[Photo courtesy of Hudson Forman]

By the ACRN Editorial Team

20. Foo Fighters – But Here We Are [Roswell Records]

In March of 2022, the news broke that the longtime drummer of the Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins, had tragically passed away. This untimely passing shook the music world pretty hard, and it seemed for a while the band did not know what would happen next. Dave Grohl and company took some time off, but before you know it, they went right back into the studio to record what would be their eleventh studio album, But Here We Are.

This record deals very directly with the loss of Hawkins, but also carries many bittersweet remembrances of others who have passed in Grohl’s life, such as his mother, Virginia, and Kurt Cobain. Despite the grief the band is clearly processing, they manage to turn this painstaking into self-healing arena rock tunes that go harder than ever before. Grohl righteously sings: “There are days I can’t remember, there are days that last forever / Someday, I’ll come out from under you” on the chorus of “Under You”, a track that shows the Foo Fighters can still make an alt-rock power pop tune kick more ass than one knows what to do with.

The Foos also add a bit more variety than usual across these 10 tracks, with a song featuring additional vocals from Violet Grohl, and tunes like “Rest” containing some of the most heavenly, blinding walls of guitar distortion that rival every shoegaze song in existence. Not to mention, there’s the 10-minute triumph dedicated to Grohl’s mother, “The Teacher”, which may very well be the band’s most epic and ambitious track to date. Needless to say, it’s the band’s best record in over a decade, and to hear the Foos challenging themselves musically and healing at the same time easily makes this one of the most inspiring albums of the year. 

• Roman Salomone, Staff Writer

19. Troye Sivan – Something To Give Each Other [Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd.]

Even though it dropped recently in October, Troye Sivan’s Something To Give Each Other has become a staple of current pop culture, mostly due to its eccentric, club-inspired tracks. Obviously, one can’t fail to mention the iconic high of the album’s lead single “Rush,” which feels like you’re in the middle of a crowded and sweaty dance floor, bass thumping throughout your whole body.

One also can’t forget about tracks like “One Of Your Girls,” which fans were delighted to see Ross Lynch star in as Sivan’s potential love interest in the music video for the song. A song that uses spoken-word and mostly synth-backed production, the singer has shown he knows how to capture a moment, specifically one that is charged with unspoken desire.

With a five year span between 2018’s Bloom and this record, it’s clear Sivan has matured in his stance on love and identity, not even hesitant to dive into his own sex life and his experiences as a queer man. And that’s what makes Bloom’s follow-up so special, as it seems to be the second act of Sivan’s journey to self-love and empowerment.

• Grace Koennecke, incoming Reviews Editor and Copy Editor

18. underscores – Wallsocket [Mom+Pop Music]

Wallsocket was my personal album of the year. If it isn’t perfect, it’s pretty close. underscores blends a wide variety of pop and indie stylings together to craft one of the most interesting and satisfying pop records of the 2020s thus far. Wallsocket is a concept album following the lives of three girls living in a small (nonexistent) town in Michigan. One of the characters, S*nny, is a transgender woman, and several of the tracks follow her experience. The first two tracks are some of the most danceable music of the year, and the opener is certainly the most danceable song about embezzling from a bank. “Locals (Girls Like Us),” has multiple hooks, and they are incredibly infectious.

My personal favorite is “Johnny johnny johnny,” a song about the aforementioned transgender girl getting groomed by a significantly older man. The song is devastating, but describes a painfully-frequent occurrence in the transgender community. The song is also incredibly catchy, but still allows the lyrics to cut through like a knife. “When I was eleven years old, I just wanted to be pretty / And when Johnny was eleven, huh, I hadn’t even been born”. For an album with such heavy lyrical themes, it has some of the happiest music ever. It is an absolute must-listen for any pop fan, and is absolutely worth obsessing over. There’s a lot to unpack, and a lot to rejoice over.

• Venus Rittenberg, Editorial Director

17. Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist – VOIR DIRE [Tan Cressida Records]

Earl Sweatshirt came back this year with a new musical persona that takes the quintessential darkness and uneven flow of his past records and matures it like a fine wine. The smooth, gospel-laden beats put down by legendary producer The Alchemist on tracks like “Sentry” perfectly compliment this matured voice Earl has taken on. His talent for writing complex and mesmerizing rhymes has only improved, resulting in deeply poetic tracks like “The Caliphate.”

