In the past, I've often taken time at the end of the year to review what I considered to be the best music of the year. Caveat: I can't and don't keep up with everything. This post is me telling you what is the best among the music I actually purchased/downloaded/streamed, in 2023. Links will be for Apple Music, as that is my streaming platform of choice (however, I have physical copies — vinyl and/or CD — of most of these).
FAVORITE ALBUMS
Albums are not the powerhouse music format in our current era. Streaming has made singles the dominant format as singles keep the content coming and ever-present. However, being a good Gen-Xer, I do love full-length projects and EPs. Here are my Top Four Album of 2023.
1.) EXTREME: Six
It's hard to believe a band that has been around since 1989 has, in 2023, only six studio albums. Part of this is due, in part, to the long hiatus between 1994's Waiting For the Punchline (album four) and 2008's Saudes de Rock (album five — and a bit of a departure from their normal sound). In between, lead singer Gary Cherone had a short-lived stint in Van Halen (1997-iah to 1999-ish) as the band's third lead singer (the tour was great, the album was ... not as great). Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt has played with pop superstar Rihanna as a sideman as well in addition to some solo projects. The band re-emerged this year with, perhaps, their best album ever in Six. The first four tracks fo the album were all released prior to the album and each release had me more excited to hear the rest of the album. On first listen, I was less excited about tracks five to 12 than I had been about the first four. However, the more I listened, the more I fell in love with this album as a whole (it pays to focus on an entire work in this age of fragmentation). Beyond the musical grind and lyrical mocking fury of #Rebel, the amazing guitar work on Rise, the beautiful harmonies and melodies on Other Side of the Rainbow, there are anthems like Here's To The Losers and tender ballads like Hurricane. X Out reveals Christian imagery in a way that Cherone has always been able to weave into Extreme's music. The weakest track is Beautiful Girls, a poppy ditty that celebrates all women — a concept I embrace, but as a song it just doesn't hit me. If I have any other complaint, it's that it was all self-produced and mixed and there's a muddiness to the mix, at least to my ears, that may have been remedied with a larger budget. As someone who has made his own music, I certainly understand this. With the passing of Eddie Van Halen in 2020, the crown of guitar hero has been sitting on the mantle. For fans of Extreme, we've always known Nuno was capable of taking up that crown. Six shows it should belong to him. However, with Pat Badger on bass and Kevin Figueiredo on drums, the album also proves there's more to Extreme than just Gary and Nuno. If you've only ever heard of Extreme via More Than Words (or its use by Andy Bernard at his garden party on The Office), you're missing out. Check out this album. It's my favorite of the year!
2.) JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT: Weathervanes
I'll tell anyone who will listen that the best songwriter in music today is Jason Isbell. His (with his band the 400 Unit) 2023 album Weathervanes only adds to this claim. From the vivid imagery of King of Oklahoma to the frank honesty of White Beretta, Weathervanes is a masterclass in "showing, not telling." As a former journalist, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this particular skill as it's so rare. Isbell definitely has a point of view. If you've ever followed him on Twitter/X, you know this. However, nothing ever comes across as preachy or heavy-handed because he tells stories, drawing you in with empathy and honesty. Even if you disagree with his worldview, I don't see how you can't be impressed with his work. If I could write songs like any one person, I would have to say, in 2023, it would be Jason Isbell. In addition, Isbell's and Sadler Vaden's guitar work on the album is drool-worthy. As a guitar nerd, this is one of the best guitar records of the year. Tone for days. Chops for days. All of it tasty. All of it ... just right. This album is fantastic!
3.) COCHREN & CO.: Running Home
When I heard an early mix of the title track of Cochren & Co.'s forthcoming album in mid- to late-2022, I was blown away and, without exaggeration, can say I listened to the song about 10 times in one night on the short road trip to Loogootee, Ind. It just felt so, so good. When the entire album dropped, I was so fairly blown away by the sonic growth from the first album Don't Lose Hope. Running Home expands the sonic palette of Christian Music to include classic rock & roll sounds like the Bob Seger-inspired title track or the thumping chant of Future Glory that closes the album. There's modern pop in By Our Love. There are country tinges in Thank God For Sunday Morning. There's blues in The Lows. Christian radio needs more of — and more willing to be inspired by the musical palette of — Cochren & Co. (that being said, my least favorite track, but not a bad track by any means, on the album, Parking Lot, has actually gotten significant Christian radio airplay, so what do I know?). I'm so proud to know Michael and Leah and to see what's happened with their careers over the past few years. Even without the personal connection, this really is a fantastic album and worth your time.
