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Top 50 Albums of 2023

Best of 2022

The final product of my exploration of a diverse range of albums released this year. Remember that placements are only my opinion.

Format is: #. Artist - Album  ||  Genres  ||  descriptors  ||  Country  ||  Rating

Honorable mentions: Gazelle Twin - Black Dog, Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex, Great Falls - Objects Without Pain, Dorian Electra - Fanfare, Sigur Rós - ÁTTA, Protomartyr - Formal Growth in the Desert, Mac Quayle - Mr. Robot Vol. 8, Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!, 파란노을 [Parannoul] - After the Magic


50. Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags  ||  Speed Metal, Black Metal  ||  death, dark  ||  UK  ||  7.5/10

49. Sofia Kourtesis - Madres  ||  Deep House, Latin House  ||  hypnotic, mellow  ||  Peru  ||  7.5/10

48. Algiers - Shook  ||  Post-Industrial, Post-Punk, Political Hip Hop  ||  eclectic, conscious  ||  USA  ||  7.5/10

47. カネコアヤノ [Ayano Kaneko] - Towelket wa odayakana  ||  Indie Pop  ||  uplifting, melodic  ||  Japan  ||  7.5/10

46. Phoxjaw - notverynicecream  ||  Alternative Rock, Post-Hardcore  ||  quirky, anxious  ||  UK  ||  7.5/10

45. Vyva Melinkolya - Unbecoming  ||  Slowcore, Shoegaze  ||  noisy, melancholic  ||  USA  ||  7.5/10

44. Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium  ||  Progressive Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal  ||  technical, complex  ||  USA  ||  7.5/10

43. King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation  ||  Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, Stoner Metal  ||  apocalyptic, conceptual  ||  Australia  ||  7.5/10

42. Katie Gately - Fawn / Brute  ||  Art Pop, Post-Industrial  ||  nocturnal, lush  ||  USA  ||  7.5/10

41. Álex Anwandter - El diablo en el cuerpo  ||  Dance Pop, Electropop  ||  playful, LGBT  ||  Chile  ||  7.5/10

40. ANOHNI and the Johnsons - My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross  ||  Singer/Songwriter, Soul  ||  LGBT, existential  ||  USA  ||  7.5/10

39. boygenius - the record  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock  ||  bittersweet, sentimental  ||  USA  ||  7.5/10

38. Wednesday - Rat Saw God  ||  Indie rock, Noise Rock, Alt-Country  ||  noisy, passionate  ||  USA  ||  7.5/10

37. Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)  ||  Neo-Psychedelia, Post-Punk  ||  surreal, lush  ||  USA  ||  7.5/10

36. Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips  ||  Experimental Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, Abstract Hip Hop  ||  avant-garde, dark  ||  USA  ||  8/10

35. Nicole Dollanganger - Married in Mount Airy  ||  Singer/Songwriter, Indie Folk, Slowcore  ||  ethereal, cold  ||  Canada  ||  8/10

34. Paramore - This is Why  ||  Post-Punk Revival  ||  pessimistic, melodic  ||  USA  ||  8/10

33. Candelabro - Ahora o Nunca  ||  Indie Rock, Art Rock  ||  eclectic, melancholic  ||  Chile  ||  8/10

32. slowthai - UGLY  ||  Post-Punk, UK Hip Hop  ||  angry, self-hatred  ||  UK  ||  8/10

31. Marina Herlop - Nekkuja  ||  Avant-Folk, Art Pop, Electronic  ||  mysterious, surreal  ||  Spain  ||  8/10

30. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - Scaring the Hoes  ||  Experimental Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop  ||  chaotic, energetic  ||  USA  ||  8/10

29. Spanish Love Songs - No Joy  ||  Indie Rock, Heartland Rock  ||  passionate, bittersweet  ||  USA  ||  8/10

28. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Australian Carnage: Live at the Sydney Opera House  ||  Art Rock  ||  passionate, poetic  ||  Australia  ||  8/10

