Fifty Favorite Albums of 2023, Part 2
More year-end goodness with can't-miss records from Cordovas, Bully, Sparklehorse, Steve Marino, Jenny Lewis, Narrowhead, The Chemical Brothers, Freeman DeJongh, Wilco and Tanukichan!
Something that has surprised me while working through my year-end list is how many albums are making the list that I may have only mentioned during my weekly playlist newsletter. Sure, most of these albums have been featured in reviews, but there are plenty that I’ve loved so much that started with a great song or two that caught my ear.
With the featured reviews, playlists, and Friday “what’s on my mind” posts, a lot goes into bringing Check This Out! to you three times a week as often as possible. I appreciate all my paid subscribers who support the newsletter, as I don’t usually place articles behind paywalls. I keep both my current articles and the archive available, so a subscription is a small donation for all of the time that goes into mining all of the aural goodness. If you’ve found some great new stuff here this year and thought about supporting CTO!, I’m running an AOTY countdown offer that will get you 50% off for the next year, no matter your level of support. This offer ends when the top ten drops on December 19th, and I appreciate your consideration!
Cordovas - The Rose of Aces
What I said in my review: It feels fitting that Cordovas, a group that considers The Band to be one of their top influences, released their excellent new record, ‘The Rose of Aces,’ only two days after the passing of Robbie Robertson (I highly recommend this interview from the CBS Sunday Morning archives) last week. The Charlotte-based band, fronted by Joe Firstman, has always grooved in the American roots music lane, but this new effort is especially spectacular. On the opener, “Fallen Angels of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” he asks an important question, “How many times did music save your soul?” in his Petty-esque croon, and it’s all hits for the rest of the record. Cordovas is one of those great bands guided by the classics - you’ll also hear a ton of Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead on The Rose of Aces - yet one could never mistake them for some lame tribute band.
The Rose of Aces is available now on ATO.
Bully - Lucky for You
What I said in my review: That tune has changed, though, with Bully’s new album, ‘Lucky for You,’ where Bognanno does some major course correction, leading to the best record of her career so far. Bully has always featured walls of distorted guitars, but ‘Lucky for You’ is relentless in riding crunchy waves throughout its briskly-paced ten songs. Bognanno, who once studied under the legendary Steve Albini, has always self-produced Bully’s efforts but looks to Nashville producer JT Daly to guide the boards on this new album, a move that breathes fresh air into the project’s sound. The change is immediately apparent with the opener, “All I Do,” which finds Bognanno proclaiming, “‘Cause I’m not leaving here, burned-out wasting tears, I’m done, If I, I was not myself, lost in something else, I’m done, I’m done,” in her best vintage Courtney Love impression.
Lucky for You is available now on Sub Pop.
Sparklehorse - Bird Machine
What I said in my review: Thirteen years later, we have ‘Bird Machine,’ that exact record released posthumously. Anyone passionate about music knows that albums buried by the dead aren’t always ready for primetime when their estate finally allows them to see the day, but that isn’t the case with ‘Bird Machine.’ My early take is that the record is every bit as good as vintage Linkous, as it flirts and makes moments for slowcore chamber pop like those found on ‘It’s A Wonderful Life.’ It’s also full of fuzzed-out melodies like those found on Sparklehorse’s debut record, ‘Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot,’ and there’s something for fans of all eras while being easily digestible for newcomers.
Bird Machine is available on Bandcamp.
Steve Marino - Too Late To Start Again
What I said in my review: “Satisfy You” opens things with chorus-drenched guitar and harmonies straight out of the Adam Schlesinger playbook, perfect for washing the car while sweating under a weeks-long heat dome. At the same time, “Comedown” also nestles right into Fountains of Wayne vibes. The lead single, “Got You (In My World Now),” is true ‘So Much For the Afterglow’-era Everclear sprinkled with a dash of The Rentals’ synth hooks, while “Tune You Out” is surely straight from the ‘Empire Records’ soundtrack and has the perfect crunch to get you through Rex Manning day.
Too Late To Start Again is available now on Pop Wig Records.
Jenny Lewis - Joy'all
What I said in my review: Lewis’s songwriting pace has slowed in the years since, but each time she releases a solo record, you know you’re usually in for something great as her craft and voice improve with each album. It’s been four years since ‘On the Line,’ and with her new record, ‘Joy’all’ is ready for a new chapter. A lifelong Angeleno, the west coast has always lent a vibe to Lewis’s work. For years, though, Lewis has been living in Nashville, and ‘Joy’all’ is the first time we get to hear the country music town seep into her songs. Inspired by a pandemic-era songwriting series by Beck, Lewis used the exercise to craft these songs about the struggles of relationships in her forties, whether with others or with herself. Ultimately, Lewis chooses to lean into the album title and choose happiness. With lines like “my forties are kicking my ass, and handing them to me in a margarita glass,” on the single “Puppy and a Truck,” Lewis shows that she still has the wit which leads to her best songs.
Joy’all is available now on Blue Note Records.
