For those who don’t know me, I have a reputation of writing longform reviews that span up to even 5000 words. I’ve been a bit less regular this year as I’ve spent a lot of time writing other things, and in some ways I’m a bit more out of the loop on the music scene than I used to be. Still, there were a handful of albums that really hit me, including some strong comebacks, and there are a whole host of singles that I enjoyed as well. Since I’m super busy/feeling lazy, I’m opting to just go for standout tracks instead of full albums (though the tracks usually accompany my favorite albums anyway, so am I really saving time?). Also, I have been flaky on Discord so I don’t know what we’re supposed to do for the all-staff list. Insert woman shrugging emoji here.

Badlands. – A Reintroduction (Indie Rock)

The first time I heard this song, I immediately wanted to share it. The main riff is pretty simple, but the song has a certain momentum that is exciting and fun. TREY frontman Ernest Brockman picks up where his last project left off, this time opting for a full-band rock sound. The lyrics reminiscence on what might have been – and the beauty of what happened anyway. This is definitely a fun new project that pairs a commercial sound with a DIY ethos, and I’m glad to be one of the preview audiences.

Hotel of the Laughing Tree – Keep ‘Em Coming (Experimental Retro Rock)

Hotel has existed in many incarnations up to this point, from stripped-back folkier projects to longform post-hardcore meanderings. Their new album is the most money I’ve ever spent on a single band in one order, but it’s okay because I respect the grind. This time around, they’ve opted for a dual-identity release spanning an hour long. Side A features some of the “hits” and more standard tracks, this time with a mix of big band and disco influence. Side B is what I can only describe as the Radiohead part, with some of the most adventurous and strange tracks the band has offered. Even so, “Keep ‘Em Coming” is definitely on the more accessible end. The vibe isn’t too far from standard indie fare, but the bass is punchy and the backing vocals during the chorus are great. The lyrics also hit me for some reason. This album might be a sleeper hit in some ways, but everything from the tracks to the artwork cement as one of the band’s most ambitious projects to date.

Shayfer James – 700 Days (Theatrical Pop)

You might not expect me to like an album I compared to the likes of Justin Timberlake to have any place on my year-end list. You’d be wrong, but I forgive you (this time). While James’ latest record as a whole is a grab bag of production-heavy tracks that eschews some of his earlier work, I still found it incredibly solid. While there are many tracks on the record that acutely describe feelings of loneliness and displacement that seem inescapable in our era, “700 Days” has some of the best one-liners on the subject. Its place early in the record helps keep momentum going, and things do not slow down afterward, either.

Zane Vickery – Whatever Light We Have (Singer-Songwriter)

After Zane Vickery missed his crowdfunding goal, I was a bit crestfallen. He was my second most-played artist this year, and much of that was from his first release. So when he rolled out a couple new tracks, I was admittedly a bit puzzled. But I’m certainly not complaining. “Whatever Light We Have” continues in the heavier route of his last EP, including some cutthroat lyrics about intention versus action, and there’s even a gang vocal section at the end. Sonically, the track borrows from bombastic arena rock and the ambience of post-rock. I’m very excited to see what else is coming down the pipe here, and I know the new album will be littered with quotable bits.

Charles Walker – Caught in the Current (Alt-Country)

What do you get when an emo/punk kid goes country? No, I’m not talking about one of those NOW albums. I’m talking about Charles Walker and his standout single. While he released two songs this year, “Caught in the Current” has had the most staying power. Walker’s chops as a songwriter are on clear display, and the slide guitar adds such a nice dynamic to this track. There’s nothing cliché here, and Walker doesn’t attempt to be the next Jason Isbell. Maybe it’s more accurate to call it an indie song with Americana elements. Whatever the case, it’s a great starting point for his discography and a strong indicator of what’s to come.

Maggie Miles – Asleep (Pop Rock)

Usually, I find music I like on my own. Very rarely, I’ll find a playlist that gives me some new discoveries. But recommendations from people I know? Typically they aren’t too promising. Maggie Miles is perhaps the ultimate exception here, skyrocketing to my MOST-PLAYED artist this year. I went from randomly seeing her play once to seeing her play again that same week, and even songs I initially found a bit lackluster on her latest LP quickly became some of my favorites (the intro to “Close” definitely threw me off from what is otherwise an emotional powerhouse). It’s hard to pick one track as a staple, but “Asleep” carries such raw conviction and seems to highlight parts of Miles’ dynamic all in itself. Lyrically, it’s also a very powerful track, and the ending is a case study in how to write a closing track.

Benjamin Daniel – Can’t Keep Up (Singer-Songwriter)

I guess the common thread for my listening habits during 2023 was that I got acquainted with some great songwriters. Benjamin Daniel is admittedly a good friend of mine, and we’ve shared a bit of life over the phone for the past two or three years. I’ve gotten to witness some ups, but I’ve also been privy to some very difficult circumstances. His previous record was a full-band, high-production spectacle. This time, he opted for iPhone and production magic, and the simplicity and rawness of it works. It’s an incredibly painful album in one sense, those it’s full of threads of redemption and restoration. “Can’t Keep Up” stands out in particular, describing a moment where everyone else seems to be moving forward, displaying a certain confidence maybe we don’t possess, glimmering with a sort of empty hope at times even, and how difficult that can be when tragedy strikes. Daniel confesses his faith while admitting the difficulty of carrying his burden in a circumstance of misunderstanding and loneliness. The rest of the record is pretty intense as well, but the subject matter of grief and endurance is much needed.