4.) MARTY STUART AND HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES: Altitude
I've been a huge fan of country legend Marty Stuart since at least 1992 when High On A Mountaintop aired on the country radio station in Jackson, Tenn. This was the "hat era" of country music — when then-young acts like Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson were ascending. In the midst of this was this no-hat-wearing-guy Marty Stuart. I didn't know his now-legendary backstory, but I knew I liked the sound of that song — and I was off. Since then, with each project, I've only become more impressed with his trajectory and his passion for musical honesty. His latest album with his amazing band, The Fabulous Superlatives, is this 2023's Altitude. Picking up where they left off on the previous studio release, Way Out West, this record can best be described as "Cosmic Country Music." I've often heard that Jimi Hendrix played Delta Blues — if the Delta was on Mars. I feel the same way about this record — it's country music for the rural parts of outer space. The entire album paints a vivid portrait of wide-open desert skies while searching for the divine. It's the best country album of the year, bar none, and one of my favorites in 2023.
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WORTHY OF MENTION
Below are albums that are just as worthy of your time as the Top Four — as they are all stellar works. These are listed in alphabetical order (as alphabetized by Apple Music).
This was released later in 2023 and I haven't had as much time to spend with it as others, otherwise, it is likely in my Top Four/Five. Every single song on this is a repeat listen (Stapleton often has amazing albums that include 3-4 songs that I will always skip — that is not the case with this album, so far). The first single, White Horse, is co-written by Dan Wilson, of Semisonic fame, and is southern rock/country music at its finest in 2023.
Sometime in 2022, The Cold Stares lead singer/guitarist Chris Tapp texted me some early versions of the songs that would become their sixth full-length album (one of which was a compilation of several EPs and singles), Voices. I was immediately struck by how the band — now a power trio — had stretched their sound to include some Pink Floyd-esque elements to go along with their standard blues/rock repertoire. To say TCS are prolific is to sell short the word. The pace at which the band is able to write and record material is necessary in this day and age — especially for a band that's working hard for every inch of ground they gain. Voices is a worthy addition to TCS catalog and worth your time.
Foo Fighters album But Here We Are is a concept album examining the heaviness of loss and grief. Sonically, the album sounds exactly like you would think a Foo Fighters album would sound (powerful rock anthems combined with the occasional stretched-out epic). That's not where this album shines. Don't get me wrong, the songs are all solid (I can't think of a weak track), but understanding the stories behind these songs and lyrics is what makes this album among my favorites of 2023. The loss of Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins in spring 2022, followed by the loss of frontman Dave Grohl's mother only a few months later is embedded in every song on this project. This one also wins the award for "hardest-to-read" album lyrics/liner note/artwork (very light grey text on a blindingly white backdrop).
The sophomore album from Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth WVH project is proof that he's not coasting on his last name and that he will not have a sophomore slump. Once again recording every instrument and every vocal on the album (he has a killer live band, for what it's worth — but I get why he's doing what he's doing, too), the 10-song Mammoth II expands on the best of his debut album and adds to it with great melodies, insane guitar playing (check out the solo on Take A Bow), and technically excellent playing on every instrument. I got to catch Mammoth WVH live for the first time in early 2023 (opening for faves Alter Bridge in Indianapolis). I was an interested observer going in to that show. After the show and this album, I'm now a fan.
Metallica has been a mainstay band for me since the early 1990s. The release of a new album is, these days, an event, not just a release. At the end of 2022, a new single was released and the excitement began to build. While it didn't crack the Top Four, it is definitely a repeated listen of the year. I've tried to figure out why it hasn't hit me like past Metallica releases and the best I can come up with is my age — maybe I just don't get as excited about new music as I once did. However, looking at this closer, I think the production of the album perfectly fits some songs but does a disservice to other songs (i.e. the Load-esque track You Must Burn). While not as over-compressed as Death Magnetic, it also feels like an assault on the ears after a handful of tracks. Some of that is the songs themselves, but I have to think some of it is the production and lack of air in some of the songs. This short review may sound overly critical (especially for it being in my favorites list), but expectations are always higher for a band like Metallica. It's a worthy addition to their catalog and there are some real gems on this one. The best riff of the record is You Must Burn at 4:25 (right after a very cool Alice In Chains-style vocal bridge ... very, very cool).
Rival Sons are among the best young rock bands on the scene today. This year's Darkfighter was the first part of a two-part release (with Lightbringer released later in the year). I get what the band was doing with the two separate releases, however, I think the two would have made one really solid album. To me, Darkfighter was the superior of the two (I address a single song — Mosaic — from Lightbringer further below on this post). Rival Sons has strong melodies, strong emotions, strong riffs ... a perfect recipe for me. Nobody Wants To Die would be in my top five singles of the year if I made that list. It's so killer! If you think good new rock doesn't exist, let me introduce you to Rival Sons.
