Top 100 Albums/EP of 2023 by DoubleZ

Hi all, this year I proceed differently on my Top albums with an update in real time

Feel free to recommend projects, or/and debate/discuss some choices

Love

slowthai - UGLY
2.
89
(Post-Punk / Experimental Hip Hop / Dance-Punk)

« Decidedly it is better to leave the stagnant Hip Hop bases to finally shine at its true value, we already noticed it this year with Lil Yachty, it's Slowthai's turn to offer his monument »

Key songs : Yum / Tourniquet / Ugly / Selfish / Happy

Other ratings :
- Nothing Great (2019) 82
- Tyron (2021) 76
3.
89
(Noise Rock / Dance Punk / Post-Industrial / No Wave)

« Soon »

Key songs : Amaranth / Mosquito / Crossing Guard / Sun In
파란노을 [Parannoul] - After the Magic
4.
88
(Shoegaze / Indie Rock / Emo / Art Rock)

« The fairytale and hypnotic world painted by one of the underground revelations is worthy of the enchantment that we find in fantasy stories, filled with love and warmth. All the good ideas that we have discovered for some time have really materialized here on "After The Magic", as a kind of achievement for Parannoul. The South Korean artist confirms his hype, opting for efficiency and sonic variety, leaving (almost) any frills aside. It is a real demonstration from the beginning to the end even if the second half of the album remains less brilliant. »

Key songs : Insomnia / We Shine At Night / Arrival / Parade

Other Ratings :
- To See The Next Part (2021) 88
- Downfall Of The Neon (2021) 83
- White Ceiling EP (2022) 81
- Paraglow (2022) 79
- Let’s Walk On (2020) 68

Guide Parannoul’s best songs:
Beautiful World / White Ceiling + alternative version / Insomnia / Into The Endless Night / We Shine Of Night / Wheel / Excuse / Love Migraine / Arrival / Age Of Fluctuation / Parade / Growning Pain / Polaris / Youth Rebellion / After The Magic / Soft Bruise
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
5.
88
(Art Pop / Alt-Pop / Electronic)

« Caroline Polachek continues to carve a golden path to the top of Pop, with a logical sequel to "Pang", that is to say a collection of very good and eclectic songs on the same basis as the first album. "Desire, I Want to Turn Into You" is a little better, in its concept, in its choice, in its maturity. Quite simply »

Key songs : Billions / Welcome To My Island / Blood and Butter / I Believe / Butterfly Net

Other rating:
- Pang (2019) 84
Lil Yachty - Let's Start Here.
6.
87
(Psychedelic Rock / Psychedelic Soul / Psychedelic Hip Hop / Experimental Hip Hop)

« Almost all the rappers to have confronted a "rock type" project crashed, sometimes very brutally by the way, Lil Yachty is finally maybe the only one to have succeeded in this feat. Moreover it is surely one of the biggest turnaround in the history of contemporary music when we see how much the clownish rapper was very criticized (sometimes rightly). Certainly, Let's Start Here can't be confined to a "Rock" project either, it's a psychedelic work that spreads over a rich and creative palette, letting Yachty's versatility speak for itself, which is no surprise. Everything is perfectly articulated, attractive from start to finish, meticulously thought out. I really appreciate this way of working in fractions or sets. Since "Lil Boat" Yachty was trying by all means to write the second chapter of his story without finding the formula to achieve it, but it is done here, demonstrating to the world his potential and his talent. He seems to escape this bad spiral he created for himself, but as he says through this album, failure is not an end in itself. This album sounds like a lesson. What if Yachty had dictated new rules for the future of Hip Hop? »

Keys songs : The Black Seminol / Ive Officially Lost Vision / Drive My Crazy / Ride

Top albums:
Lil boat - 84
Lil boat 2 - 75
Michigan - 70
Summer songs 2 - 62
Lil boat 3 - 57
Nuthing - 49
Teenage émotions - 39
Black Country, New Road - Live at Bush Hall
7.
(Progressive Pop / Art Rock / Indie Rock / Chamber Pop)

« A superb show that I would have loved to live. It's also always a great pleasure to have 100% new content on top of that. I was wondering about BCNR's ability to bounce back after Isaac's departure, but I am now more than reassured on several aspects. We could have thought that only one lead singer would take over but in reality each of them seems to have the potential to fill the absence of the former leader. On the other hand for the moment none of them seems to reach the level of Isaac, but maybe their experimentation with new material could change the game »

