2023 has been a pretty solid year for music, all things considered.
Personally, it doesn’t come close to 2022, which seemed to churn out masterpiece after masterpiece. I have only given eight albums a 10/10 score, and two of them were from last year. Those being Black Country, New Road’s Ants From Up There, and Black Midi’s Hellfire.
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So while I could look at this year as a disappointment for not living up to the bar that 2022 set, I can’t look at it like that, as last year was just such a monster year for so many artists and bands.
2023, although it hasn’t been as good as the previous year, is no slouch, either. There has been a ton of quality music this year, especially in the alternative scene.
I am what they call a “music connoisseur” (code name for “music snob,”) so who better than me to tell you about some songs released this year that I think you’d enjoy.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy learning about some of the best music that 2023 has to offer, because afterwards you’ll want to get up and dance.
Viper Room – Thornhill
Ah, my favourite metalcore boys from Australia are back at it again with another absolute BANGER.
Quick backstory on Thornhill. They started off as kind of a progressive metalcore act with some cool ambient effects thrown in as well. Their first full-length record, The Dark Pool, was as good as a progressive metal record could possibly get.
The reception in the metal scene was very positive, and fans were waiting patiently for what Thornhill would do next.
In October, 2021, Thornhill would drop their first single in two years, Casanova.
The reception was, well, not great.
Thornhill opted for a very different sound, reminiscent of 90’s rock bands like Deftones and The Smashing Pumpkins, with more of a metalcore flare added alongside.
It was still very much Thornhill, but it wasn’t The Dark Pool so people were pretty upset. Me, on the other hand, loved Casanova, and thought it was an exciting new direction for the band.
Following three more singles in 2022, they released their second full-length album, Heroine on June 2, 2022. Once fans were more used to the change of sound and direction, they were on board and Heroine was touted as a success by Thornhill fans.
Now we’re in 2023 and Thornhill has blessed us with a new track, and I know this is going to sound crazy, but the fellas did it.
They changed their sound… again!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CyNfh7GJmht/
On October 10, the band dropped Viper Room, a rockin’ new single.
I love just about everything about this track. The fuzzy, distorted guitar and bass are one thing, but Jacob Charlton’s vocals are amazing. He didn’t change his vocal style at all, and I think the band has found the sound that best suits his vocals. He is seriously killer on this song.
The highlight of this song is the drumming. The driving tom beat gives this song a shot in the arm, and it’s what makes the verses so engaging. There’s even a trade-off in the bridge of the song where the drums are really at the forefront, with drum fills that sound pretty similar to those in the Arctic Monkeys classic, Brianstorm.
Viper Room is a certified banger, and is a must-listen for anyone craving something in the alternative rock mold. Think of it as Queens of the Stone Age adjacent, while still feeling very much like a Thornhill song.
Her Wings – Holding Absence
Fun story. These guys were on tour last year (alongside Thornhill, funny enough) and I took some friends to see them at the Rickshaw Theatre. I met their lead singer before the show, and told him that he was the best live vocalist I have ever seen.
Great job putting pressure on the poor guy, Sean!
Regardless, he laughed and said “Ah come on, man. Tonight was supposed to be my night off.”
But like Lucas Woodland typically does, he went on stage and absolutely killed it alongside the rest of Holding Absence.
The band hailing from Cardiff, Wales released their third full-length album, The Noble Art of Self Destruction on August 25. The four singles leading up to the release of the album were fantastic, including the absolute banger that was Scissors.
With that said, it was one of the non-singles that was the highlight of the album.
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Her Wings is the seventh track on the album and it is a speedy, energetic, pop-punk adjacent/post-hardcore song that just makes you wanna get up and dance.
Woodland’s vocals are, of course, powerful and cathartic, but that goes for literally every song that Holding Absence has ever released.
The energy on this song can not be overstated. The band gives you room to breathe, but not too much room, as they’ll explode into another section that’s jam packed with loud guitars and driving drums.
Her Wings is a wicked track, and the rest of the album is killer, too. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for some quality emo music.
3 Summers – Jeff Rosenstock
Jeff Rosenstock has been a staple in the pop-punk scene for a number of years, now.
His band Bomb The Music Industry! fused elements of ska and pop-punk, and were known for their crazy, bombastic (no pun intended) live shows. He’s been in several other music projects, but his solo work is his most revered.
With albums like We Cool? and Worry, he has definitely made himself a household name in the punk scene, and remains one of the best current artists in pop-punk. So when I heard that his 2023 release, HELLMODE, was his best album to date, I had to totally reasonably set my expectations way too high.
I’m telling you right now, my expectations were surpassed.
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Rosenstock put everything into this record. He is very clearly a restless thinker, as this album feels like he’s just speaking his mind throughout the record about a multitude of different topics.
Whether it be him questioning the life and death on FUTURE IS DUMB, or the ever so sweet ballad HEALMODE, which talks about themes of love and being more than okay with the person you’re with, this record has so much quality music and lyricism that it was hard to choose a favourite.
Well, it was difficult when I was only ten songs into the record, at least. Track 11 made the choice glaringly obvious.
The final track on the album, 3 SUMMERS, is not just my favourite song on the album, but is definitely a leading contender for my personal favourite song of the year.
It’s a song that still questions a lot about the world, including capitalism and equality, it’s also a feel good song about love, friendship, and enjoying your life while you have it. The slower pace of the song kind of makes me think of The Replacements, just with a little more grit and shouty vocals.
The best way that I can describe this song is that it feels bigger than just a song. It almost feels like a coming of age movie, and it’s the perfect way to close off yet another stellar album by Jeff Rosenstock.
I hope that one day, 3 SUMMERS will be regarded as an undeniable pop-punk classic.