The rapper’s continued mastery of his craft is clear, but that mastery is only displayed here fully realized because of The Alchemist’s ability to make each song stand out and compliment its lyrical content perfectly. The tracks and the overall project are short, but the slow pace makes every second savorable. And just when you think it’s getting too drowsy, Vince Staples comes in twice with his obligatory killer verse on every Earl Sweatshirt record.

• Jonah Cashel, Copy Editor

16. Parannoul – After the Magic [Poclanos]

Well folks, Parannoul has done it again. Released in late January of this year, the record just barely made it into the running for this list. Since then, few have come to top it, as the anonymous shoegaze musician has released some of the lushest and most moving soundscapes of the year. The artist deals in sweeping movements, as the mountains of drums and guitars ebb and flow between styles and sounds over the seven plus-minute tracks. The opener’s opening melody stays stuck in your head while it rockets past you into digital chaos and compression, only relenting for short bursts before a rallying finale, and that’s only the first track. 

Parannoul has released a collection of songs that take you on a journey, whether you like it or not. The lyrics might not be comprehensible to most American ears, but the emotion is so easily felt and understood through some of the most expressive instrumentals I heard this year. I loved this record, and if you’re into shoegaze, you will probably love it too. 

• Ethan Bloomfield, outgoing Reviews Editor

15. Tyler Childers – Rustin’ in the Rain [Hickman Holler Records]

After taking somewhat of a detour from his early work, country musician Tyler Childers’s latest album sees a return to his sonic roots. Childers has been unafraid to explore the parameters of country and bluegrass music – both sonically and sociopolitically, having released Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? and Long Violent History which were significant departures from breakout critically acclaimed albums Purgatory and Country Squire. Rustin’ in the Rain is the product of Childers’s musical exploration and experimentation – the project returns to his origins as an artist with more certainty and a breadth of experience to prove it.

The album opens with title track “Rustin’ in the Rain,” a punchy, upbeat and undeniably country track with Childers pleading “I am yours to use, and I sure wish you would use me / Do not let my heart just fall apart, rustin’ in the rain.” Aside from the title track, most of the album comprises slower ballad tracks like “Phone Calls and Emails” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” The album ends with a thoughtful cover of S.G. Goodman’s “Space and Time.”

Childers, like other outlaw musicians, has never been one to shy away from the politics of America and, more specifically, of country music, especially since the release of 2020’s Long Violent History. Rustin’ in the Rain’s single, “In Your Love,” garnered significant backlash from conservative fans of the artist. The ballad, which Childers wrote about two gay coal miners, tells a queer narrative that is so often erased from the public eye. I have no doubt that John Prine is smiling somewhere.

• Julia Weber, Features Editor

14. André 3000 – New Blue Sun, [Epic Records]

It’s been 17 years since André 3000 last released a (rap) album. Though this latest release isn’t a rap album, an experimental flute record will certainly do. When Outkast put out Idlewild in 2006, nobody could have imagined Andre’s next full-length project would be New Blue Sun. Even less expected is the name of each track.

Listeners do not need to delve into the world of flute-oriented music to hear the brilliance of this album. The artist’s playing is curious and reminiscent of the cutting-edge jazz records of the late 50s and early 60s. The exploratory sound of New Blue Sun is everything 3 Stacks fans could ask for. “BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears A 3000® Button Down Embroidered” and “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy” are both prime tracks to sample this album, and in my opinion, are the high points of this project. This is proof that any André 3000 contribution can make the world of music sound whole. Hip-Hop fans be warned, this album comes with a cautionary label: “Warning: no bars.”

• Dylan Thatcher, Contributor

13. Sufjan Stevens – Javelin [Asthmatic Kitty]

If there exists a household name of indie music, it is Sufjan Stevens. Stevens has delivered a prolific, astounding and era-defining body of work, and yet he shows no signs of slowing down, having released his tenth studio album Javelin in early October.

