The 50 best songs of 2023
In a world perpetually pulsating with musical innovation and evolving tastes, the landscape of music in 2023 has been a tapestry woven with diverse melodies, gripping narratives, and bold sonic experimentation. This year, we’ve seen the birth of new chapters, the rise of established figures, and something we never thought would happen: the return of The Beatles. As the year draws to a close, therefore, it’s time to celebrate the crescendo of creativity with a countdown of songs that have defined and illuminated the musical sphere throughout these twelve vibrant months.
From anthems that echoed across stadiums to intimate ballads that whispered into the quiet corners of our lives, this list encapsulates the eclectic range of sounds that have captured hearts and playlists worldwide. These songs aren’t merely notes strung together; they are emotive narratives, lyrical tapestries, and sonic landscapes that resonate deeply within the core of our cultural zeitgeist.
This compilation is more than a mere catalogue of tunes. It showcases the very best of musical authenticity and another powerful year complete with people channelling their realities into the power of song. As Twin Temple recently told Far Out, “The worst art in the world is made for other people”. Hence, with each track meticulously curated, this special compilation is a testament to the power of music in shaping our experiences, offering solace, inspiration, and a shared rhythm that unites us across diverse backgrounds and languages.
Prepare to journey through a sonic odyssey as we explore the top 50 songs of 2023, each a testament to the ever-evolving artistry and the enduring impact of music on our lives. Join us in revelling in the beats that became the soundtrack to our moments, the melodies that etched memories, and the lyrics that spoke the unsaid.
The 50 best songs of 2023:
50. ‘Denver Luna’ – Underworld
Release Date: 01 December | Producer: Rick Smith | Label: Smith Hyde Productions
When you read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the book feels intoxicating. You can be 15 pages into a reading session, and a beer will miraculously appear in your hand without you ever remembering a trip to the fridge. Is that cheesy or immature? No, it’s the mere biological reaction of a mind once exposed to an addled state. The tingling spine and puffed out cheeks at the sound of “Straaaaawberry jam girl”, as a beat as hard as a policeman’s knock blares out, on an idle Tuesday listening to ‘Denver Luna’ on shuffle is proof that the Underworld are still the masters of rave flashbacks.
This thunderous cacophony of nightclub memories is a sonic immersion. In typical fashion, it is daringly simple, proving to many producers of the modern age the importance of simply having a sound with a signature to it—one that casts a spell over psyches.
49. ‘Lovestrong’ – Warmduscher
Release Date: 28 February | Producer: Dan Carey | Label: Bella Union
Intoxicatingly obtuse, Warmduscher have made their name on delivering songs that feel both unique, indefinable and yet completely rooted in the annals of rock ‘n’ roll history. One part of that history is the clear inspiration of the angular grittiness of Gang of Four, while Clams Baker Jr is still happy to operate as the sleazy overlord of the nastiest lounge act in town.
That has been the MO for Warmduscher since their inception, but with the addition of Dan Carey of Speedy Wunderground on production, 2023 proved to be the year that the band hit the heights the lowlifes deserved. The sonics are still as dirty as a back alley handy, but this time, they come with a hefty amount of eye contact and a comforting hug for afters. All in all, a happily unhinged affair.
48. ‘160’ – Nakibembe Embaire Group
Release Date: 16 May | Producer: PQ | Label: Nyege Nyege Tapes
Nestled in Uganda’s remote Busoga kingdom resides the small village of Nakibembe. Therein lies one of the last remaining troupes who still play the Embaire, an immense xylophone made up of around 25 large wooden slabs that allow the whole village to partake in musical performance. Only in Nakibembe, it just so happens the troupe are led by a trio of avant-gardists who are perhaps inadvertently creating a unique wail that lies somewhere between drone music and trip-hop.
‘160’ is a variation of their sound that perfectly showcases the wild collision of their ancient musical tradition and urban music from around the world that has filtered into their sparse call and response structures that allow for an array of polyrhythmic instrumentation to build the beating into a swell. The result is an evocative and hypnotic melee.
47. ‘Blóðberg’ – Sigur Rós
Release Date: 12 June | Producer: Paul Corley | Label: Krunk Records
In mid-June, just as the northern hemisphere was hotting up, the Icelandic post-rock legends Sigur Rós released their long-awaited eighth studio album, Átta. Fans had been kept waiting for ten long years since the release of Kveikur in 2013, and the pay-off was worth it. Discussing the album’s provocative cover art, the band stated: “We try to stay out of politics, just to make the music as neutral as possible, but we were talking about the state of the world we live in now: climate change and doomscrolling.”
The album surges with enveloping, emotive tracks characteristic of the band. While several highlights were worthy of mention, especially ‘Gold’ and ‘Glóð’, only one single was released to preview the album, ‘Blóðberg’. The eerie, hymnal song is transportive and seems to exude courage in the face of adversity. At seven minutes in length, ‘Blóðberg’ surges with orchestral elegance perfect for soundtracking moments of pensive respite.
46. ‘Blood’ – Raze Regal & White Denim
Release Date: 24 November | Producer: James Petralli | Label: Bella Union
Texas indie-psych band White Denim collaborated with Raze Regal this year, previously of Once and Future Band, and the results are as groovy and funk-ridden as you can expect. The collaboration came about after Regal left his previous group, ended his relationship and moved to the White Denim’s native Texas. Perhaps as a result of the rocky circumstances that led to the two artists getting together, the musical content sees a departure from the sounds that long-time fans of White Denim might be accustomed to.
‘Blood’ received a very positive critical reception upon its release, and it is easy to see why. A more jazz-influenced style as opposed to the band’s usual indie-psychedelia, the track starts with an almost advertising jingle quality before moving into darker and more angsty territory. It is a track of light and shade, with the recurring line ‘Smoke myself to sleep’ capturing the essence of the track’s sound.