Key songs : Across the Pond Friend / The Boy / Turbines / Up Song

Other ratings :
- Ants From up There (2022) 95
- For The First Time (2021) 87
Kelela - Raven
8.
86
(Alternative Rnb / Electronic / Ambient Pop / Breakbeat)

« Kelela had already made a strong sensation with the release of "Take Me Apart" placing her as one of the new Alternative Rnb and Uk Bass stars, but "Raven" is a consecration of a whole new dimension. On 62 minutes, Kelela plunges us into a futuristic and synthetic adventure, filled with dark and piercing emotions, complex feelings »

Key songs : Contact / Raven / Bruise / Happy Ending

Other ratings :
- Take Me Apart (2017) 85
- Cut 4 Me (2013) 77
- Hallucinogen (2015) 75
Yves Tumor - Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
9.
84
(Neo-Psychedelia / Art Rock / Post-Punk / Dance-Punk)

« YT are still a safe bet, creative, talented, magical, so many adjectives that can describe them. This new project continues to prove the more "pop" ambition of the artist, its content gains in finishing, becomes more accessible. They also embrace this Post-Punk / Dance-Punk wave that shows this beginning of the year 2023, keeping the usual coherence and style. On the other hand the album did not convince me as much as the previous ones, for 2 reasons:
- it lacks great songs as there were always a handful of them. Besides, none of them compete with their top 5.
- In my opinion Tumor embodies the avant garde spirit in a "pop" corp, and I'm rather surprised that they follows a soon to be viral trend rather than taking their listeners by surprise

Key songs : Heaven Surrounds.. / Ebony Eye / Lovely Sewer / God Is a Circle

Other ratings:
- Safe in the Hands of Love (2018) 87
- Heaven To A Tortured Mind (2020) 86
- The Asymptotical World (2021) 75
- Serpent Music (2016) 74
- When Man Fails You (2015) 65

Guide best Yves Tumor’ songs :
Kerosene! / Noid / Limerence / Gospel For A New Century / Lifetime / Jackie / Licking An Orchid / Romanticist-Dream Palette / Recognizing The Enemy / Super Stars / The Feeling When You Walk Away / Secret As Incredibly Important To The Both Of Them / Economy Of Freedom / Medecine Burn / Heaven Surrounds.. / Ebony Eye / Lovely Sewer / God Is a Circle /
Paramore - This Is Why
10.
83
(Post-Punk Revival / Dance-Punk)

« Since the eponymous album, Paramore never makes the same album sonically. This one explores a post-punk vision to support their overall emotions and political messages. "This Is Why" is certainly not the band's peak project but it is formidable and successful, especially when you follow the successful "After Laughter" »

Key songs : The News / This Is Why / Running Out Time / You First
Kali Uchis - Red Moon In Venus
11.
82
(Neo-Soul / Alternative Rnb / Psychedelic Soul)

« A solid and efficient album, in the continuity of what we already knew from Kali Uchis, but for the moment it suits perfectly the expectations, hoping that she manages to recycle her formula for the next project »

Key songs : I wish you Roses / Endlessly / Moonlight

Other rating :
- Isolation (2018) 87
- Por Vida (2015) 77
- Sin Miedo (2021) 68
Dispirited Spirits - The Redshift Blues
12.
82
(Art Rock / Midwest Emo / Progressive Rock)

Key songs: Bring Down Sky / Redshift Blues / Ship Sailing Space

Other Rating :
- fragments (2021) 71
Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
13.
82
(Indie Rock / Post Rock / Krautrock)

« The "Krautrock" inspiration that Yo La Tengo adopts on their latest project is a really interesting aspect and asset.
This album symbolizes imperfection, it's efficient when it's simple, intriguing and fascinating when it gets lost, it's never marvellous but it remains very charming. In any case, it's been a long time since the band made such a good LP »

Key songs : Aselestine / Fallout / Sinatra Drive Breakdown
Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy
14.
81
(Neo-Psychedelia / Art Pop / Experimental Hip Hop / Neo-Soul)

« If you compare "Heavy Heavy" to the rest of their discography, there is a debate about the quality of the individual songs if you only look at the purely intrinsic level. On the other hand, the outcome of the project and the exciting and masterful concept make "Heavy Heavy" an album of great value »

Key songs : I Saw / Drum
shame - Food for Worms
15.
81
(Indie Rock / Art Punk / Post-Punk)

« Soon »

Key songs : Finger Of Steels / Adderall
Thomas Azier - The Inventory Of Our Desire
16.
80
(Art Pop / Sophisti-Pop)

« Soon »

Key songs : What Does It Mean To Be Free / Slow Revolution
Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
17.
79
(Art Pop / Singer-Songwritter / Traditional Pop / Baroque Pop)

