Sun Kil Moon “Black Perch”
Mark Kozelek is my favorite living songwriter and for great reason. Most of it has to do with what he has done through his Sun Kil Moon solo project and since he has a new song for the first time since taking 2022 off, I am immensely drawn to his glorious performance. “Black Perch” features his gorgeous acoustic guitar, second to none songwriting and the strongest vocals that currently exist. He has toned down the diary-style approach and leaned more into his intimate story telling. He speaks on fishing, Raymond Carver and being out of work, and it nearly brought me to tears the first time hearing it. This is unquestionably some of the highest end songwriting that is taking shape in 2023.
The National “Once Upon a Poolside (feat. Sufjan Stevens)”
The new album by The National, which I had the pleasure of listening to at the album release party, opens with the glorious “Once Upon a Poolside (feat. Sufjan Stevens)” which incorporates gorgeous, emotionally led piano arrangements and minimal backing synths. It then leads into Sufjan Stevens incredible backing vocals which is a certain highlight of the album. “Is this how this whole thing is going to end?” asks Matt Berninger in a wonderfully sang moment on one of the strongest albums of the year so far. The vocals on this track are extremely strong and though the songwriting and lyrical content may not live up to ‘Alligator’ or ‘Boxer’ era, it’s still better than almost all modern musicians.
Kevin Drew “Party Oven”
Kevin Drew, of Broken Social Scene, has his upcoming solo album ‘Aging’ announced and with the single “Party Oven” the relaxed atmosphere, emotional songwriting and gorgeous production value really expands on his music and gives us a unique melancholic feeling. The lyrics “the best is the best, do you need to ask why?” is a wonderful representation of his extremely talented and capable writing style. The piano is perfectly composed and the backing sounds add an element of depth. I haven’t personally been more excited for an album this year as I am for ‘Aging’ which he says shares the same qualities as his best work with Broken Social Scene, “Lover’s Spit” and “Sweetest Kill”, and so far, he’s not lying!
There Will Be Fireworks “No Christmas Bells”
There Will Be Fireworks already have one of the best albums of the year in ‘Summer Moon’ and out of nowhere they come out with the best original Christmas song in years. “No Christmas Bells” is a masterpiece with its perfect piano composition and incredibly well produced sound. The vocals shine on the same level as the best moments on ‘Summer Moon’ and break my heart in two. This is the first song of the year that gave me tears on first listen, and I immediately started breaking it down to potentially cover it, as it’s too beautiful to not make my own in some small way. The post-rock guitars and orchestral arrangements are some of the best I’ve heard all year and the bells sound like they’re outside the window with Christmas carolers.
Sunnsetter “At the End of the Day”
Sunnsetter whom have my favorite album of the year so far in ‘The Best That I Can Be.’ are so emotionally charged and perfectly capable of creating a melancholic masterpiece give us “At the End of the Day”. This track is part The Album Leaf and part Sigur Rós, who notably collaborated together. The title resonates with the music therein by coming off as a perfect song to drown out all the noise of the day behind us. The acoustic guitar is incredibly beautiful and the overlapping synths provide an atmosphere of harmony. The vocals are cathartic and are not to be understood, but are used merely as an expression of understated instrumentation.
The Album Leaf “Breathe”
Jimmy LaValle of The Album Leaf is my favorite current electronic music producer and for great reason. His latest full length ‘Future Falling’ features the minimal piano based beauty “Breathe” which has by far the most emotionally compelling and powerful piano arrangement of the year. The minimal electronic additions he adds throughout the just shy of six minute runtime really add to the depth of the track and allow for this to be the perfect backdrop to a film or life’s most innately intimate moments. This song makes me feel everything from a more glorified and personal perspective.
Lost Under Heaven “The Return”
Lost Under Heaven have a new EP titled ‘Towards the One’ that includes the beautiful, “The Return”, which isn’t so much a return to form, but more, a return to brilliance. The track has a very accessible way about it while still incorporating Ellery James Robert’s signature vocal croon. The chorus is pop-rock catchy and overall the song is written with a high caliber and grows on you with each listen. The lyric “There’s a God-shaped hole in every seekers soul” is one of my favorite lyrics of the year and resonates with me deeply. The percussion used here is indie-rock styled and performed perfectly. The production value is very high, especially regarding the mix of the elements and how the arrangements are structured.
Hayden “Window Washer Blues”
It’s been a decade since Hayden had to dispel rumors of his death and he’s back with a new album titled ‘Are We Good’ and the piano driven, film score styled “Window Washer Blues” would fit perfectly on the Jon Brion produced ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ soundtrack. The piano is the best I’ve heard all year and is nearly impossible not to play on repeat once it gets driven into your head and your heart. It’s essentially about playing outside with his kids and coming to a sort of realization. The backing creeks really add to the intimacy and I’m glad he left those in as they create a more organic sound that matches the perfectly mixed orchestration.
Lichen Slow “Hopeless Cause”
Before Lichen Slow, Malcom Middleton gave the reigns to his band mate and chief songwriter Aiden Moffet of Arab Strap. Now that he’s started his own project with Joel Harries it’s his time to shine bright and with “Hopeless Cause” he’s shone brighter than most this year. The chorus here is absolutely breathtaking and wonderfully composed. The instrumental’s are bright but not too overbearing and the songwriting is very detailed and wonderfully executed. The expression here is among some of the best of the year.
Julie Byrne “Moonless”
Julie Byrne’s last effort ‘Not Even Happiness’ was strong in its own right but nothing could’ve prepared us for the beauty that her latest album ‘The Greater Wings’ holds. “Moonless” is extraordinarily well conceived and produced. Baroque-pop tendencies throughout this track really bring it to a level that modern music doesn’t really contain. The string arrangements are otherworldly and the best I’ve heard all year. Julie’s vocals are like velvet and extremely gorgeous, especially within the loud whisper and when she states “I’m not waiting for your love”.
Army of Sound 