45. ‘Marriage’ – The Bug Club
Release Date: 18 October | Producer: Tom Rees | Label: Bingo Records
Being prolific in music these days is rearing its head as a necessity, but there are a slew of bands out there who have subverted this hurdle into an opportunity for art: The Bug Club are one of the finest. With great humour, the garage band embraces lo-fi aesthetics and simplicity with a DIY charm, creating some of the most comic music.
They also had marvellous singles like ‘Short and Round’ – about a ubiquitous haircut – and ‘We Can’t All Play Saxophones’ in the running for the singles list this year. But in the end, we opted for the near call-and-response catchiness of ‘Marriage’. Without cynicism and a Ramones-like intent to not let their evident smarts get in the way of the fun, they waltz through a hook-laden track and a sticky subject with a smile.
44. ‘No More Lies’ – Thundercat and Tame Impala
Release Date: 25 April | Producer: Kevin Parker | Label: Brainfeeder
Since his debut, Thundercat has been doing God’s work by bringing a healthy dose of funk to every project he touches. While he may have been able to build up an impressive rap sheet working his magic for the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Silk Sonic, pairing his silky voice and bass skills with Kevin Parker was a match made in musical heaven from the get-go.
Taking Tame Impala’s knack for production and putting it over Thundercat’s backing tracks, ‘No More Lies’ feels like looking into a musical kaleidoscope, with every single strike sounding like it’s trying to break open another layer of the listener’s mind. Tame Impala is no stranger to a musical psychedelic trip, but this is the kind of music to both vibe to and open one’s third eye simultaneously.
43. ‘The Trench Coat Museum’ – Yard Act
Release Date: 13 July | Producer: Remi Kabaka Jr | Label: Island Records
Ah, the trench coat, the debonair’s garment of choice, a statement of pride, mild pomposity, and the perfect pairing of a turtleneck, ah the trench coat. ‘Would I suit a trench coat?’ we’ve all wondered, ‘what would wearing a trench coat say about me?’ Sometimes, an item of clothing can just be an arranged mass of material, but other times, in this class-divided society, it can be a uniform.
Now, in the dance-adjacent new Yard Act song, it’s not all that easy to know whether the track contains quite so many multitudes, or it is just a fun title, but it is to the band’s credit that they have harnessed such an oeuvre of acerbic wit that it’s possible for a song this fun to draw quite so many corroborations.
42. ‘The Narcissist’ – Blur
Release Date: 18 May | Producer: James Ford | Label: Parlophone, Warner
How does one come back after a decade removed from any original material? Well, when you’re Damon Albarn, you don’t…you make something different. After years apart, Blur hasn’t lost an ounce of sonic polish with ‘The Narcissist’. The track dwells in a new melancholy territory for the group, capturing a weighty solemnity.
Rather than the comeback albums that end up feeling dated a month after they come out, Blur sound like they’re taking what made them famous in the first place and layering even more sonic grandeur on top, complete with sublime piano and orchestral flourishes. For all of the excellent material that the band may have been able to create in their various solo projects, this is the kind of reunion that has the best of both worlds.
41. ‘Seaforth’ – King Krule
Release Date: 13 April | Producer: Archy Marshall, Dilip Harris | Label: Matador Records
When King Krule released Space Heavy earlier this year, even the album’s title leant into the sonic weightiness that he has become known for. Marshall described it as “haunted by dreams of love, touching a narrative of lost connection, losing people and situations to the guillotine of the universe”. However, on the album’s lead single, ‘Seaforth’, his usual flair for gritty, pained vocals backed by seismic, spangly guitar lines is paired back.
‘Seaforth’ was an effortless change in direction, capable of capturing a certain melancholy but delivering it with a lightness that felt entirely new. The ruminations on faith and connection are uncharacteristically chipper, but pedestrian interactions like walking to the shops are entwined with surrealist visions of melting into the sand. Despite the softer vocals, it’s that which makes it feel like a King Krule track – delivered like a hazy lucid dream.
40. ‘Bogus Operandi’ – The Hives
Release Date: 02 May | Producer: Patrik Berger | Label: Disques Hives
Back in May, The Hives warned: “We left the throne for a decade just to prove that we could. No one sat on it, so we did, again.” Their triumphant return, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, was a frenetic love letter to rock at its most unhinged. Riffs were fat and chunky, and vocals screeched with a certain dry humour: “My motive’s so handy / Nothing but bogus operandi.”
The constant repetition of “like I said” on the track echoes all the statements they made in the lead-up to their return. They said it felt good to have the electricity coursing through their veins again in the studio, and ‘Bogus Operandi’ is one of the clearest examples of them making good on the promise to fire on all cylinders – the result being a fierce, anthemic number that marked the return of the Swedish rock giants.
39. ‘Tuesday’ – Mary in the Junkyard
Release Date: 05 October | Producer: Yuri Shibuichi | Label: AMF Records
It makes total sense that Mary in the Junkyard are one of London’s favourite upcoming bands, simply because their ode to alienation on ‘Tuesday’ feels so fitting of life in the capital. Their debut single riffs on the idea that everyone hates Mondays, the dread and anticipation of returning to work – and asks, what if that just never goes away? What if the problem is more deeply entrenched than just a day?
And, more poignantly – what if the problem is actually me? Written by guitarist and vocalist Clari Freeman-Taylor, the indie rock track is driven by an ominous guitar and whispered worries about feeling separate from the outside world. “I wanted to write about my yearning for chaos and realness,” she explained. “We all have wildness within us that we might be suppressing, and we shouldn’t feel like aliens because of it.”
38. ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’ – The Rolling Stones
Release Date: 28 September | Producer: Andrew Watt | Label: Polydor
In a soulful collaboration, Lady Gaga joined forces with Mick Jagger, while Stevie Wonder lent his skills on keyboards for the stand-out track from The Rolling Stones’ new record ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’. For the single, the band returned to their roots and blessed the blues with a gospel twist to create something rather more wholesome for their late autumnal years.
It’s easy to scoff at the band for trying to reheat rock at an age in which maturity might render the prospect ridiculous. But good songs are good songs, and ‘Sweet Sound of Heaven’ is dripping with enough pedigree to prove that point with aplomb. Beyond the knack for hook and ace musicianship on display, the true triumph is that this anthemic-feeling single packs an emotional punch. It stirs beyond any nostalgia with a dynamism and ethereality.
37. ‘Have Fun!’ – CMAT
Release Date: 31 May | Producer: Rob Milton | Label: AWAL Recordings
It’s easy for a song this upbeat to dip into cliché. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, between the sad heartbreak camp and the often-overblown arena of empowering ‘I don’t need them’ hits, CMAT finds a golden middle ground. With the same humour-tinged, self-aware lyricism that captured hearts on her 2022 debut, ‘Have Fun!’ is a distinctly CMAT take on a breakup track.
Using little details about Jimi Hendrix’s lost birds, relatable quips about begging for love and spending all your money on rent and punctuating it all with a joy-filled proclamation of “I don’t care”, the Irish singer created an instant classic destined to be screamed in bedrooms, gig venues, festival fields and drunken nights out alike. 2023 was a huge year for CMAT, and with songs as big and catchy as ‘Have Fun!’ – the hype is well and truly deserved.
36. ‘Fiddlehead’ – Sullenboy
Release Date: 07 June | Producer: Chris Teti | Label: Run For Cover Records
Following the success of their acclaimed albums – 2018’s Springtime and Blind and 2021’s Between the Richness – punk supergroup Fiddlehead made a comeback with their latest full-length release, Death Is Nothing To Us. Led by Have Heart’s vocalist Patrick Flynn and featuring Basement’s guitarist Alex Henery, the five-piece band maintained their upward trajectory on this new record. Their signature formula has been honed, resulting in music that is more resonant and impactful than ever.
The album’s lead single, ‘Sullenboy’, establishes the tone for the entire record – emotional and compelling. “We knew we wanted to do something a little more aggressive sounding,” Henery said of the album. “That kind of stuff grounds the band. I think maybe people would have expected us to go cleaner with this LP but I see this as a real mix of the first two.” That blending only adds to the potency.
35. ‘Stay’ – Ghost
Release Date: 07 July | Producer: Tom Dalgety | Label: Loma Vista
After their eerie addition to the Halloween Kills soundtrack with ‘Hunter’s Moon’, Ghost made a captivating return, casting their enchanting musical aura in another hauntingly beautiful cinematic moment for Insidious: The Red Door. This time, the band collaborated with the esteemed Ghost enthusiast and movie star Patrick Wilson, delivering an emotionally charged interpretation of Shakespears Sister’s ‘Stay’.
Wilson himself offered up a solid appraisal for the band, citing: “Ghost, for me, is one of the most unique rock bands out there.” And interestingly, that unique approach is focused on fun. In this regard, they continue to enrapture fans who wouldn’t usually be into such a band on paper, but when you lend them your ear, they quickly welcome you into a world of reverie and intrigue. Suddenly, there is a new feel to your rotation of records thanks to a band who have terror a charming term.
34. ‘Quiero Que Me Mires’ – Jimena Amarillo
Release Date: 21 April | Producer: Jimena Amarillo | Label: Mushroom Pillow
Jimena Amarillo’s ‘Quiero que me mires’ is a glittering electronic delight, somehow fusing subdued indie rock with beat-driven pop. Written after a late-night writing session for La pena no es cómoda in a 20-minute flurry, this track was more experimental than previous efforts on Cómo decirte, mi amor.
The album titles alone suggest a shift away from the lovelorn and towards the ache of grief. As the album opener ‘Quiero que me mires’, it was a much-needed breakthrough. It set the tone for the rest of the album, which saw Amarillo infuse Colombian cumbia with a luscious, spaced-out production that gives the song an ethereal quality. Fragile guitar lines give way to a building beat, and suddenly, it moves from a delicate indie-rock adjacent number to a shimmering danceable hit.
33. ‘Cherry Red Boots’ – The Nude Party
Release Date: 23 February | Producer: The Nude Party | Label: New West Records
The music crafted by The Nude Party paints vivid scenes reminiscent of cinematic moments — the swaggering song ‘Cherry Red Boots’ could captivate a Paul Thomas Anderson movie with its crisp imagery and defined atmosphere. There’s a sense of beat poetry to their world, with the striding footwear in this sultry gem conjuring notions of William S. Burroughs fronting a garage band.
‘Cherry Red Boots’ carries the resonance of a forgotten hit with the perfect fusion of psychedelia and haze. However, the track also wholeheartedly embraces the era’s intrinsic style and effortless aura, resurrecting a facet of rock music that’s delightfully gritty, loud, and enjoyable. Above all, its collated composition also makes the song feel very much like the product of a functional band, a near-forgotten relic at this point in time, and a refreshing thing to embrace.
32. ‘The End of a Gun – Edit’ – Ghost Woman
Release Date: 20 January | Producer: Evan Uschenko | Label: Full Time Hobby
Ghost Woman’s album Anne, If is concrete evidence that you can, in fact, create a sound that exudes a swagger straight off the musical score. This second album from the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist is a force of bluesy riffs, showcasing Evan Uschenko’s channelling guitar prowess through a blend of psychedelia, crafting a layered, emotive sound that almost makes you feel as confident as the music itself.
