100 Best Albums of 2023: 75-51

Jump to: Songs | 100-76 | 50-26 | 25-1

Hello and welcome to day two of counting down a needlessly high amount of records! Catch up on the first 25 records if you haven’t already. Otherwise, let’s roll.

#75. Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine

Scowl sounds practically identical to the band Gouge Away – which is fine by me, as the latter band left a void by taking a hiatus (though they themselves returned with a new song this year). This is aggressive and abrasive hardcore, but without sacrificing melody. Despite only being 10 minutes long, this EP leaves room for experimentation and temptation within brutal hardcore. This group does not have a proper full-length out yet; when they do, the throne is theirs to take.

RIYL: Gouge Away, Birds In Row, getting your nose broken

#74. Ratboys – The Window

To call Ratboys “exciting” is a slight stretch, but it is cool how the band makes songs that are so familiar and digestible and yet don’t really follow any proper genre conventions. They’re ostensibly an indie band, but they’ve always infused their songs with enough raw energy to be punk (and have toured with proper punk bands). Their new album tosses in more roots rock elements, too, which only complicates things. And yet the songs are so smooth, so catchy, and mostly extremely fun. Good for the whole family!

RIYL: PUP, Beach Bunny, rocking out but safely

#73. Antony and the Johnsons – My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross

ANOHNI makes beautiful music, this is not news to anyone familiar with her work. Her heartbreaking lyrics are always matched by her unique, lounge throwback crooning voice. She reunited her old band and their first album in 13 years is a dreary, soulful affair. The experimental indie vibes of ANOHNI’s solo albums are mostly gone, replaced by more straightforward soul. It suits her voice well, which was fit for 50’s sounding ballads. With a photo of Marsha P. Johnson on the album’s cover, you know we’re not getting any less political.

RIYL: Perfume Genius, Zola Jesus

#72. Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loveliest Time

Another banger album from the best pop singer on the scene now. Ever since the days of E*MO*TION, the best pop album of the last decade, Jepsen has had a brilliant niche for herself. Her music is straightforward pop, and her vocals are breezy and smooth in a way that hints at a youthful innocence. But her lyrics always give nuance – usually in the form of mixed emotions or counterintuitive responses to social situations. It’s just as true here, as Jepsen acts a barely-veiled raconteur for human complexity. As always, this is a two parter – this album is a sequel to 2022’s The Loneliest Time. We gotta love someone who always gives us some extra.

RIYL: Tove Lo, Jessie J, solo dance parties

#71. Dream Wife – Social Lubrication

Yeah okay, you only name your album something like Social Lubrication in certain spaces. Dream Wife are a chaotically fun band, who fuse punk and pop together in a way that is distinctly not pop-punk, but two forces working against each other. Toss in some indie elements too, and you’ve got a super unique blend. The band’s bluntly feminist lyrics are a plus, often as tongue-in-cheek as they are serious. I mean the lead single is “Hot (Don’t Date A Musician).” Thrilling, unique and urgent – this is the future of punk. 

RIYL: Hinds, The Menstrual Cramps, fucking up an abuser

#70. Kenny Mason – 6

Rappers have been blending rock into their music for decades now, but few do it in the way Kenny Mason does. Across his brief album 6, he uses rock influences sparingly. Sometimes, it’s straight rap, sometimes there’s hints, other times it goes full on shoegaze. Unpredictability is the key player here, leaving the listener guessing as to where Mason might go next. The flares of horror influence give this album a proper morose mood, too. Rock influences are used to deepen the grim tone, not to make bangers. And yet, it’s exciting.

RIYL: clipping., Brockhampton, pretending not to like nu-metal but secretly enjoying it

#69. Danny Brown – Quaranta

After the raucous insanity of his classic album Atrocity Exhibition, I found his more centralized follow-up album to be disappointing. After a few years away, Brown bounced back big, dropping two albums in 2023. The first was a collaborative album with JPEGMAFIA – more on that later – and the second is an album that works to recapture some of the old, wild magic. Brown is newly sober, and that change permeates this record. Quaranta follows the same darkly funny, manic rapping from years past, but leveled out a bit. It’s a more mature side of Danny, which he seeks out while still being one of the most exciting musicians in the country.