27. Evian Christ - Revanchist  ||  Trance  ||  futuristic, dense  ||  UK  ||  8.5/10

26. Colin Stetson - When We Were That What Wept for the Sea  ||  Post-Minimalism  ||  hypnotic, avant-garde  ||  Canada  ||  8.5/10

25. Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter - SAVED!  ||  Hymns, Southern Gospel, Avant-Folk  ||  infernal, ominous  ||  USA  ||  8.5/10

24. Black Country, New Road - Live at Bush Hall  ||  Progressive Pop, Art Rock, Chamber Pop  ||  romantic, bittersweet  ||  UK  ||  8.5/10

23. James Blake - Playing Robots Into Heaven  ||  Future Garage  ||  cold, hypnotic  ||  UK  ||  8.5/10

22. Dispirited Spirits - The Redshift Blues  ||  Art Rock, Midwest Emo  ||  space, sad  ||  Portugal  ||  8.5/10

21. PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old Year Dying  ||  Singer/Songwriter, Art Rock  ||  atmospheric, mysterious  ||  UK  ||  8.5/10

20. George Clanton - Ooh Rap I Ya  ||  Chillwave, Trip Hop, Neo-Psychedelia, Baggy  ||  lush, dense  ||  USA  ||  8.5/10

19. Bobbing - Year of the Newt  ||  Indietronica, Indie Pop, Funk Rock  ||  quirky, eclectic  ||  USA  ||  8.5/10

18. Sarathy Korwar - Kal (Real World)  ||  Nu Jazz, Electronic  ||  lush, rhythmic  ||  UK  ||  8.5/10

17. Kara Jackson - Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?  ||  Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, Chamber Folk, Americana  ||  poetic, existential  ||  USA  ||  9/10

16. きくお [Kikuo] - きくおミク7 (Kikuo Miku 7)  ||  Art Pop  ||  melodic, psychedelic  ||  Japan  ||  9/10

15. Geese - 3D Country  ||  Indie Rock, Art Punk  ||  playful, pastoral  ||  USA  ||  9/10

14. Swans - The Beggar  ||  Experimental Rock, Post-Rock, Neofolk  ||  death, existential  ||  USA  ||  9/10

13. McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?  ||  Jazz Rap, Conscious Hip Hop  ||  introspective, orchestral  ||  USA  ||  9/10

12. yeule - Softscars  ||  Dream Pop, Indietronica  ||  futuristic, noisy  ||  USA  ||  9/10

11. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World  ||  Indie Rock, Post-Rock  ||  hypnotic, ominous  ||  USA  ||  9/10

10. Susanne Sundfør - Blómi  ||  Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk  ||  introspective, ethereal  ||  Norway  ||  9/10

9. Alfa Mist - Variables  ||  Jazz Fusion, Nu Jazz  ||  atmospheric, meditative  ||  UK  ||  9/10

8. Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You  ||  Art Pop, Alt-Pop, Electronic, Downtempo  ||  love, romantic  ||  USA  ||  9/10

7. Gingerbee - Our Skies Smile  ||  Midwest Emo, Screamo, Noise Pop  ||  introspective, longing  ||  USA  ||  9/10

6. Fever Ray - Radical Romantics  ||  Art Pop, Synthpop, Darkwave  ||  rhythmic, dark  ||  Sweden  ||  9.5/10

5. billy woods & Kenny Segal - Maps  ||  Abstract Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, Conscious Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop  ||  melancholic, poetic  ||  USA  ||  9.5/10

4. Model/Actriz - Dogsbody  ||  Noise Rock, Dance-Punk, No Wave, Industrial Rock  ||  dissonant, anxious  ||  USA  ||  9.5/10

3. Liturgy - 93696  ||  Avant-Garde Metal, Black Metal, Chamber Music, Choral  ||  USA  ||  9.5/10

2. Lankum - False Lankum  ||  Irish Folk Music, Avant-Folk  ||  Ireland  ||  10/10

1. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin  ||  Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Chamber Folk, Folktronica  ||  USA  ||  10/10

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