‘The End of a Gun – Edit’ plays into this sauntering atmosphere, re-sharpening the band’s signature tune for 2023 and providing a track destined to remain a staple on your road trip playlist forevermore. Hell, the vinyl may as well be made of leather if such a fitting thing could exist. Ghost Woman presents some of the most exceptional unleaded music of the present day, and it’s a groove certainly deserving of greater attention.
31. ‘How Could You Let Me Go’ – Vashti Bunyan & Devendra Banhart
Release Date: 10 November | Producer: Todd Dahlhoff | Label: Light in the Attic Records
The return of Vashti Bunyan was one of the most beautiful moments of 2023. After her 1970 debut album gained a cult following in the 2000s when Devendra Banhart helped recover and re-release the record, she became a staple voice in the calming folk cannon. As Banhart regularly cites Bunyan as one of his main inspirations, this track feels incredibly special, with Banhart gently backing her up as Bunyan’s unique vocals soar.
Imbued with a beautiful sense of respect and kinship, ‘How Could You Let Me Go’ feels like a collaboration decades in the making by two musicians who seem to deeply understand each other. That marriage of styles, however, only amplifies their singularity, filtering in a load of avant-garde flourishes to the folk backbone.
30. ‘Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart’ – Elizabeth Moen
Release Date: 28 July | Producer: Andrew Humphreys | Label: One Iowa (Charity Project)
What do you get when you mix the blues of Alabama Shakes and Janis Joplin with the storytelling of Joni Mitchell and the classic rock energy of Stevie Nicks? The answer is something close to Elizabeth Moen. With a voice so unique and singular, Moen has a timeless quality to her that comes through brilliantly on ‘Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart’.
Pairing simple country lyricism with rich blues guitars, the track is reprised from the brilliant discography of Arthur Russell and given a new lease of life. Moen blesses the track with the quality of a well-known standard or a traditional number. Singing out of Chicago, Moen keeps the spirit of classic Americana alive on ‘Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart’.
29. ‘Thank You’ – Willie J Healey
Release Date: 27 January | Producer: Loren Humphrey | Label: YALA! Records
While being only 29 years old, Willie J Healey’s ‘Thank You’ could easily be mistaken for a 1960s soul tune. With the energy that colours all the best Motown classics, harmonies that are reminiscent of early doo-wop and instrumental layering that feels handpicked from early 1970s countercultural sounds, Healey delivered something wonderfully nostalgic with his musical celebration.
Featuring Jamie T and the beautiful backing of a team of female vocalists for extra funk flavours, everything about ‘Thank You’ is expertly done, providing a masterclass on how to engage with vintage sounds in the modern day. The song sees a musician tap into the source of what inspires him and happily rejoice in it.
28. ‘Louhivesi’ – Civilistjävel
Release Date: 01 March | Producer: Civilistjävel | Label: FELT
We live in a period where more and more of these alluring ‘anonymous artists’ are coming to the fore. They create a sense of art for art’s sake in an age of commercialism. That is definitely the case with Civilistjävel. Much of the electronic producer’s music is archival, reinvigorated from experiments in sound he conducted in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These were seemingly solo ventures in the truest sense.
Weighty eyelids and coffees gone cold bear a heavy mark on the music, paired with the scopes of frosted tundras that make up the hazy, quilted world of Civilistjävel’s sound. And on this occasion, that is elevated with a whirlwind of godly awe. It’s the sound of an artist gazing out at the expanse beyond a steamed-up Swedish window and channelling it into a state of flow.
27. ‘Salad’ – Blondshell
Release Date: 05 April | Producer: Yves Rothman | Label: Partisan
When Blondshell’s debut album dropped, ‘Salad’ sat on it like a bomb. While prior singles dealt with love, toxicity and self-destruction with a strong dash of gen Z humour, ‘Salad’ is a direct shot at rape culture and how society routinely and almost always fails the victim. While dark and gothic, the track derails into an outright, screaming, frustrated battle cry, yelling, “Gonna make it hurt, But I don’t know how to do that within the framework”.
Sung back with so much passion and catharsis by the crowd at each one of her shows, Blondshell has created an upsetting yet necessary anthem through this devastating murder ballad. Tackling the topic with rage, resilience and nuance, this song deserves to be written into history books. It’s a defiant mark of a bold songwriter voicing a deeply important sentiment.
26. ‘Nothing’s Free’ – Angel Olsen
Release Date: 14 April | Producer: Jonathan Wilson | Label: Jagjaguwar
Angel Olsen is no stranger to writing tender ballads, but ‘Nothing’s Free’ might be her most sullen yet. Sounding like it’s sung by a down-and-out cabaret performer in some smoky back room, the gentle horns and sparse piano create a track so atmospheric her listener can almost taste the whiskey and hear the sighs just out of shot of the mic.
As the opening track to her Forever Means EP, 2023 met a deeply wistful Olsen, delivering some of her most striking music to date. On ‘Nothing’s Free’, she delicately merges intimate feelings with a grand vision to masterful effect. The song is almost unsettling on sunny days, but meet it in the right mood, and it feels like a novel.
25. ‘String Theory’ – Teleman
Release Date: 21 August | Producer: Teleman | Label: Moshi Moshi
Teleman launched into 2023 with new music to prove that synth-driven indie is well and truly back. The 2010s genre leaders reprised their sleek sound with the new EP Good Times/Hard Time. Thankfully, not content to leave it there, they provided a second wave of bonus tracks to the world, with ‘String Theory’ being the pick of the bunch.
