It’s that time of year again, folks! It is time to share our top albums of the year!
This is never an easy task. 2023 was full of incredible releases and it was very difficult to narrow them down to only 10, but we think we captured the best of the best along with some very notable honorable mentions!
No matter what you went through this year, we’re sure that music was always a constant and these top albums of 2023 made our year a little more bearable.
Thank you all for your continued support and love this year. Here’s to a better 2024 with (hopefully) some positive changes and killer new tunes to get us through!
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10. Teenage Wrist – Still Love
Released: August 4, 2023
Teenage Wrist never disappoint and their third record, Still Love, was a summer favorite. Chock full of superb collaborations from Softcult, S.A. Martinez of 311 and former band member Kamtin Mohager (Heavenward), the band didn’t shy away from vulnerability. Delving into toxic masculinity, climate change and self-love, Still Love definitely hits all the right notes and then some, offering up some killer 90s-esque alternative vibes.
9. The Aces – I’ve Loved You For So Long
Released: June 2, 2023
The Aces had a killer year and the release of third album, I’ve Loved You For So Long, really catapulted them into legend status. Written during the pandemic, the record takes listeners on a journey of dealing with one’s mental health, sexuality, and of course, those existential crises one has in their mid to late twenties. I’ve Loved You For So Long solidified The Aces’ sound and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next!
8. Trousdale – Out Of My Mind
Released: September 15, 2023
Trousdale are one of those bands you discover on a whim yet you know they found you at the most perfect time. 2023 saw the release of the band’s debut album, Out Of My Mind, and mark our words: you will lose your mind once you listen to this. Infusing elements of country, pop and singer-songwriter vibes, the album feels like if Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour mated with Aly & AJ’s With Love From. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll feel like a bad ass. All around, it’s a good time.
7. The Band CAMINO – The Dark
Released: August 11, 2023
The Band CAMINO had a massive year and the band’s sophomore record, The Dark, has only solidified our newfound love for these guys. With tales of heartbreak, crushes, and all the ways a past love can haunt you for the rest of your life, The Dark encapsulates everything fans love about The Band CAMINO with its fun, effervescent indie-pop vibes from start to finish.
6. Heavenward – Pyrophonics
Released: June 16, 2023
Needless to say, but we are hooked on Pyrophonics. The debut album from Heavenward – the project of Kamtin Mohager (Chain Gang of 1974, formerly Teenage Wrist), Pyrophonics is a much-needed 90s/early 2000s-esque alternative rock album delving into finding one’s true self, heartbreak and those self-pitying & embarrassing moments that are all part of the human experience. From start to finish, Pyrophonics is an adrenaline rush ready to blow shit up in its wake and we can’t wait to hear what’s next!
5. Nightly – wear your heart out
Released: August 25, 2023
Nightly may have just had their best year yet and their sophomore record, wear your heart out, definitely came in with a bang! Deliriously upbeat as it is infectious, wear your heart out catapulted the band’s signature indie-pop sound to new heights. In true Nightly fashion, the record delves into matters of the heart while offering glimmers of hope for the brokenhearted; and if you wanted to dance in the middle of it all, we can’t think of a better album to heal to.
4. Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
Released: February 14, 2023
The only word that comes to mind when we think of Caroline Polachek is QUEEN! This girl released one of the best albums of the year – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You – and she’s still killing it with a rumored deluxe edition about to drop soon. If you grew up in the nineties and early aughts, this album probably reminded you of the glorious sounds of Top 40 radio at the time – the dynamics, the genre-bending, the range of everything blending yet effortlessly fitting together so beautifully. Poignant as it is enthralling…and rather feral, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is meant to be played on repeat at full volume!
3. Ava Max – Diamonds & Dancefloors
Released: January 27, 2023
Ava Max has had a challenging year. From label drama to personal drama, Max has kept her cool and undoubtedly released a killer sophomore record, Diamonds & Dancefloors. A magnetic listen from start to finish, Max dazzles on each track while seamlessly showcasing her versatility. Empowering as it is vulnerable, Diamonds & Dancefloors sees Max at her best yet, creating a pop-centric world of her own while proving that anyone can turn their pain into power.
2. Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS
Released: September 8, 2023
After the release of 2021’s SOUR, everyone was dying to know how Olivia Rodrigo would top such a stunning debut. Sophomore record, GUTS, came in with a bang and it’s not going anywhere any time soon! Basking in the glow of pop/punk meets gut-wrenching piano ballads (pun very much intended) GUTS is SOUR’s seething yet more mature older sister ready to take names and teach a few lessons. Capturing the hearts of different generations, Rodrigo has once again tugged on the world’s heartstrings while solidifying her place in the music industry.
1. Kelsea Ballerini – Rolling Up The Welcome Mat
Released: February 14, 2023
Kelsea Ballerini surprise dropped her EP, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat on Valentine’s Day 2023 and since then, she has become a patron saint of healing. Delving into the nitty gritty of her recent divorce, Ballerini let vulnerability lead the way and it has paid off tremendously, earning her a GRAMMY nomination in the process. Whether listeners were going through a divorce themselves or a painful breakup from a long-term relationship, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat helps you heal in stages, and with each listen, fans are finding it gets a little easier.
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Honorable Mentions (In order of release)
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Samia – Honey
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Aly & AJ – With Love From
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The New Division – Modern Life
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Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd?
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Transviolet – BODY
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LIGHTS – dEd
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joan – superglue
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Jonas Brothers – The Album
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lovelytheband – If We’re Being Honest
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Fleurie – Supertropicali
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Stay Lunar – When The Sun Sets
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Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
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Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
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Echosmith – Echosmith
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Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loveliest Time
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The Maine – The Maine
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Juliana Madrid – Afterlife
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Romy – Mid Air
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LANY – A Beautiful Blur f.k.a. I Really Really Hope So
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Shallow Pools – I Think About It All The Time
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Strangers In Suits – Where Do We Go From Here?
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Troye Sivan – Something To Give Each Other
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dreamfone – postMANIC
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Rinse – Sinker
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Cannons – Heartbeat Highway
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Bad Suns – Infinite Joy
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Tate McRae – Think Later