« A much more mastered and brilliant album than the previous ones, very unbalanced on the other hand, but it is crazy to see the value of the hype of LDR post "Norman", as if the albums of the maturity deserve more attention than those of the beginning cruelly very under estimated »

Key songs : A&W / The Grant / Let The Light In

Other ratings :
- Norman (2019) 89
- Ultraviolence (2014) 85
- Born To Die (2012) 83
- Paradise EP (2012) 73
- Honeymoon (2015) 69
- Blue Banisters (2021) 68
- Chemtrails (2021) 67
- Lush For Life (2017) 61
The Murder Capital - Gigi's Recovery
18.
79
(Post-Punk Revival)

« "Gigi's Recovery" is clearly a step-up for the Irish band. We perceive a more sophisticated work, richer, more eclectic, more percussive and the whole harmonizes well around a touching concept »

Key songs: Gigi’s Recovery / Crying
jonatan leandoer96 - Sugar World
19.
77
(Glam Rock / Art Rock / Indie pop)

« Yung Lean continues to prove that he is not afraid of anything, neither of the ridiculous, nor of leaving his comfort zone. By attacking on a niche "Glam", the Swedish artist realizes probably his most successful project under his other alias by offering a handful of really sensational songs although all is not equal »

Key songs : Rivers of Another Town / Blue Light
The WAEVE - The WAEVE
20.
77
(Art Rock / Chamber Pop)

« On paper, the duo The Waeve is not going to make dream an audience other than adults under 30, but yet this album is full of fantastic moments. From beginning to end this project is as mastered as varied. Certainly the duo doesn't revolutionize anything, but they never have the pretension of it, they just offer us vibrant music, with a bewitching soul »

Key song : Drowning
Various Artists - End of the Year : Red Heart / New Year : Black Heart - A Glowcord Compilation
21.
76
(Indie Rock / Emo / Slacker Rock / Shoegaze / Noise Rock / Ambient)
Liv.e - Girl In The Half Pearl
22.
76
(Alternative Rnb / Neo-Soul / Neo-Psychedelia / Nu Jazz)

« "Girl In The Half Pearl" shows an improvement for Liv.e, but it's a pity that all these good ideas are not necessarily exploited and realized as it would be necessary to pass a real course. That is to say that Liv.e continues to prove her potential, but we are still far from a consecration »

Key song : Wild Animals
Skrillex - Quest for Fire
23.
76
(EDM / Electronic Dance Music / Dubstep / Hybrid Trap)

« I never thought I'd say good things about a Skrillex LP, which until now was capable of a few dazzling moments masked by countless damp squibs. But with maturity, hard work and patience, Skrillex has carefully crafted "Quest For Fire" over several years, a project that sounds like a concept album without actually being one, as it is a compilation of various songs that work well together »

Key songs : Xena / Supersonic
otay:onii - 夢之駭客 Dream Hacker
24.
75
(Art Pop / Post-Industrial)

Key song : Ritualware
BrokenTeeth - 추락은 천천히 : How to Sink Slowly
25.
75
(Shoegaze / Post Rock)

Key song : 138
君島大空 [Ohzora Kimishima] - 映帶する煙 (Eitai suru kemuri)
26.
75
(Folktronica / Indie Pop / Glitch Pop)

« Eitai suru kemuri is a real caress. A remarkably homogeneous album while being varied in the sounds and the explored musical currents. The only real reproach that we can make to Ohzora Kimishima, it is perhaps that it lacks a little singularity and identity »

Key song : No Heavenly
Nicole Dollanganger - Married in Mount Airy
27.
74
(Indie Folk / Singer-Songwritter / Slowcore)

« "Married in Mount Airy" explores the chaos through deeply resigned testimony. It's as if we feel that there was a life before and everything is gone. A really touching album, good work. However I unfortunately find it hard to be enchanted and that's what I expect from this type of album, I don't know if it's the limitations of the vocals, the melodies or/and the songwriting. Moreover I also find that it lacks variety, especially in the proposals of structures and in the automatisms, which gives the impression that by listening to just the introduction we have the complete summary of the project »

Key song : Married in Mount Airy
GEZAN - ANOCHI
28.
74
(Experimental Rock)

Key song : Intersection
Avey Tare - 7s
29.
74
(Neo-Psychedelia / Psychedelic Pop)

« Soon »

Key song : The musical
Kali Malone - Does Spring Hide Its Joy
30.
74
(Drone / Minimalism)