Narrow Head - Moments of Clarity
What I said in my review: What Narrow Head accomplishes here goes far beyond comparisons to those that have come before, though. ‘Moments of Clarity’ comes from a time of significant loss in Duarte’s life, and Narrow Head is determined to shred its way out of it. Their gift lies in that elusive space where much of ‘Moments of Clarity’ is downright heavy. Still, the pop-sense melodies on early songs like the title track and “Sunday” would slot in comfortably on any nineties alternative station. This is partially thanks to co-producer Sonny DiPerri, who has worked as a producer and engineer with the likes of Nine Inch Nails, DIIV, and My Blood Valentine, who Duarte says pushed them past the heaviness into writing legit pop songs. DiPerri’s effort also pays off sonically, as this is the lushest record from Narrow Head so far.
While still managing to sound fresh, Narrow Head’s Moments of Clarity will have you digging your Jncos out of the basement to play ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.’ Oh, and “Breakup Song” is more emo than anything found on that new Paramore album.
Moments of Clarity is available on Run For Cover Records.
The Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling
What I said in my review: I sometimes wonder how my love of house music might be different or non-existent without the ‘Trainspotting’ soundtrack and the early albums from The Chemical Brothers. Sure, I knew the now landmark albums ‘Exit Planet Dust’ and ‘Dig Your Own Hole’ and their singles from the local college radio station, but a discarded copy of their third album, ‘Surrender,’ sent me down the beat-filled rabbit hole. Featuring guest spots from Bernard Sumner, Bobby Gillespie, Hope Sandoval, Noel Gallagher, and more, the retro-tinged effort has aged like fine wine, and I highly suggest giving it a spin if it’s been a while/never.
It’s tough to consider their new record, ‘For That Beautiful Feeling,’ a comeback when The Chems rarely dip in quality, but this baby is fully loaded, especially the back half. I was immediately stoked when “The Darkness That You Fear” dropped as the first single back in the spring, but the different mix found on the album is even better. I can’t pick just one song, so you’re also getting Beck with one of the year's features. While ‘For That Beautiful Feeling’ takes time to get going entirely, everything from “The Weight” to the close of the record is a must-hear.
For That Beautiful Feeling is available on EMI.
Wilco - Cousin
What I said in my review: When the prolific group quickly turned around and announced another new record this fall called ‘Cousin,’ one thing caught my eye that gave me hope of something new from them: for the first time since ‘Wilco (The Album)’ back in 2009, Wilco would be working with a different producer besides Tom Schick (not that he always missed - ‘The Whole Love’ is a fantastic entry). Even more interesting is that Welsh baroque pop extraordinaire Cate Le Bon would be behind the boards. As a massive fan of ‘Pompeii,’ her excellent record from last year, I looked forward to her bringing new sounds to the veteran group.
‘Cousin’ dropped a week and a half ago and has eaten up most of my new music listening. A quick first listen in the car didn’t hit right, but like some of Wilco’s other entries, I felt the details would blossom with time. Now, I can say this is a nice record, and not only is Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting reliably great, but Le Bon’s approach of recording the band live and switching up their textures makes this lovely fall record stand out.
Cousin is available on dBpm Records.
Freeman DeJongh - Dreadful Feelings
What I said in my review: We’ve got a saying around CTO! HQ - if an album is out on Curation Records, it will probably kick ass. The Los Angeles-based label is now taking trips outside the city with phenomenal results, like last year’s Sean Thompson’s Weird Ears out of Nashville. Like clockwork, they’ve done it again, this time with a detour through the mountains of Idaho, where we find Freeman DeJongh’s outstanding debut, ‘Dreadful Feelings.’ DeJongh explores heavy yet universally human subjects over a widescreen western pallet of Telecasters, pedal steel, and droning synthesizers. There are moments in every song where DeJongh really goes for it, like on the title track opener, which is full of soothing brass and is a testament to his work with engineer Jared Goodpaster - the two of them make basements and backrooms sound like Muscle Shoals, and this is a million-dollar sounding record. All ten songs are crucial pieces for DeJongh’s narrative but don’t miss out on the crushing “Sad Eyed Mariposa,” the shit-kickin’ “Part To Please,” or the devastating album highlight “Where Does the Wind Go,” where DeJongh softly croons, “where does the wind go, to lay in her grave and die, where does the wind go, lay me down by her side.” What an introduction to a true folk and western talent who isn’t afraid to play these traditional American sounds into the desert night’s cosmos.
Dreadful Feelings is available on Curation Records.
Tanukichan - GIZMO
What I said in my review: “Most of the songs on ‘Gizmo’ run under three minutes, but the record takes off when Van Loon stretches her ideas out over the last few songs. “Thin Air” features fellow nineties worshippers Enumclaw for a duet that brings along James Iha’s E-bow for complete immersion. The two best songs close things out with “Take Care” and Van Loon’s classical background surfaces on “Mr. Rain” with a triumphant symphonic build to end Gizmo on a high note.
Gizmo is available on Company Records.
Have you heard any of these records? Are any of them that are new to you that pique your interest? Let me know in the comments!
Jenny Lewis forever!
Missed that Tanukichan album, what a jam!