RIYL: Run the Jewels, Vince Staples, limbering up for the pit

#68. Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter – SAVED!

You may know Kristin Hayter more as Lingua Ignota, a now finished noise project where she matched her operatic vocals with harsh screaming and disturbing lyrics of self-hatred and religious paranoia. She’s now operating under this moniker, delving further into the religious aspects of the music. This album has plenty of fire and brimstone moments, but it ultimately lies closer to a Southern gothic sound than a noise one – think Ethel Cain or, I guess, Flannery O’Connor. The result is music that is more accessible than the stuff with Lingua Ignota, but would still send people screaming. 

RIYL: Ethel Cain, Xiu Xiu, demonic possession

#67. AJJ – Disposable Everything

For a number of reasons, I’ve taken myself off the AJJ train over the last decade. But, an opportunity to cover one of their shows came up, and I figured I might as well for old times sake. Turns out, it was in support of their best album in a long, long time. The band had struggled for a while to meld their older songs, which were hyper-fast folk-punk with shocking lyrics, with a more mature sound. They finally nailed it here, as they embrace some of their older ways (short songs, raw lyrics) with more nuanced melodies and discussion topics. It’s quick, diverse, adult, and all still distinctly AJJ.

RIYL: Defiance Ohio, Mountain Goats, finally taking a shower

#66. Nickel Creek – Celebrants

I don’t think anyone expected a new Nickel Creek album in 2023. Their first album in 9 years was released with little announcement and little fanfare. The bluegrass legends came firing back with a damn near perfect bluegrass release. I don’t really go for music like this much, but threw it on just as something new to listen to. It’s a hefty album, and yet every track feels vital, as if the band has secretly been saving all of these songs up for the last decade. This album is just naturally fun, with insanely talented musicians confidently steering it. 

RIYL: Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson, doing square dances? idk anything about this way of life sorry

#65. Anjimile – The King

A formerly local artist, Anjimile’s music has always been emotional and raw. Their newest triples down on it, analyzing life as a black nonbinary artist in America (hint: it’s not great!). It’s a beautiful and impactful folk record, with some of the most powerful songs of the year. That it’s also an intricate release musically makes the album that much better. These songs are bleak, and they sound bleak, but they also sound a lot fuller than you may expect from such morose folk. 

RIYL: Vagabon, Bartees Strange

#64. Kali Uchis – Red Moon In Venus

This is just good ass R&B! I’d never really listened to Uchis prior to this, so it was a pleasant surprise. She blends English- and Spanish-language lyrics together in a super-fun neosoul record, a perfect summer soundtrack. Everything here feels refreshing, and the fifteen tracks ensure that no idea sticks around too long. Not much else to say: it’s fun as hell.

RIYL: SZA, Frank Ocean, block parties

#63. Nation of Language – Strange Disciple

I discovered this band by chance just after I had a moment where the music of Tears For Fears finally ‘clicked’ for me. Having the poppier side of new wave, which I had always maligned, finally make sense to me opened up a world of new music. These folks do exactly that, and they’re very good songwriters. Their synthy-indie pop could get boring quickly, but they put care into making every song unique and excellent. These tracks are smooth, rhythmic and built with just a touch of tenderness. I anticipate getting even more into them in the future.

RIYL: Tears For Fears, Erasure, putting your hair up in a way that’s going to look very dumb in a few years

#62. Feist – Multitudes

There were a handful of welcome returns this year, few more welcome than indie goddess Feist. Her first album in six years doesn’t see any real change from her previous albums, and why should it? The Feist template of nuanced and mature folk-rock songs with pretty rhythms, haunting vocals and complex emotions is still running strong. She hasn’t missed a beat, as Multitudes is another notch in an excellent catalog. 

RIYL: Cat Power, Sharon Van Etten, getting one drink at a show and taking the next day off work

#61. Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure

I mean, it’s Janelle. What do I need to say here? This is far from her best work, and it’s still among the best albums of the year. Smooth, breezy and sultry, there’s fewer distinct bangers here and more of a prolonged vibe. And that vibe is, well, coital. There’s only two tracks over 3 minutes, highlighting just how flowing and digestible this album is, like a sweaty summer day. The fact that people were expecting grand political statements by Janelle’s return to music is incredibly funny, as we instead got a rousing sex playlist.