« Kali Malone's talent is undeniable, but in absolute terms it is far too long »
Ryuichi Sakamoto - 12
31.
73
(Ambient / Modern Classical)

« Fluid as a cloud »

Key song: 20211201
Meg Baird - Furling
32.
73
(Indie Folk / Contemporary Folk / Americana)

Key song : Star Hill Song
Fever Ray - Radical Romantics
33.
73
(Art Pop / Synthpop / Darkwave / Post-Industrial)

Key song : Carbone Dioxide / Kandy

Other Ratings :
- Fever Ray (2009) 90
- Plunge (2017) 66
Tennis - Pollen
34.
73
(Soft Rock / Bedroom Pop / Indie Pop)

Key song : Forbidden Doors
what is your name? - beyond old names, everyone's songs.
35.
73
(Indie Rock / Folktronica / Midwest Emo)

« A pleasant trip, led by a formula as adventurous as original. No song stands out, the whole is associated with each other, good coherence »
Gaz Coombes - Turn The Car Around
36.
72
(Indie Rock / Neo-Psychedelia)

« Don't expect anything exceptional, there are no extraordinary songs, no innovation, Gaz Coombes does Gaz Coombes. All the same, I enjoyed going through this album, containing a handful of songs as melancholic as introspective. Gaz doesn't need to prove that he can write good songs, with that admirable singularity. It's a pity that the end of the album loses in intensity and efficiency. »

Key Song : Don’t Say It’s Over
Ayano Kaneko - Towelket Ha Odayakana
37.
72
(Indie Rock / Indie Pop)

« Although Ayano Kaneko proposes a very often monochrome formula, her energy and her melodies manage to erase some imperfections what allows the album to be sufficiently formidable »

Key song : Yasashii Guitar
Jonah Yano - portrait of a dog
38.
72
(Jazz pop / Neo-Soul)

Key song : Always
Vylet Pony - Carousel (An Examination of the Shadow, 'Creekflow', and its Life as an Afterthought)
39.
72
(Electronic Dance Music / Art Pop / Post-Industrial)

« There are always some interesting things when it comes to Vylet Poney's projects, but ironically this is perhaps the album that is both the most coherent and the one that conquers me the least »

Key song : Hush!
Wesley Joseph - GLOW
40.
72
(Alternative Rnb / Pop Rap / Uk Hip Hop)

« Soon »

Key song : Monsoon
Luke Bar$ - Angels Never Die
41.
71
(Trap / Hardcore Hip Hop / Pop Rap / Southern Rap)

« If you are a fan of JID you will appreciate to discover Luke Bar$. A well-crafted, varied, rather endearing concept album, rudely led by a singular voice »

Key song: Get The Gat
Rebecca Black - Let Her Burn
42.
71
(Electropop / Dance-Pop / Contemporary Rnb)

« A well-made album, a correct content, a relevant concept, the whole not so generic..
That's a lot of positive points, but let's say it's still really ordinary »

Key song : Crumbs
$quib - Micros
43.
71
(Experimental / Glitch Pop)
Rome Streetz & Big Ghost Ltd - Wasn't Built In a Day
44.
71
(Boom Bap / Gangsta Rap / East Coast Hip Hop)
The Go! Team - Get Up Sequences Part Two
45.
70
(Neo Psychedelia / Indie pop)
Tujiko Noriko - Cr​é​puscule I & II
46.
70
(Ambient / Electroacoustic)
Rozi Plain - Prize
47.
70
(Art Pop / Chamber Pop)

« Interesting discovery, I did not know the universe of Rozi Plain, although not really singular.The experience simply flows like water in a river, it's pretty, it's calm, it's melodious. Nothing special but effective enough. »

Key song : Painted the Room
Total Downer - Caretaker
48.
70
(Power pop / Pop Punk)
RXKNephew - Till I'm Dead
49.
70
(Trap / Experimental Hip Hop / Plugg / East Coast Hip Hop)
The Lanterns - Holy Water & Honey
50.
69
(Indie rock / Folk Punk / Slacker Rock)

« A really interesting Indie project, which goes through the trials, the failures, the findings of life. Not everything is great, sometimes a bit messy, a bit of amateurism, but it's quite endearing »
Comments
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1mo
Thanks for the recommendations!
2mo
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the what is your name? record 👀
2mo
I'm curious to hear your thoughts on ''Every Dog On Earth'' by We Are Only Human Once
2mo
@deividfresh Sorry I don't rate the AOTY albums, but I listened to some of your project out of curiosity and it's a good job
2mo
I guess I'll recommend my own album 'The Blissful Sounds of Miracula' by oedipus apartment complex
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