An earworm of a track, the song is somehow sparse yet instantly catchy. Bringing all the best bits of 2010s indie into today, from the unusual melodies to the ’80s electronic influences that coloured the era, ‘String Theory’ is fresh yet nostalgic. Swelling to a strobing, danceable climax, Teleman clearly want to get us moving again, and yet, they retain their inherent intellectualism.
24. ‘Barley’ – Water From Your Eyes
Release Date: 26 May | Producer: Nate Amos | Label: Matador Records
Rachel Brown and Nate Amos do a great job at jabbing a searing guitar line through your earhole and firmly into your cerebral cortex in the hope of it staying there all day on ‘Barley’. When you add to that Brown’s deadpan vocal delivery, you’ll be nonsensically trying to hum this glitching piece of art rock for weeks to come. It’s a powerful reminder that glistening hooks aren’t necessarily essential elements of catchiness
One of the only bands of 2023 to gather more hype than Taylor Swift’s new boyfriend, the duo behind Water From Your Eyes are likely to take their abstract lyricism and potent musical punchiness into a brand new year and deliver on the promise of their 2023 LP Everyone’s Crushed pushed into our hands with a wink in the months ahead.
23. ‘Echolalia’ – Yves Tumor
Release Date: 30 January | Producer: Various | Label: Warp
Yves Tumor genuinely sounds like the future of music. While Heaven to a Tortured Mind made for one of the most sonically rewarding listens in 2020, Tumor hurled the kitchen sink of their artistry into ‘Echolalia’. Pulling from the worlds of art rock and R&B, the song lulls the listener into a trance from the moment it begins playing, all while layering different pieces of musical magic along the way.
The lyrics are another matter entirely, talking about the insecurity they have struggling with their faith and connection to the modern world, creating a resonant experience as well as a rollicking one. It might be hard trying to find one’s place sometimes, but it’s songs like this that prove that you’re not necessarily alone, either.
22. ‘Not Strong Enough’ – Boygenius
Release Date: 01 March | Producer: Boygenius | Label: Interscope
Boygenius have been one of the most celebrated bands of 2023 as Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus have joined forces to produce vibrant, often uplifting, but more usually sad music. There is no star in the outfit; they all bounce off each other perfectly to celebrate each other’s talent, the product of which is some of the best music to come out in 2023, or at least tracks that tap into the zeitgeist more than most.
The epitome of this is in ‘Not Strong Enough’, a song which Dacus described as “fuckboy-genius”. It’s a fascinating look at people being able to say they will take responsibility for another human being without actually taking on said responsibility. Baker explained the lyrics by saying, “I’m capable of being the man who’s strong enough to be your man, but the responsibility of it is not something I’m interested in.” It’s a complex message to convey, but the trio manages to do it beautifully.
21. ‘Willow’s Song’ – Katy J Pearson, Broadside Hacks
Release Date: 26 June | Producer: Balazs Altsach | Label: Heavenly Recordings
‘Willow’s Song’ was initially featured on Katy J Pearson’s album Sound of the Morning, and it was an exciting, upbeat track filled with soul. The newest version, recorded this year alongside Broadside Hacks, takes what people loved about that original song and twists it into an acid-folk-infused trip. Pearson put the track and other songs from the original 1973 Wicker Man soundtrack onto a new release this year, which sounds like the initiation ceremony to a particularly harmonic cult.
“Strangely, I heard The Wicker Man soundtrack way before I watched the movie,” said Pearson, “I remember my dad playing me Willow’s Song, and I found it hypnotic, and it started being a song I listened to a lot. The version I did for the record was a kind of psychedelic / krautrock version, so having the opportunity to work with my friends Broadside Hacks on a traditional cover, which they put together so beautifully, has been really brilliant.” This intense study of a classic has resulted in a delirious delight.
20. ‘On My Own’ – Peter One
Release Date: 5 May | Producer: Rafaela Hernández, Matt Ross-Spang | Label: Verve Forecast
Is it possible to recognise that a song will be good after one chord? Probably not, but the closest you will ever get to that revelation has to be in Peter One’s ‘On My Own’. The opening second of the song sounds warm and inviting, letting you get comfortable and ease into the music, a feeling which is only heightened as Peter’s voice comes through, which sounds as perfect as the instruments it accompanies.
This song is a combination of country music with West African nostalgia. “I’m from Ivory Coast,” he told a recent crowd, “I came a long way to America to play music for you.” Those two parts of the world seem to come together seamlessly in every second that Peter One performs, embracing where he is from and where he is now in every perfect note.
19. ‘Do It Faster’ – Militarie Gun
Release Date: 21 February | Producer: Ian Shelton, Taylor Young | Label: Loma Vista
Despite being under two minutes long, as soon as ‘Do It Faster’ by Militarie Gun kicks in, there is no escaping the barrages of energy that it brings with it. The track kicks off with the faded strum of a guitar and then a heavy drumbeat; after that, it is seconds before the listener gets thrown into a sonic frenzy worthy of the biggest mosh pit. The lyrics are the kind that crowds will love to scream along to as well, as “waste my time, waste my life, as I sit and wait for you” rings through.
Militarie Gun are an American rock band that was initially formed in 2020; however, despite still being relatively new compared to many other bands, they have an established sound that serves as perfect evidence of a tightly-knit group. It leads to the controlled chaos present in this new song that is as infectious as it is exhilarating.
18. ‘003’ – Cheerless
Release Date: 30 June | Producer: C Wigglesworth | Label: Unsigned
As a music fanatic, you might be familiar with the majority of the entries to this year’s round-up, but I’ll wager you haven’t heard this one. Fresh off the line, Cheerless formed in 2021 as a shoegaze revival act nestled in the London Borough of Hackney. In ‘Heat’, the soaring debut single of 2022, Cheerless introduced their bold and propulsive take on the alt-rock stylings associated with the late 1980s and early ‘90s.