RIYL: Prince, Tinashe, [redacted]

#60. Lonnie Holley – Oh Me Oh My

You may or may not know the name Lonnie Holley as a visual artist with a career spanning back decades. At a spry 73 years old, he’s released his third piece of audio art, and that’s exactly what it is. This is abstract, experimental music, full of songs that couple a political angriness with a religious wholesomeness. It’s a complete persona, the positive and negative. A lot of experimental music falls victim to an ironic repetitiveness, but this album will always keep you guessing. There are some heavy assists, too: Bon Iver, Sharon Van Etten and Michael Stipe all show up, among others. 

RIYL: Kara Jackson, William Basinski, achieving a complete and total clarity about the world

#59. Blondshell – Blondshell

Feels a little weird to call this a debut given that Blondshell, aka Sabrina Teitelbaum, had previously released pop music under a different moniker. But those songs went nowhere, and she’s done a hard reboot with a set of fuzzy, guitar-based indie. Many albums on this list try to reinvent the wheel; Blondshell revels in the already-established. These are just great, punchy indie tunes that hearken back to a 90’s sound. Poppy, noisy, and innately rhythmic, this is indie rock at its finest. 

RIYL: Momma, Snail Mail, pleasantly liking some of the songs your teen kid is playing

#58. Lil Uzi Vert – Pink Tape

What a victory lap. Uzi is one of the last stars of the cursed mumble rap scene, but he’s on top of the world. And this album sees him throwing all of his ambitions and excesses at the wall and seeing what sticks. There’s no idea too ridiculous – in fact, the two best songs are a song that samples Shinsuke Nakamura’s entrance music, and a full cover of “Chop Suey!” At 87 minutes, I will concede that it could’ve been edited down a lot, but a vast majority of the songs here are fun bangers that don’t overstay their welcome. It may be a slog to get through – but it’s rewarding.

RIYL: Young Thug, Playboi Carti, the party of the century

#57. Spanish Love Songs – No Joy

This band has a natural knack for writing grown-up, despondent tunes that feel like a much-matured version of pop-punk. These songs are a little too indie to be punk, a little too prickly to be indie, and way too adult to be pop-punk. They owe more to the irreverent raconteurs in the Hold Steady than anything else, yet most often get namedropped alongside bands like the Menzingers. It’s a patient and engaging album. The characters across the songs feel earnest and real. There’s simply a lot to relate to here.

RIYL: The Menzingers, the Gaslight Anthem, having the stark realization that you’ve lived enough to relate to Springsteen lyrics

#56. Geld – Currency // Castration

I’ve written about it earlier in the list and I’ll write about it again later, so let’s keep this brief – hardcore bands are currently pushing themselves to the absolute limit. This quick release (22 minutes) stands firmly on the trifold border of hardcore punk, thrash metal and harsh noise. It’s a limited audience record, but for those who find it, it’s wildly great.

RIYL: Knocked Loose, Mammoth Grinder, listen I’m running out of hardcore jokes here. Uhh uhh smashing a PBR can against your head

#55. Depeche Mode – Memento Mori

There isn’t much I can say about MM that I haven’t already said in my Depeche Chronicles series from earlier this year. This collection was born out of tragedy, of the loss of Andy Fletcher. And although some of these songs were already in progress when he passed, his ghost haunts the album. The two remaining members face their own mortality up and down, with a number of diverse and intricate tunes that nonetheless revel in the morose. It’s one of their better albums! And while they may face their own mortality, they didn’t let it get to them – embarking at their age on a massive, arena tour.

RIYL: Gary Numan, The Cure, calculating how much you’ve spent on black eyeliner in the last 35 years

#54. LURK – Natural Causes

There’s a lot of punk on this list, and most of it is similar in the way the groups push the boundaries of labels and sheer sonic terror. LURK, though, is closer to traditional hardcore punk. I only found this band because a coworker’s group played a gig with them, but I’ve spun this one a couple times now. It’s just an EP, so nice and brief, but the band packs a lot into it. Some songs are noisy and abrasive, some are focused more on melody. Despite only being 20 minutes, it’s a diverse effort within the realms of punk. Really left me wanting more.

