My Favorite Albums of 2023

Creeper – Sanguivore

If Sanguivore was only a Jim Steinman pastiche I probably wouldn’t be writing about it. But the vampire opus Sanguivore is so much more than that. The first notes of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-inspired overture “Further Than Forever” lead into a whirlwind tour of Steinman touches that immediately remind the listener of “Bat out of Hell” without feeling like a ripoff. This nearly 10 minute opus is followed by the dark synth-pop influence of Panic Priest and CarpenterBrut on the glorious “Cry to Heaven” before segueing to the AFI inspired punk of “Sacred Blasphemy”.

Sanguivore is the most surprising and welcome synthesis of styles since Prequelle. The only thing missing here is Meatloaf on vocals and if it were not for his untimely passing it’s not hard to imagine he may have participated if given the chance.

Marvelous 3 – IV

I did not expect to be writing about the Marvelous 3 this year at all since it had been over 20 years since their last (excellent) album Ready, Sex, Go. Over the course of this year front man Butch Walker not only released the Marv3 albums Hey! Album and Ready, Sex, Go on vinyl for the first time but also reunited with bandmates Slug and Jayce Fincher for a few shows and new album, IV.

I have been a fan of Butch Walker since first hearing the Marvelous 3’s inescapable single “Freak of the Week” and have followed his solo career after the band broke up. The surprise is not that a Butch Walker is on this list, that’s usually a given. The surprising thing here is that IV does not sound like a Butch Walker solo album, it sounds like Marvelous 3. While nothing is on the horizon I’m still hoping that a tour is in the cards. Even if not, the live-streamed concert from Atlanta, remastered classics, and new album IV are enough to keep me sated.

Black Honey – A Fistful of Peaches

Black Honey has only released two albums so far, but their latest one, A Fistful of Peaches, showcases their confidence and swagger that puts them in the same league as contemporary bands like The Vaccines and MisterWives. The opening track “Charlie Bronson” sets the tone for the rest of the album with its sharp lyrics and distinct sound. If you enjoy this album, you should also check out their debut album, Written & Directed.

Eclipse – Megalomanium

Eclipse has a formula and sound that so far has not exhausted the tank for me. Megalomanium refines that formula to a knife’s edge. The singalong courses that imbed in your brain on the first listen, the crushing melodies, guitar solos, clever lyrics, it’s all here as expected. The first half is admittedly stronger than the second with the ass-kicking triple assault of “The Hardest Part is Losing You, “Got It”, and “Anthem” kicking off the album, but there is not a bad song here.

The Menzingers – Some of It Was True

Featuring the twin new classics of “Hope is a Dangerous Thing” and “Come on Heartache” would be enough to put The Menzingers on my list even if Some of It Were True stopped there. Luckily it doesn’t and this is another great album from a band that seems incapable of releasing mediocre music. Here’s hoping the streak continues.

Lucero – Should Have Learned By Now

Roots country honky tonk rock band multi-hyphenate Lucero has been around for a long time but this is their first album that really grabbed me. From the opening cowbell of “One Last FU” I was all in on Should Have Learned by Now. Much like the next band on the list, the musical chops of Lucero are evident and all the songs are strong enough to stand as singles. The music fits just as well in a rowdy bar as it does on a home stereo accompanied by a glass of bourbon. “Buy A Little Time” is my favorite song of the year.

Rival Sons – Darkfighter/Lightbringer

This year has been full of musical surprises and this one is near the top. Rival Sons is a band I was aware of but never paid much attention to. That all changed with Darkfighter and Lightbringer. The latter release, Lightbringer is one of the more musically complex of the year taking elements of jam bands and prog rock to add to the more straightforward execution of Darkfighter. “A Bird in the Hand” was one of my top 5 songs of the year. Give it a listen and see why for yourself.

The Used – Toxic Positivity

The Used can always be relied on to produce at least a few good songs on every release. Toxic Positivity ups that ratio of hits to misses considerably. Killer bass grooves, fun sing-along choruses, great guitar work, and their signature misanthropic lyrics make for a surprisingly fun album. Long live the misery!

Daisy Jones & The Six – Aurora

In spring of 2023 the adaptation of Taylor Jenkin Reid’s best-selling novel Daisy Jones & The Six hit Amazon Prime. This story of a fictional band features at its center a legendary album called Aurora, their only release. In the world of the story, Fleetwood Mac doesn’t exist and Aurora is their analog to Rumours.

The task of creating an album with a reputation as one of the greatest of all time had to be daunting. But under the lead of producer/musician Blake Mills, a squad of real-world songwriters, including Phoebe Bridgers, Jackson Browne, and Marcus Mumford the team crafted a love letter to Rumours and a solid album that can stand apart from its real-world inspiration.

In a meta twist of fate, the Aurora soundtrack debuted at number 1 on the Billboard chart and has notched Grammy and Emmy nominations. Lead capably by stars Sam Claflin and Riley Keough on lead vocals and actress/musician Suki Waterhouse on backing vocals, Aurora is filled with great songs that are lyrically sly nods to the drama behind the scenes on the show.

Honorable Mentions

The Gaslight Anthem – History Books

Starbenders – Take Back the Night

Lillasyster – Stormtrooper Boombox

Meg Myers – TZIA