the cracks of 2022 and I only just heard last year.

Late Night Cardigan - Life Is Bleak and It's My Cheat Day

A little punk rock, a little indie, just a smidge of twang, in your face when it wants to be, but never overwhelmingly so, this album's got it all. When I first heard "Happy Truman" I was truly blown away. I was in the work truck at the time, but I pulled over because I had to Shazam it. I spent the rest of my day enjoying Late Night Cardigan's discography. And you know what, in the process of writing this I found that they released a new single on December 29, so this is just a repeat of finding their new music the following year. But 2024's going to be different from here on out, my New Year's resolution is to pay more attention to Late Night Cardigan.

Best Single of 2023

Ogbert the Nerd - "Bike Cops"

Ogbert is straight up the best thing to come out of New Jersey in years, they're one of the few things that make living in this god forsaken state enjoyable. Simply knowing that any given weekend odds are Ogbert the Nerd is playing a show in either New Jersey or Philly is enough to keep me happy. I've seen Ogbert more times this past year than other band, and it's songs like "Bike Cops" that have me coming back to see them again and again. (editor's note: less than 24 hours after writing this blurb I bought tickets to see Ogbert the Nerd with Home Is Where next month in Philly)

Best EP of 2023

saturdays at your place - always cloudy

I'm gonna be honest, before I had separated the EPs and the LPs on my list, always cloudy was sitting in my top 5. And I didn't move it as a knock against the EP, this just gave me another slot to talk about more music. saturdays at your place fucking killed it in 2023. In addition to this ep, they also released a split with Summerbruise and SHOPLIFTER, That's What Friends Are For. saturdays at your place. I'm sure you've heard "Tarot Cards" at this point, but if for whatever reason you haven't do yourself a favor, stop reading this, listen to that, and come back in 3 minutes with your new found appreciation of sayp.

Best rerelease of 2023 

The Replacements - Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)

I love the Replacements. I think they should be in the conversation for greatest American rock band with the likes of R.E.M., Nirvana, and the Velvet Underground. I know most people are Let It Be defenders, but Tim is my favorite Replacements album by a healthy margin. This new remaster by Ed Stasium might just be the definitive Mats album. I know, a shocking proposal, but I stand by it. I haven't seen any debate around this album like the constant conversation that arises every time someone mentions Raw Power. With the exception of maybe one song, I can't see myself ever going back to the original now that the Let It Bleed Edition exists.

Honorable Mention

De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising

Now, this honorable mention isn't for the next spot on my list, so don't think of this as #13 of the year. This is more of a chance for me to talk about an album that needs to be talked about. This album originally came out in 1989, and this isn't a remaster or any sort. This is just the same album that was released 34 years ago. But, it finally was released on streaming. If you give it a listen you'll notice almost immediately the sheer numbers of samples that are used on this album, and that was the hang up. At first, my notes were gonna talk about how this was an important album to the New York City hip hop scene in the 80s/90s, but I'd say it's more than that. This album was incredibly influential not just to the NYC scene, but the entire hip hop genre. And it makes me incredibly happy that 3 Feet High and Rising is finally readily available to stream online, and I can only imagine how many people got to experience this landmark album for the first time. 

12 Best Albums of 2023

12. Wednesday - Rat Saw God

Wednesday fucking rocks. I really don't know what more there is to say. This album is why I decided to do a top 12 and not a top 10. Any way you slice it these lists have an arbitrary cut off, most times in increments of 5, but they're arbitrary all the same. Rat Saw God was one of the best albums of the year and I was going to include it no matter what. It rips, full stop. If you wanted an explantion on how this album is going to change the landscape of music you can check out any of the many many year end lists that ranked this number one and discuss how impactful Rat Saw God is. Not here though, alls I'm here to tell you the combination of shoegaze and country and earnest lyrics come together for a 37 minute hailstorm of kick ass music.

11. Palette Knife - New Game+

A nerdy emo album based around a fictional video game? Sign me up. When I first heard "Avatar The Last Cake Bender" I knew this album was going to be something special. New Game+ was the first new album I heard in 2023, and it's remained one of my favorites since January. At first, my plan was to list all of the best references from the album, but that's going to take too long. So instead I'll say any album that includes the song "...And That's A Rock Fact" is aces in my book.

10. The Gaslight Anthem - History Books

I almost didn't include History Books in my top 20. I know what you're thinking, it'd been absurd for me not to include The Gaslight Anthem on my end of year list, given the fact that I'm the Gaslight Anthem Guy. It took a few listens but I gave it the chance to grow on me. Sure, it's not as rip roaring as The '59 Sound or even Handwritten, but it sounds like how I imagine they would after an almost decade long hiatus. Hearing the title track with Bruce Springsteen as a guest is completely full circle and is a great example of what this album has to offer.