This year, the band has come on in leaps and bounds, releasing a further three singles of varied texture but equal allure. While all four to date deserve a listen, ‘003’ has been a prevalent go-to since its arrival in late June. The shimmering guitar effects pulse throughout the track, at times ethereal and kaleidoscopic, at others bold and effervescent. Earlier in the year, Far Out spoke to Cheerless for a ‘Doctor’s Orders’ feature, during which they promised more music to follow in 2024.
17. ‘Nurse!’ – Bar Italia
Release Date: 09 March | Producer: Bar Italia | Label: Matador Records
There are countless brilliant moments on Bar Italia’s Matador debut, Denim Tracey, but the pick of the punch has to be its lead single ‘Nurse!’. Nina Cristante kicks things off with her trademark dry, off-kilter singing style to an arpeggiated guitar and a centre-of-the-cymbal heavy groove, but it’s not long before Sam Fenton delivers his spider-web-thin vocal chorus as the guitars begin to pick up in distortion.
It’s up to the band’s third and final singer, Jezmi Fehmi, to issue the track’s refrain and the intensity is kicked up yet another notch, with both his and Fenton’s excellent guitar work coming to the fore. There’s a sincerity that runs through most of the Bar Italia back catalogue, but with ‘Nurse!’ lyrics like “you move like crazy to your favourite song”, a banger like this is certainly one of our top choices of the year.
16. ‘Taivshral’ – Enji
Release Date: 18 May | Producer: Martin Brugger | Label: Squama Records
Mongolian artist Enji is responsible for this beautiful, atmospheric ballad that feels like a journey to the start of a new life. Seamlessly cutting from flutes and strings, providing a gentle backdrop for her soothing vocals to a funky and up-tempo chorus, this song is the perfect blend of the expected and the unexpected. The way each section glides into the other means you could play it on repeat for hours, and it would all sound like the first listen.
Undertones of jazz influences are present, but she doesn’t lose her sense of self in embracing it. She epitomises wearing your influences on your sleeve but remaining original and creative in their celebration. ‘Taivshral’ means relief, which is apt, given this whole song feels like a weight being gently lifted and a breath of fresh air.
15. ‘My Love Mine All Mine’ – Mitski
Release Date: 15 September | Producer: Patrick Hyland | Label: Dead Oceans
One of the undeniable highlights of the musical year was the arrival of Mitski’s seventh studio album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We. As one of the most consistent forces in folk-pop over the past decade, it was hardly surprising that she’s crafted another prescient triumph. In a September statement, Mitski described the new record as her “most American album” to date and cited inspiration from old western movies and work by the likes of Scott Walker, Arthur Russell and Igor Stravinsky.
The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We was preceded by three singles: ‘Bug Like an Angel’ and the double A-side consisting of ‘Star’ and ‘Heaven’. However, the song that turned our heads in the most owl-like fashion was the post-launch single, ‘My Love Mine All Mine’. The poetic lyrics hear Mitski praying that, when she dies, the Moon guards her love and radiates it back to Earth. Instrumentally, the short, ethereal track flows with a soft piano progression enhanced in places by a pedal steel guitar.
14. ‘Psychos’ – Jenny Lewis
Release Date: 29 March | Producer: Dave Cobb | Label: Blue Note, Capitol
Singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis made her first appearance on the charts in the 2010s as the frontwoman of Rilo Kiley. Over the past decade, she has broken through as a solo act with several popular albums, most recently releasing Joy’All, her fifth studio album, in June 2023. The album was universally applauded as a discerning, well-produced update on traditional country pop.
Joy’All was preceded by three magnificent singles: ‘Psychos’, ‘Giddy Up’ and ‘Cherry Baby’. Of these, the lead single, ‘Psychos’ inches out on top as an uplifting and propellant offering of lyrical defiance. In the opening verse, Lewis singes in her soft, comforting voice: “Life goes in cycles/ It’s a merry go round/ I’ve been working off that juju/ From my hometown/ I am a rebel/ All American made/ Jesus Christ and the Devil/ Yin and Yang.” You can tell a track is catchy when the lyrics have rhythm even written down.
13. ‘Rice’ – Young Fathers
Release Date: 09 January | Producer: Graham Hastings | Label: Ninja Tune
Edinburgh trio Young Fathers bring passion and energy to everything they produce. The Mercury-winning group are consistently innovative, pushing boundaries with every album they release. 2023’s Heavy Heavy marked their first LP in five years, and Young Fathers made up for lost time on the pulsating record with ‘Rice’ standing out as one of the highlights. And, importantly, unlike ‘I Saw’, it was released in 2023.
It would be a disservice to Young Fathers to lazily describe ‘Rice’ as trip-hop because they truly are an anomaly in the UK music scene and impossible to put in a box, typified by this roaring Afrobeat-adjacent track. Few bands are more impressive on the live circuit than Young Fathers, and they translate the animated spirit of their performances into the rousing ‘Rice’. The track, which boasts a hypnotic drum beat that will stay in your head for the rest of the week, encourages listeners to be resilient through challenging times and carry on fighting against adversity.
12. ‘Vampire Empire’ – Big Thief
Release Date: 19 July | Producer: Dom Monks | Label: 4AD
A new Big Thief track is usually good news for the world. They continue to be the band equivalent of an adult comfort blanket. Even when they’re getting experimental and flirting with their explosive potential as they do on their surging new single ‘Vampire Empire’, there is still something about them that remains happily heartwarming.