Prior to this release, I was moderately familiar with Tyler Childers. Often labeled as Americana, this album is country as country can get. I listened for the first time on a whim (the buzz about Childers helped) and was pretty blown away by the seven-song album. His cover of Help Me Make It Through The Night is as great a cover of a classic country song as I've ever heard. Childers's voice is suited for these songs. This is worth your time.
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NOTABLE SINGLES
Below are songs that are not included on the above-mentioned albums list that were among my favorites in 2023.
BROTHER CANE: Are You In There Anymore
Brother Cane is an Alabama-based rock band that, obvstentively, broke up around 1999. Their sophomore album, Seeds, is among my favorite rock albums of the entire 1990s. Frontman Damon Johnson has gone on to play in Thin Lizzy and took over Gary Rossington's spot in Lynyrd Skynyrd in the past few years. So, it was a surprise when it was announced Brother Cane was (more or less — not all original members) reforming for a 30th anniversary tour. Then, we got the bonus of hearing the first Brother Cane songs in nearly 25 years with the songs Blinded By The Sun and (if this was the old days, the b-side of) Are You In There Anymore. My favorite of the two is the second track, featuring Thin Lizzy-style guitar harmony mixed with neo-southern rock laced with modern sounding rock & roll, Are You In There Anymore has a touch of melancholy — lyrically and melodically that I just can't resist. I'm hopeful for more from Brother Cane in the future, because we don't have another 25 years to wait.
CITIZENS: Good Ground
Citizens is a Seattle-based band I've followed since the early 2010s. One of the few original-sounding bands writing songs for the church, Citizens' debut album was right up my alley. I've followed them ever since. Sometimes I've understood what they were doing and sometimes I didn't. The single Good Ground from their album I Can't Find The Edges Of You is one I kept going back to over and over in 2023. While I'm still debating if it will work for our church, personally, it's my favorite worship song of the year. I love worship songs that find unique ways to express our faith without relying on the same old tropes.
GOV'T MULE: Dreaming Out Loud (feat. Ivan Neville & Ruthie Foster)
The Mule is "our band" for my wife and I. Warren Haynes and crew underwent a lineup change at the bass player position this year and we also caught one of the old bass player's last gigs in Evansville earlier this year. The band also put out a new album Peace ... Like A River. It's a worthy addition to the Mule catalog. However, this track is the standout. Featuring killer horns and an awesome groove with a strong lyrical message, it was one of the songs on the new album I kept returning to, so it's a definite addition to this list.
IVAN & ALYOSHA: Gold + All We Ever Had
Washington State-based Ivan & Alyosha indie rock duo/band almost got an full album inclusion with their new album All We Ever Had. However, I really kept going back to these two songs more than the others, so I included them as favorite singles — despite there being two singles from the same album. Gold and the title track are at opposite ends of the I&A spectrum and both highlight where they are brilliant. while Gold is upbeat, hooky, and harmony-laden, the lyrics are introspective and profound. The title track, All We Ever Had also features a deep well of lyricism but is much more somber and subdued — and moving. I'll always recommend this band to anyone who will listen.
GOLD: LISTEN
ALL WE EVER HAD: LISTEN
RIVAL SONS: Mosaic
While I discussed the band's first album release of 2023 above, the second release was a seven-song album called Lightbringer. To my ears, it wasn't as strong as Darkfighter. However, the final track, Mosaic, is stellar and the standout track from the project. It captures something Rival Sons does well — slow-building epics that can explode with soaring choruses. "The broken pieces fit together/Back away and the lines disappear/...We're only here for each other."
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THE DREADED 'HEY, WANT TO LISTEN TO MY SONGS?'
I wrote and recorded two of the songs on this five-song EP, released on Sept. 1, 2023. We based all of these songs on various Psalms, as a companion to a sermon series we did in summer 2023. My two submissions were All I Am Belongs To You and Help Is Near. Of the two, I would point anyone interested to All I Am Belongs To You. I originally wrote it with a more Johnny Cash/Sturgill Simpson vibe, but it morphed into a Pearl Jam Just Breathe-type composition. I'm pretty proud of this one. I'm also proud of the second track Help Is Near. However, if I'm being honest, it's the weaker of the two tracks (though it does have some fun guitar work). There are also songs from my fellow Redemption staff members (a cover of Jon Foreman's title track from Caleb Spencer, Ryan Lynton's Need You Here, and Five Means To An End Dogs At My Door that help complete the project). I'm always honored that anyone would listen to songs I write and record. It means a lot to me that you would give my work any of your time. Thanks!
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