’Twas a few nights before Christmas and all through the house, just one creature was stirring. It wasn’t a mouse. Tyler Claws sat in the darkened hall, his tail flipping and flapping like a billowy saw. His belly was empty. He needed his food. He bellowed for the man-servant, and bellowed again. Just his echo called back to him. Suddenly the valet staggered from the shadows as if a zombie in a ballet…
Thanks to the finest feline in North Carolina (if not the world), in other words, I rose extra-early this Saturday. I’ve made use of the time to re-listen to a few albums released in 2023 that glimmer and glisten whenever I click play—aka my much-ballyhooed Album of the Year and four runners-up.
While I have not been as active with the blog this year for a variety of reasons, I never stopped seeking out new sounds. I routinely field requests from publicists (and check out all that’s promising), dig through Apple Music’s new release bins every Friday, browse Bandcamp, and read reviews on a myriad of websites and blogs. It’s just what I do. And, too, I adore the many albums that I’ve spotlighted within these pages; each are worthy of many plays. I am an emophiliac when it comes to music, forever falling in love with the next new release. That said, this year—like all years—I fell for some harder than others…
(To read the reviews in full, click on the title.)
1) And Southern Star by Mikaela Davis. A few weeks back, when I shared my most-played stats from Apple Music, I made the point that they weren’t as accurate for me as they might be for others. Yet there’s no getting around that, at the highest level, they got it right: And Southern Star is my most-played album of the year. It’s pure sonic bliss, the kind of album you—or, at least, I—can listen to over and over. I wrote in my review: “To say that the music pulsates like a supernova would be a bit of a misnomer, as that indicates the star is nearing collapse—and these songs have a millennia left to give, if not longer. Yet that’s where my mind went when listening to the album for the first time last week. The songs, band and Davis’ vocals shine throughout. A better description, perhaps, is that it’s one part folk and one part rock, sounding a bit like Sheryl Crow fronting the Grateful Dead circa American Beauty or Workingman’s Dead. Instead of watching their speed, however, Davis and band drive the songs with a seemingly carefree demeanor; each of the nine tracks sounds like a lost treasure from the early 1970s.”
2) State of Romance – Lillian Leadbetter. State of Romance barely dented my Apple Music stats, yet it’s one of my most-played (and most-loved) albums of the year. I began enjoying it a few weeks before its October release via a preview link and then via my Bandcamp-purchased download. From my review: “On rare occasion, a piece of music seeps from the speakers as if a smoky wisp and somehow swells in grace, beauty and even fragility the longer it circulates through the room. Such is the case with Lillian Leadbetter’s debut album, State of Romance. It’s a remarkably evocative set that grows stronger with each new listen.”
3) Before + After – Neil Young. Neil’s provided the soundtrack to much of my life so it’s safe to say that I hear my life’s story in these songs, which are recently recorded versions of hidden gems from his hefty catalog. From my review: “I suppose I could delve into the undercurrents that drive the album, how I hear Neil facing mortality, love and loss throughout. Instead I’ll focus on the mix, which finds the songs flowing into the next sans breaks. Dots and hidden strands are connected. For instance, the way “My Heart,” a stellar cut from Sleeps With Angels, becomes one with “When I Hold You in My Arms” from the under-appreciated Are You Passionate? is sheer genius.”
4) Sacramented – Molly Parden. From my review: “Imagine sinking into a sensory deprivation tank, where the Epsom salt-imbued water is heated to skin temperature, and floating at surface’s edge. It’s pitch black, of course, and the only sounds are found in one’s head, with songs and thoughts bobbing forth from the recesses of the mind. Some memories are good, others bad, but either/or matters not. Calmness envelops one’s essence. That, to an extent, aptly describes Molly Parden’s Sacramented album, which features lyrics and melodies that intertwine with the soul.”
5) Confession – Calista Garcia. From my review: “An old Scottish proverb claims that confession is good for the soul—and proof that the aphorism is true comes courtesy of Calista Garcia’s debut album, which finds her staring down life’s challenges with a cheeky spirit. On the surface, it’s an old-school rock record that borrows from folk music and the blues, with dashes of Tejano/Tex-Mex tossed into the mix. These aren’t the typical slice-and-bake (aka generic) songs that litter many modern playlists, in other words; they’re chockfull of personality, whimsy and wit.”
A few notes: If I’d first heard Tom Heyman’s 24th Street Blues back in August instead of this month, it may well have made my Top 5. Beth Bombara’s It All Goes Up, Margo Cilker’s Valley of Hearts Delight, Malin Pettersen’s Trouble Finding Words and Hardwicke Circus’ Fly the Flag also deserve special mentions, as do September November by the Long Ryders and the self-titled debut by the Riders of the Canyon; they’re all essentially tied for sixth place. Hayley Reardon’s Changes, an EP (and thus ineligible for the Album of the Year honors), was another favorite that I’ve returned to since its release; as I noted in my review, “Reardon’s vocals are enticing, and I’m sure someone, somewhere, will come up with an apt comparison. But the standout here isn’t her delivery, as good as it is. It’s the songs.”
On the archival front, 2023 featured a bounty of great releases and re-releases. Dot Dash’s best-of, 16 Again, is highly recommended, as is Buzz Zeemer’s Lost and Found. Neil Young’s Chrome Dreams is chockfull of genius. The Three O’Clock’s Aquarius Andromeda and Baroque Hoedown are worth seeking out, too. But my favorite archival wonders of the year are two multi-disc sets: The Dream Syndicate’s massive History Kinda Pales When It and You Are Aligned: The Days of Wine and Roses 40th Anniversary Edition and Stone Foundation’s Standing in the Light: 25 Years of Stone Foundation.
The Old Grey Cat 