Wrapped around the band’s favourite topic of ancient lore, this track takes a sparse approach to arrangement, allowing Adrianne Lenker’s hook-laden country rap to lay down a catchy topline melody. Meanwhile, the band wait patiently to offer a bit of loud-quiet explosiveness, usually a technique miles away from the folk genre Big Thief purports to uphold.
11. ‘Poetry’ – Saint Saviour
Release Date: 10 August | Producer: Bill Ryder-Jones | Label: VLF Records
Saint Saviour, the musical alias of singer-songwriter Becky Jones, began the road to her fourth album, 2024’s Sunseeker, with the breathtaking ‘Poetry’. The delicate acoustic track is produced by Bill Ryder-Jones, with whom Jones has collaborated since her 2014 debut, Union. It’s a relationship which continues to reap devastatingly brilliant rewards, and long may it continue.
The calming whistling solo in the middle of the track further allows Jones’ powerful lyrics to ruminate upon the mind of the listener. Speaking about ‘Poetry’, she explained how the line, “It’s all poetry to me”, was taken from a conversation she had with a religious friend, which inspired the track. Furthermore, Jones also delved into the meaning: “I’ve written this song at a time when life has been thrown into high contrast, and the biblical metaphors are suddenly more resonant. Nevertheless It’s an existential song about embracing the great mystery of love.”
10. ‘Fairlies’ – Grian Chatten
Release Date: 04 May | Producer: Dan Carey, Grian Chatten | Label: Partisan Records
Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten has enjoyed a 2023 to remember. Not only has he toured the world, including supporting Arctic Monkeys in stadiums across America, but he also released his debut solo offering, Chaos For The Fly. The confessional album, produced by Dan Carey, allowed Chatten to tap into his darker side and explore the deepest parts of his mind.
‘Fairlies’ is on the lighter end of the scale regarding the emotional weight of songs on Chaos For The Fly, but it captures Chatten at his best and features one of the most ear-catching choruses of the year. On the track, he sings about his contentment with isolation and his distaste for other people. Yet, he still offers room for optimism amid the sombreness. Compared to more experimental tracks on Chaos For The Fly, ‘Fairlies’ is conventional by Chatten, but every note is enriched with such beauty that it’s an irresistible delight.
9. ‘Pink Morning / Magic Light’ – A.S. Fanning
Release Date: 19 April | Producer: Robbie Moore | Label: K&F Records
Soaking in the wee small hours as a 19-year-old and at an age where greys are spouting more ferociously than mould is a different beast. Irish songwriter A.S. Fanning seems to reconcile both in a wave of reverie with the utterly stunning ‘Pink Morning / Magic Light’. It’s a song of reflection that is mirrored by the mirage of instrumentation he musters with strings and interesting chords from the Nick Drake songbook.
The song has a muted anthemic feel; the orchestra is hushed so as not to wake the sleeping masses, while Fanning fills the same shoes as the protagonist from Bob Dylan’s epic ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ 15 years on. He’s strolling with only a battering of thoughts and the side of his nose for company, but he’s transcribed this experience so faithfully that you can almost feel the sunrise on your skin as you listen along, raptured.
8. ‘Now and Then’ – The Beatles
Release Date: 02 November | Producer: Giles Martin | Label: Apple Records
Artificial intelligence is just around the corner, and we’re seemingly pretty scared about looking over our shoulders. There have been many claims that it will ruin music or rip everyone off. While questions about the latter are very valid, The Beatles have offered a timely reminder that we’ve been here before. The Fab Four were among the first to embrace technology in music, and their innovation was celebrated in an instant once we knew how artful it could prove when used as a tool rather than a master.
‘Now and Then’ was The Beatles showcasing this once again. It was an event when this final Beatles track was released, and it’s almost impossible to isolate that fact from the single itself. But why should it be isolated anyhow? As a band, The Beatles have epitomised how transcendent music can be when it’s aureated with the glow of human connection. The glossed cheeks this rendered upon many listeners is proof that this power will also keep the band that burst open a modern renaissance period and continue to illuminate the future relevant.
7. ‘Will Anybody Ever Love Me?’ – Sufjan Stevens
Release Date: 13 September | Producer: Sufjan Stevens | Label: Asthmatic Kitty
In October, American musician Sufjan Stevens returned with his tenth album, Javelin, a stunning meditation on love and heartbreak, nature, and, in typical Stevens fashion, religion. The emotionally charged record reaches a particular high point with the single ‘Will Anybody Ever Love Me?’, a brutally honest foray into what it means to be loved by another. An urgent yet minimal acoustic guitar opens the track, as Sufjan uses a blend of pastoral and violent imagery, singing, “Run me over, throw me over, cast me out/ Find a river running to the west wind”.
Warm, choral backing vocals accompany Stevens as he asks if he is worthy of love, “For good reasons, without grievance/ Not for sport” – a heartbreaking line that tender strings emphasise. The track’s religious undertones give it even more visceral weight, proving Stevens’ striking lyrical abilities, which have only maintained strength and poignancy over the years.
6. ‘Mastermind Specialism’ – English Teacher
Release Date: 24 November | Producer: Marta Salogni | Label: Island Records
2023 has, undoubtedly, been a breakthrough year for English Teacher. The Leeds-based four-piece have taken to stages alongside Jools Holland and Jeremy Corbyn, sold out a headline tour, and even made their way across the Atlantic. Somewhere in between, they released a string of singles that breathed life back into the indie scene with the soaring ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ and the pulsing ‘Neatly Daffodils’. As the year drew to a close, their efforts culminated with ‘Mastermind Specialism’.
