Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #15-11

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Alright, enough messing around. Let's cozy on up to the top 10.


15

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
History Books
October 27, 2023 • Rich Mahogany/Thirty Tigers

Highlights
History Books
Autumn
Michigan, 1975




It's not easy for a band to come back from nearly a decade away and simply pick up where they left off; it makes sense, then, that The Gaslight Anthem don't really try. Instead, their sixth album takes a more measured approach that's somewhat akin to a juiced up version of Brian Fallon's solo records. I personally would have preferred a little more fire in the collective belly, but otherwise everything there is to love about this band is fully intact.


14

ROYAL THUNDER
Rebuilding the Mountain
June 16, 2023 • Spinefarm

Highlights
The Knife
Now Here - No Where
Fade




Coming a long six years after the enthralling, expansive WICK, Royal Thunder reemerges down one member with a somewhat stripped down sound in turn. Having said this, singer/bassist Mlny Parsons has long been the star of the show here, and her performance on Rebuilding the Mountain ensures that Royal Thunder sounds massive no matter how economic the songs are.


13

boygenius
the record
March 31, 2023 • boygenius/Interscope

Highlights
$20
Not Strong Enough
Satanist




Considering that Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker have all created veritable masterpieces on their own, on paper the debut album from their shared supergroup should be utterly amazing. The good news is, by times it absolutely is; all three are given ample opportunity to contribute and shine across the record's dozen tracks. For me, all that's holding it back is the songs' tendency to stick close to the style of whoever carried the bulk of their creation. After a very successful touring year (and, obviously, more time together as a unit), if they should coalesce their powers into a consistent musical vision the results could achieve all-time levels of greatness.


12

SPANISH LOVE SONGS
No Joy
August 25, 2023 • Pure Noise

Highlights
Pendulum
Clean-Up Crew
Marvel




When I last covered Spanish Love Songs around here, they were taking top five honours in 2020 for Brave Faces Everyone, a harrowing and tortured post-punk triumph that was hard to listen to thanks to its heavy subject matter but ultimately one of the most rewarding albums I've heard so far this decade. Their follow-up carries just a little more optimism, and some added shimmer to the sound. It's a more easily digestible version of the group's dread-soaked rock, but not at the expense of who they are. The proverbial shit is still proverbially fucked up, but Spanish Love Songs now sound like they're mature and/or jaded enough to keep head above water amid the chaos.


11

THE BEACHES
Blame My Ex
September 15, 2023 • AWAL

Highlights
Blame Brett
What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Paranoid
Shower Beer




In what is probably this year's most impressive breakout story, Toronto foursome The Beaches are finally reaping the rewards of a decade of hard work. After a pair of EPs and a debut album that saw their star rise here in Canada, they took their time releasing another proper album; coming six years after Late Show and with another pair of EPs (plus some one-off singles) as stopgap releases, it was the breakup anthem Blame Brett that finally got The Beaches well-deserved recognition internationally. As a whole, the album is a quick and consistent listen and, while Blame Brett has gotten the bulk of the attention thus far, there are several would-be hits strewn across Blame My Ex's stacked track list.


Okay, we've made it to the top ten. Well, I have. You have to wait until the next post.

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