Javelin is vulnerable. The opening track, “Goodbye Evergreen,” tiptoes in cautiously like a sock-padded walk on hardwood flooring in a quiet house. The song builds into an eruption of sound when Stevens sings “deliver me from the poisoned pain,” setting the tone for an album packed so tightly with grief, uncertainty and self-consciousness. After the album was released, Stevens posted on his Tumblr that Javelin was dedicated to his partner who died in April of this year.

Javelin welcomes the core attributes of Stevens’s music that we have all come to love – soft, lulling vocals, biblical themes, light choral music and myriad piano and string uses. “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” begs for answers, for solace, for reassurance, as does the album as a whole. “So You Are Tired,” the first single released for the album, is a gut-wrenching, stomach-churning reflection on heartbreak with lyrics penned such as “So you are tired of me, so rest your head / Turning back all that we had in our life, while I return to death.”

Amid an undoubtedly hard year for the artist, Stevens has delivered one of the most cohesive and affecting narratives of 2023. Through attempting to find his own footing in life and love, he welcomes the listener to do the same.

• Julia Weber, Features Editor

12. Mitski – The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We [Dead Oceans]

Mitski came back from a rumored hiatus following Laurel Hell, an album that ended up on our Most Disappointing list last year, with a much punchier, country-inspired set of ballads that plays on all the singer’s strengths after her 2020 move to Nashville. Many heard the album for “My Love Mine All Mine,” a TikTok megahit and showcase of her softer approach to songwriting this time around. The record harkens back to her piano-forward origins, trading the keys for steel guitars on many of the songs, yet keeping the same slow-burn, disaffected croon that might explode into a haunting wail at any moment. Moments like the whirlwind of “The Deal” or the melancholy love of “Heaven” resonate long after the end of the 32 minute release.

Mitski continues to be an artist whose ambitions defy expectation. After the surprising synth-pop record last year and amid rumors of her retirement from music, she reinvented herself again for one of her finest records to date.

• Ethan Bloomfield, outgoing Reviews Editor

11. Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess [Island Records]

Chappell Roan is a name many didn’t know prior to 2023, but her debut album proved to be one of the most experimental and unique portrayals of an artist’s personal awakening. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is wild and wacky, but a pop album that isn’t stereotypical of what you hear in today’s Top 40 hits, and Roan makes sure of that.

Centered around her struggles with accepting her queerness, Roan paints a picture for listeners that is accurate for many in her shoes, opening up courageously to listeners. Songs like “Guilty Pleasure” and “Naked In Manhattan” standout because of the singer’s struggles with feeling suppressed by societal norms, while ones like “HOT TO GO!” and “Feminninomenon” stand out for their quirky lyrics and sexual innuendos.

If you’re looking for a pop record that doesn’t fail to make you smile, laugh, and tear up in the span of 14 songs, then Roan is the artist to pay attention to. Her artistry shines through on this record, proving the potential she holds for the future.

• Grace Koennecke, incoming Reviews Editor and Copy Editor

10. Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS [Geffen Records]

GUTS is another hit from young superstar Olivia Rodrigo. It comes with everything expected from an Olivia Rodrigo album: catchy hooks, charting radio hits and plenty of angsty teenage emotion.

While not as big of a hit as SOUR, GUTS shows a lot of growth and development as an artist. Rodrigo manages to juggle mature ideas with a pop sound, passing many of her contemporaries and cementing herself as more than one album, but as an icon of pop culture. This album, in many ways, was her announcement of that. One of the reasons this is so successful is the transparency of her reckless behavior and bad ideas. GUTS and SOUR are looking to be anthems for a new generation for many more years.

Rodrigo ages with her audience, going through the same problems. Perhaps I find her relatable due to age similarities, or perhaps she’s looking up to be one of the better pop singers this decade. Either way, Rodrigo will be a star for years to come, and her music is a big reason why. 

• Cody Englander, Staff Writer

9. King Krule – Space Heavy [Matador Records]

A decade ago, Archy Marshall fully embraced the King Krule name, releasing his full-length debut, 6 Feet Beneath The Moon. Now it’s 2023, and he has finally hit his 30s and dropped his fourth studio LP this past June. Space Heavy sees Marshall bringing his writing into the cosmos in order to express his worries of failure, paranoia, isolation, and this recurring theme of “the space in between.”