Ending 2023 on a high, their most recent single is English Teacher’s most exquisite offering yet. It’s a marked but welcome change of pace from their previous offerings, switching forceful guitars for contemplative keys and gentle hums. Over the delicate soundscape, vocalist and lyricist Lily Fontaine muses on indecision and Doctor Who. She never quite reaches a conclusion, leaving us to find helpless resolution and despair in the promise that, either way, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
5. ‘Knockin’ – M J Lenderman
Release Date: 20 August | Producer: MJ Lenderman & Alex Farrar | Label: Anti-
MJ Lenderman, known for his guitar playing in the alternative rock outfit Wednesday, as well as executing a successful solo career, shared ‘Knockin’ back in August. The song is a direct reference to ‘Knockin on Heaven’s Door’ by Bob Dylan, although Lenderman cites a cover version by John Daly, who “includes an extra verse about golfing” as his main inspiration. The track is led by fuzzy guitars, which accompany Lenderman as he sings rather cynical lines, “You’re all I need babe/ Yeah, you’ve heard that one before.”
Wrapping up love with loneliness, Lenderman allows his guitar to warp and weep in a contemplative manner. The track feels blissfully melancholic, with Lenderman’s voice leaning into emotionally charged territory as the song progresses, leading him to repeat the song title over and over. Various guitars play out the end of the track, creating a potent instrumental coda that feels like the perfect finish to a highly moving piece.
4. ‘A&W’ – Lana Del Rey
Release Date: 14 February | Producer: Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey | Label: Interscope, Polydor
In anticipation of her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, Lana Del Rey released the single ‘A&W’, a sprawling mini-epic coming in at seven minutes long. Not only does it fit into the album perfectly, but it works as one of Del Rey’s greatest standalone songs, attracting many new fans due to its addictive sonic landscape, which is split into two halves.
The track begins with a gentle meditation on the singer’s childhood and her thoughts on relationships, singing openly, “This is the experience of being an American whore”. Led by piano and acoustic guitar, it is clear that something much more explosive is coming when a synth begins simmering in the background, and soon, the song transforms into a hip-hop-inspired number, with Del Rey playfully singing over a trap beat. The song encapsulates the musician’s versatility, proving to be one of her most memorable releases of recent years.
3. ‘Plastic Man’ – H. Hawkline
Release Date: 30 January | Producer: Cate Le Bon | Label: Heavenly Recordings
Ahead of his third full-length release with Heavenly Records, H. Hawkline, also known as Huw Evans, provided a glimpse at Milk for Flowers with the charming ‘Plastic Man’. A study in the soft rock sound of decades gone by subverted by avant-garde restructuring, the Cate Le Bon-produced track opens with subdued but pulsing piano stabs and percussion that persist throughout the track. They provide a bed for the occasional rock-infused guitar slides and Evans’ poetic musings.
His words flit between dense declarations like, “You’re such a big kink for the pouring rain”, and repeated desperate pleas of, “Help me, help me, help me,” with impressive ease. It’s a song that is at once intimate and cinematic. ‘Plastic Man’ is perhaps most aptly described by the songwriter himself: “The last song written for the album, need more than must, twirling cane and top hat gliding down a molten stairway in the middle of summer.” Weirdly, such imagery is almost palpable; how that’s the case is a mystery of music.
2. ‘Corner of My Eye’ – The Lemon Twigs
Release Date: 03 January | Producer: The Lemon Twigs | Label: Captured Tracks
Just a few days into the new year, The Lemon Twigs were already staking their claim to song of the year. ‘Corner Of My Eye’ provided the first glimpse at their fourth studio offering, Everything Harmony, and further proved their capabilities in fusing the old with the new. The tender track finds the D’Addario brothers firmly situated in folk singer-songwriter territory. They carve out a gorgeous blend of subtle instrumentation with brushing drums, melodic plucking, and even a vibraphone, providing the perfect musical melancholy for words of love and loss.
The lyrics flit between romanticism, realism and regret, though the Lemon Twigs always falter back to the former. “How much loneliness can a make take till he tries to take the reins?” they ask in a manner approaching a sinister unreliable narrator before immediately returning to the song’s central, sweeter (or is it?) image: “But when I’ve got you in the corner of my eye…” The dichotomous depth of this double entendre is then elevated to new heights by the simple power of their brilliant musicianship as notes that could threaten to whack Sputnik out of orbit are hit with an ease akin to swatting flies with chopsticks.
1. ‘This Can’t Go On’ – Bill Ryder-Jones
Release Date: 19 September | Producer: Bill Ryder-Jones | Label: Domino
There have been many tracks this year that have proved ‘innovative’, ‘progressive’, ‘pertinent’, or a string of other words that amount to Listmas season’s attempt to pick something future-gazing and ahead of its time, but really what are we in the business of loving music for if not celebrating the magical way it can grab you by the lapels, shake you like a flat-pack wardrobe on a fault-line, and scream with beauty and grace, ‘Go out there and fucking enjoy your life!’.
The epic orchestration that Bill Ryder-Jones has produced for his new single ‘This Can’t Go On’ blares that message home like a sea breeze within a few bars. Without a single thought for dissonance or anything that would get in the way of his roaring dictum in ascension, he lets his soul barrel forth unshackled, and he has the musical skill to covert immaculately into floating notes.
There’s an epic scope to the screaming score that dovetails wonderfully with his juxtaposed, understated vocals. The trembling sincerity of his lyrics quickly bellies the crooning coolness. Humbly, he pledged prayers that amount to the kid who only asked for peace at Christmas. “I wanna go for walks or drive a car, I want some kids,” he sings, unable to keep his vocals restrained before breaking into a belting full voice akin to those moments where a sudden rush of emotion quickens your legs, and you find yourself running.
To put it simply, it’s a thing of supreme beauty.
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