9. The Menzingers - Some of It Was True

Right out the gate this album The Menzingers hit you with their signature style of catchy, punky, sing-a-long, mosh anthems. "Hope is a Dangerous Little Thing" is the perfect album opener because it showcases exactly what you're getting into. They continue down the path of mixing that PA punk sound with more heartland rock vibes. This is probably their most americana influenced album to date, and it makes sense seeing as how it was Greg Barnett's first album since his solo, Tom Waits sounding, album Don't Go Throwing Roses In My Grave.

8. Noname - Sundial

There is so much to say about this album I don't even know where to start. Is it the scathing political commentary? Is it her flawless flow over a series groovy jazz beats? Is it the contributions from some of the best names in the genre like billy woods, Saba, and Common? Maybe it's not possible, or even worth it, to break it down and dissect each individual element of it when the final presentation is a brilliant, thought provoking, hip hop experience. 

7. McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?

Whoa, another politically charged jazz rap album? Yup, I got a vibe, and I like to stick with it. Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? was the first I heard of MicKinley Dixon but I was blown away. The song "Live! From the Kitchen Table" features Philadelphia based rapper Ghais Guevara, who also released an amazing album this year, so to hear them both on a track was fantastic. Opening with a reading of Toni Morrison's Jazz, it wonderfully sets the tone for what's to come and doesn't let up until the end of the album's title track.

6. Boygenius - the record

There are few artists that much such an impact that I can remember exactly when and where I first heard them. For Julien Baker, it was late 2016 and I was late to work trying to find parking when "Something" came up on WFMU. I just sat in my car until the song was over. I was already late to work, another 3 minutes wouldn't matter, but I wanted to listen to the rest of this beautiful song. And I've been a fan of Baker's ever since, so when Boygenius finally announced their debut record I was over the moon. I've been excited about a full album since their self titled EP back in 2018, and the five year wait was worth it, the record is like nothing else out there.

5. Origami Angel - The Brightest Days

Origami Angel is the first band I heard out of the new fifth wave emo acts. Origami Angel has been doing whatever the hell they wanted since 2017, and The Brightest Days is no different. Their releases before this, Re:Turn and Depart were so sonically different that I had no idea what to expect from this. What we got was a happy go lucky, ukulele filled, surf punk inspired emo album about loss, the alt right, and how much New Jersey sucks. The Brightest Days is so all over the place that Origami Angel doesn't even consider it an album, they call it a mixtape because "the differences between each track on The Brightest Days are what makes it such a special release."

4. Home Is Where - the whaler

Home Is Where is one of the emo acts that people will look back on in 15 years and compare them to some of the best bands in the canon. I truly believe that the whaler will be held to the same standard as Home, Like No Place There Is and Clarity. This album takes as much inspiration from Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys as City of Catepillar and Cap'n Jazz. I know it sounds like an odd combination of artists to be thrown together, but the whaler weaves them together so precisely that we end up with a genre defining album.

3. Spanish Love Songs - No Joy

Spanish Love Songs is probably my favorite band out there right now. Their deeply personally and cathartic lyrics over rocking punk tunes managed to connect with me in a way very few artists ever have. With No Joy they traded in some of their louder tunes for what can only be described as heartland emo. They didn't completely abandon the "whoa-whoa" singsongy sound that people grew to love, they simply evolved to have a more complex and mature sound that still punches you in your gut and hugs your heart the way their first three albums did.

2. Fall Out Boy - So Much (For) Stardust

Fall Out Boy is back baby. I think the idea of "selling out is dumb, and I won't stand for those accusations, but I also won't pretend that I enjoyed Fall Out Boy's last few releases, the pop heavy radio rock just wasn't for me. And some might argue that this is album is still just more pop punk. And it's true, it is, but it sounds exactly like what you would expect an album two decades after Take This To Your Grave would sound like. So Much (For) Stardust is the culmination of all their previous albums and sounds and, quite honestly, is the perfect post-covid album. (editor's note: this is the standard version of the album that doesn't include the truly horrible "We Didn't Start the Fire" reimagining)

1. Hot Mulligan - Why Would I Watch

There we go, number one with a bullet. It's been a long time since I was so instantly taken with an album, even on the first listen I knew this was something special. From high energy tracks like "Shhhh! Golf is On" to the heartbreaking "Betty" this album has it all. I recommended to a friend who doesn't often listen to this genre and his comment was "Wow, I didn't know emo could sound this good." I told him I was going to quote him in my end of year article because it expertly sums up my thoughts on Why Would I Watch as well. Why Would I Watch became my favorite album of the year on the first listen and stayed there the entire time. It's phenomenal. 

Want a charcuterie board playlist of everything mentioned here? I gotchu. You'll find one song from every album on the list right below. Cheers.