The Top 25 Albums of 2023: 10 - 6

2023 was a bizarre year, especially when it came to albums. Perhaps that came down to me exploring new musical avenues, and the lack of any music from some of my favorites, but 2023's album list is a mix of some 2022 discoveries and some new favorites. I also appreciated the album as a united art form quite a lot this year. Thus, let us look into the rules for this list.

• The albums must have been released between January 1 to December 31, 2023.
• It must contain at least four new or unique songs or at least twenty minutes.
• It can be from anywhere in the world.

Well, with that said, let the list begin!

10. Cwondo - Tae

Perhaps due to a lack of proper representation in the mainstream, electronic music is often viewed as generic and danceable, never requiring proper introspection. That is where an album like Cwondo's Tae would prove listeners wrong. Its bizarre, chopped samples, somehow relish in seemingly uncontrolled bursts of melody, undercut by bizarre and off-putting loops that confound and confuse in equal measure. Sometimes Tae threatens to overwhelm, but Cwondo has a surprising grasp over melody and makes something as bizarre as Natural Kibun within the grasp of the listener, even if still quite bizarrely alien.

9. Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd

A stripped-back, emotional selfie into the life of one of the most emotive songwriters in modern Americana music, Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is sprawling in its length and its exploration of Del Rey's psyche. While it could do without the extended tracks near the end, and the many interludes, it has some of the best songs put to paper in ages, from opener The Grants to the critically acclaimed A&W, Lana Del Rey has shown that she is still at the top of her game.

8. Lankum - False Lankum

False Lankum tackles a folk music concept so obvious it is shocking that it hasn't ever been done like this before. Old folk songs have often been sung about death, loss, and the supernatural. Irish folk band Lankum takes this to its natural conclusion, turning False Lankum into a full-on horror story. If your stomach doesn't churn by the outro of Go Dig My Grave, it certainly will by the time The Turn wraps the album up. What a fantastic album, especially for a 2AM listen.

7. PinkPantheress - Heaven Knows

PinkPantheress' pop-adjacent drums & bass sound has been slowly growing in popularity, and Heaven Knows is the ultimate conclusion of this soundscape and her success. Obviously, Boy's A Liar Pt. 2 was a massive hit for a reason, but the rest of the album is even better. Not only is PinkPantheress showcasing her skills in vocals and production, but also as a lyricist, tackling different perspectives on maturation and death in many different tracks, from the grave Ophelia to the beautiful Nice to Meet You.

6. A.R. Rahman - Ponniyin Selvan 2

If you have been a fan of filmi music since the early '90s for any point in time, chances are high an A.R. Rahman album is one of your favorites. Ponniyin Selvan 2's soundtrack is arguably the mastero's best through the 2020s. Obviously, the opening one-two punch of Aga Naga and Veera Raja Veera has some of the best traditional Carnatic songwriting in years, but the album still has surprises, often assisted by a legendary team of famed vocalists coming to bring Rahman's stories on the Chola to life.