American Arson – Blood (Post-Hardcore)

On the topic of perseverance, American Arson’s latest album is packed with calls to carry on through trials and adversity. It’s not subtle, either. While the record isn’t so zoomed in on specific trials, there are constant reminders of more general challenges of life in our world. “Blood” is a tear-jerker closing track that flies in the face of a culture where people are seen as commodities; Evan Baker seems to have written the track about his wife, and he confesses how he will not abandon her because they’ve “got promises to keep.” The vibe is sort of pop-punky at times, though there’s a little bit of everything here, from acoustic drops, to gang vocals, to raucous rock sections. The ending lyrics remind me how every difficulty in this life is not wasted, and one day creation will be restored. As a whole, I think this is much stronger than their first record, though I definitely enjoyed that album as well.

Adjy – One 4th of July (Art Rock)

There aren’t many songs that reference the Roswell crash and its parallels to the founding of the United States, but Adjy has never been your typical band. Even though the June Songs EP was intended as an auxiliary release to their Magnum Opus album projects, it’s still riddled with personal and historical references, polyrhythmic drums, and repeating lyrical and musical motifs. It’s a more concise package, and perhaps a bit less to take in thematically, but it does help buy time for the next album.

Glowbug – Technicolor Red (Synthpop)

Every Glowbug release is a little bit different. Fantasma Del Tropico was a collaborative release where synths and steel drums melded with everything from female rappers to metal screaming. Vampire Empire was post-hardcore and jazz. This time around, it’s some sort of analog synth base mixed with elements of alt rock. To be fair, Daniel Anderson has toyed with adjacent sounds enough that this release isn’t a complete novelty for his catalogue, but I will always admire his industrious nature. “Technicolor Red” was the first single, imagining perhaps how The Talking Heads might have sounded if they decided to have a computer solo and screaming as a basis for one of their songs.

Gatto Black – Solastalgia (Melodic Hardcore)

The first time I heard this song, I mentioned how it made Gatto Black’s first EP look like middle school by comparison. Everything is bigger and better this time around. It SOUNDS better. The hooks are fun. The subject matter is serious. It’s a new bar for the project, and I’m here for it.

Instant Empire – First Time, Long Time (Michael Calls in) (Literary Indie)

The line between fact and fiction is blurred in Instant Empire’s songs. Characters introduce themselves, only to pop up later. There are references to eastern philosophy and Edgar Allen Poe alike. It’s not going to be everyone’s thing, but I happen to love language as a storytelling device and I find the band’s arrangement are very thoughtful and thought-provoking. The latest album is a bit weightier emotionally, though it still glimmers in beautiful, sometimes-piano-driven, arrangements. Think Straylight Run, not Coldplay. It’s something I was really into a decade ago, and I am so glad this style hasn’t died off.

Pie Lombardi – Wet Hot American Bummer (Frat Rock)

I normally get annoyed when artists make up new genres, but if I can be in on the joke, I’ll give it a pass. Pie Lombardi seems to have a bottomless well of stylistic influences, with his recordings spanning a folky early era, alternative rock with Silver & Gold, and now… whatever is on this EP. Now, it’s not some obtuse sound by any stretch, but there’s a bit more in the drum programming department and the lyrics are maybe a bit more disillusioned in some sense. But simply in name along, this EP won me over, and it’s certainly worth checking out.

Margo Cilker – With the Middle (Alt-Country)

Margo Cilker’s Pacific Northwest take on the alt-country genre is fascinating to me. Instead of the wild west, her songs are full of pines, rivers, valleys, and bottles of wine. Her approach is unembellished. Her delivery is unobstructed. “With the Middle” is a song which seems to revolve around being stuck in some sense. In the morning, there’s coffee to get her ready for the day. At night, she can relax with a nice beverage. But the rest of the day is where the rubber meets the road, where we burn our energy and ambitions and aren’t sure how to push through.

Professor Caffeine & the Insecurities – Make Like a Tree (And Leave) (Progressive Rock)

All I have to say is that I watched the playthrough video for this song and want to throw all my instruments away. This latest track mixes the band’s love for 80s with an equally-prominent pining for math-rock, and the result is wild in all the best ways. It’s a late entry into the mix, but it’s worth a listen. The band is currently working on their first LP.

MYFEVER – Red Sky (Indie Rock)

Maybe it’s the outrageous gym equipment music video. Maybe it’s the sultry lead guitar tone. Maybe it’s Maybelline. Maybe it’s MYFEVER, back from an extended hiatus, working their way toward releasing an album while members live in different states. It doesn’t really matter WHAT it is, just know that “Red Sky” is a great reintroduction for the band and one of the strongest tracks yet. Everything about the release is encapsulated in thoughtfulness and the band’s own personality, something that seems rarer and rarer in an age of TikTok shorts and reels. But if what we’ve seen from the band so far is any indication of the full album, you can rest assured their investment in a cohesive body of songs will outlive the short-term hype of whatever the kids are into these days.

Nick Webber – Longway (Multi-Instrumentalist)

I’m not sure how I initially stumbled onto Nick Webber, but it turned out we had several mutual connections and he was “in good company” when it came to related artists. His latest solo album carries plenty of gravity, a journey of a tested and mangled faith that survives but hasn’t grown back quite the same. As such, it can verge on cynical or despondent at times. But in terms of composition and overall writing, it’s clear there is painstaking detail at play. Webber’s vocal range, both in terms of notes and stylistic pallet, is impressive in itself, but the variety between songs (and within the songs themselves) cements him as one of a rare number of multi-instrumentalists who understands the nuances of writing dynamic tracks that never feel too esoteric.