Paired with the subdued and gloomy art rock instrumentals wandering in reverb, the resulting album comprises some of his most intoxicating and emotional songs yet. Take some of the album’s biggest highlights as proof, like the airy and meditative “Seaforth” or the cosmic neo-psych of “Seagirl.” Marshall also makes sure to throw in a couple of wilder, more aggravated cuts too in order to break up the albums mellow-leanings, like the disorienting post-punk rager “Pink Shell”, the tense and murky “Hamburgerphobia”, and the desperate, back-end meltdown of the title track.

Space Heavy is easily Marshall’s most emotionally dense album to date, despite often being so reserved. The vast and cavernous landscapes he paints are able to elevate his imagery in a way normal words cannot describe. Few artists could take a line as simple as “Running out of space for your mistakes” and make it devastating, yet Marshall can through just within the sonic context, let alone the surrounding lines of a song. He continues to mature as a lyricist, expands upon more unconventional song structures, and still maintains that intimate aura to his writing that continues to make his work timeless.

• Roman Salomone, Staff Writer

8. Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd [Interscope Records]

Lana Del Rey released one of her biggest projects yet this year, and it is one of her best. Her influence is seen on younger musicians, but this album is a reminder that she is the blueprint so many are trying to achieve. Many of the tracks are reminiscent of “Born To Die.”

The blend of sound is purposefully slow, somber ballads beautifully working their way into the listener’s consciousness. The sadness and self reflection is like Del Rey is looking into a mirror. The heartbreak and misery of the album is moreso an experience Del Rey has decided to share with the listener. She’s always been blunt with her words, but the weight of what she sings about lends itself to feeling like an experience of sincere and intense emotions.

It’s an introspective album that is uncompromising on all fronts. It’s truly Lana Del Rey at her best and most talented, and a testament to her skills when she goes all out on a project. She hasn’t lost a step since 2012, only felt much more emotion.

• Cody Englander, Staff Writer

 7. boygenius – the record [Interscope Records]

Indie supergroup boygenius made their comeback this year with their hit album titled the record. Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker all bring their own kind of style when it comes to songwriting and making music, which is what makes their creations so special.

This year, the trio finally dropped their long awaited first full length album. the record hits marks that no one saw coming, such as the opening ballad “Without You Without Them” that transitions into the intense hit song “$20.” The album’s final track, “Letter To An Old Poet,” samples “Me & My Dog,” from their cult-classic self-titled EP. This was a hit for returning boygenius fans.

The group brings different flavors of folk and grunge to the record, giving everyone of any taste a track to listen to. It is undeniable that when these three come together, they will not disappoint. 

• Kate Tocke, Contributor

6. Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You [Perpetual Novice] 

Caroline Polachek’s sophomore record churns out hit after hit of irresistible honey-coated melodies left to marinate in your ears for weeks to come. Desire, I Want To Turn Into You stands as an eclectic lookbook of contrasting influences, flirting with flamenco strings and celtic bagpipes among homages to the immediacy of Top 40s pop. All of which are so excellently layered underneath Polachek’s breathtaking perfume of vocal brilliance, further sweetening each track into a hypnotizing sirensong steering the ship off course for just one last final relisten.

Each song is a vignette into hopeless romanticism, painting landscapes of meticulously pinpointed songwriting carved from a fountain of unbridled originality: “Hopedrunk Everasking” literally includes a chirping smoke alarm predominantly in the mix and somehow makes it sound like the natural progression of ambient balladry… Nathan Fielder, you were right all along.

• Rocco Prioletti, News Editor

5. Lil Yachty –  Let’s Start Here. [Motown Records] 

While albums at the start of the year often have to fight recency bias on year-end lists, it speaks to the power of Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here that it’s ended up this high on the list. The rapper’s adventure into psychedelic rock may seem like a hard left turn from what Yachty is known for, but after the first track “the BLACK seminole.,” it’s clear that he knew what he was doing. 

Heavily autotuned vocals complement the out-of-this-world instrumentation very well. This album has the movement and seamless flow of some of the albums that inspired this record, such as 70’s Pink Floyd. On top of the wonderfully crafted instrumentation, Lil Yachty also lyrically has a lot to offer on this record. While I’m not sure where Yachty goes after this, Let’s Start Here proves he has the talent and artistic range to deliver more great music.

• Nick Kobe, Staff Writer

4. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES [AWAL Records]

Scaring the Hoes is an unabashedly fun album, through and through – and how could it not be? This collaborative project between one of experimental hip hop’s trailblazing artists, Danny Brown, and arguably its biggest rising star, JPEGMAFIA, is nothing short of thrilling throughout its 14 tracks. The album combines some of JPEGMAFIA’s most frenetic, densely-textured, and noisy beats to date, alongside Danny Brown’s trademark manic, confrontational rapping that’s as witty as it is filthy.

Despite their differences in background and musical style, JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown have managed to pull together an album that’s a perfect blend of aggressive, absurd, and even danceable, with plenty of forward-thinking musical choices to keep things consistently interesting. Across every track, Scaring the Hoes incorporates many of the duo’s wildest individual traits into a tight package that’s equal parts gleefully unhinged and rapturously exciting. 

• Grant Kelly, Contributor

3. Paramore – This Is Why [Atlantic Recording Group]

After a six-year hiatus, Paramore finally released their long awaited sixth studio album, and their last with Atlantic Records, This Is Why. An album centered around the inner worries and reflections from the band, members Hayley Williams, Zac Farro, and Taylor York were not afraid to voice these, hence the wailing vocals on tracks like “The News” and “Crave.”

At the No. 3 spot, This Is Why proved to be one of alternative rock’s best albums because simply Paramore is a band whose sound is timeless. Paramore is also a band who isn’t afraid to experiment, jumping from emo-rock (“You First”)  to mainstream pop (“Running Out Of Time”) to 1980s-inspired ballads (“Big Man, Little Dignity”) throughout the album’s 10 tracks, packing quite the punch. The political and social landscape of the United States also sets the backdrop for this record, with Williams using her high soprano to wail about injustice and fears of missing out, aging and the spread of misinformation, making it an overall incredible listen.

The new album also has established Williams as one of the most successful frontwomen in music, as her vocal abilities go above and beyond what they have on previous records, and the band’s lyrical abilities have greatly improved, solidifying as one of the mainstream’s best rock bands currently out there.

• Grace Koennecke, incoming Reviews Editor and Copy Editor

2. 100 gecs – 10,000 gecs [Dog Show Records]

10,000 gecs, the sophomore album by hyperpop duo 100 gecs is exactly what you’d expect based on the title: 10 times better than their debut, 1000 gecs. Across its 10 songs, 10,000 gecs doesn’t waste a second. Every song is incredibly fun and infectiously enjoyable. From the anthemic “Dumbest Girl Alive” to the many goofy songs such as “Doritos & Fritos,” to the heart-wrenching “mememe,” everything you could want from a pop album can be found on 10,000 gecs.

A personal favorite track from the album, “The Most Wanted Person In the United States,” contains one of my favorite lines of the year: “Queen of California, hot like the heat is / Got Anthony Kiedis sucking on my penis”. We love trans representation in music! Even with a mere single listen, it is clear why 10,000 gecs has made it so high on our list: it is an incredibly potent album. It’s just straight-up entertaining. There’s very little not to enjoy. It will leave you with a smile on your face. If you enjoy pop music or having fun, it is a must listen.

• Venus Rittenberg, Editorial Director

1. Wednesday – Rat Saw God [Dead Oceans]

The southern, chaotic, and noisy sounds that Wednesday exude makes Rat Saw God one of the most defining musical moments of 2023.  If the group had not already proven themselves, Wednesday’s fifth album solidifies their standing in the contemporary indie music scene without question. The band’s songwriting is mettlesome and knows how to grab a listener’s attention.  

Opening track “Hot Rotten Grass Smell,” hits listeners full force with haywire vocals and guitars. The song is short and simple but packs quite a punch, just like the album. Wednesday prove that you can blend almost any two genres together. There are elements of punk, shoegaze, and country, creating sonic hybrids that will appeal to fans of many genres. It can be a challenging listen at first but it is worth the reward at the end.

• Kate Tocke, Contributor