RIYL: Rise Against, Knocked Loose, idk i’m totally out of hardcore jokes here 

#53. PJ Harvey – I Inside the Old Year Dying

PJ Harvey remains unpredictable. She’s one of the few artists with a perfect batting record when it comes to albums, but it’s fair to say that her previous work, 2016’s Hope Six Demolition Project, was one of her weaker efforts. This album, she’s decided to take things back to medieval times. Not actually, but the album is based on an epic poem and is littered with biblical and Shakespearean references, and the near-constant minimalist feel gives it more of a chamber aura. It isn’t like anything Harvey has done before, chalked up at least a bit to the improvisation on the album. It’s not her most accessible work, and it took me a few tracks to vibe with it. But there’s a mesmerizing core to this album, even in the moments where there is very little happening.

RIYL: Nick Cave, Patti Smith, reading a book in the woods

#52. Kesha – Gag Order

Kesha’s initial turn towards earnestness still felt a bit forced, even in spite of the implosions happening within her career and personal life. Now, these years later, she’s never sounded more sincere. This album is brutally emotional, and sees Kesha offer her best-ever vocals and her most vulnerable lyrics. It’s also probably her most diverse album musically, refusing to pigeonhole her into one sound. Kesha – or Ke$ha, even – had always been as much a character as an artist. That character is finally, fully, shed. This is a deeply and darkly human album, and easily her most impressive work to date.

RIYL: Britney, Christina, gonna be honest it feels very wrong to do a joke response to this one

#51. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – The Silver Cord

Immediately upon release, this record – the band’s 25th (!!) – proved to be one of their most divisive among fans. A lot of the band’s guitar purist fans don’t like the electronic/krautrock direction the Aussies have decided to go in. And that’s fine, the sheer point of Gizz is that you’re not going to like everything they do (for me, it’s the boogie stuff). I was expecting to be bored, honestly, but this one is pure fun. The band channels Kraftwerk into some songs that are both metrical and exciting, particularly the urgent songs “Set” and “Gilgamesh.” There’s a ton of lyrics about ancient gods and what not – it’s still Gizz after all. And of course, there’s the album’s gimmick – the record comes in two versions, one running about 30 minutes and one running about 90 minutes, where every song is “extended,” stretching past 10 minutes. The extended “Theia” goes 21 minutes. Both versions are excellent, and work together to service all electronic fans. 

RIYL: Kraftwerk, Can, when Dylan went electric 

Thanks for reading! Tomorrow we soldier on with entries 50-26. The albums will only get better (or worse, this is all personal tastes). Up tomorrow, we’ve got some local metal, shoegaze legends, electronica legends, one of the biggest albums of 2023, a band with a song called “Lana Del Rey,” an artist who parodies Lana Del Rey, and Lana Del Rey Stay tuned!

100 Best Albums of 2023: 100-76

Jump to: Songs | 75-51 | 50-26 | 25-1

I apologize in advance because I went sicko mode this year. But looking down at the list of albums & songs this year, how could I not. 2023, just like nearly every year, delivered an incredible amount of excellent music, with hundreds of albums not getting the national coverage they deserve. So I had to go to the extreme and talk about 100 albums.

The year started off cold. There were a number of albums from both big-name veterans and personal favorites that disappointed. New releases from Miley Cyrus and Metallica were dead on impact. Damon Albarn went 0-2 with a disappointing Gorillaz album and a disappointing Blur album. The Dirty Nil, a band I’ve previously called the best band in music, released one of the worst albums of the year. It was a dire start which, thankfully, was a red herring for the rest of the year. Because when things started to tick up, they really ticked up.

I really wanted to write about so many more albums than what’s already here. My final tally was 346 new releases, with another 100 still on my list. I also manipulated the list a bit, which originally included Bad Bunny and Peter Gabriel towards the bottom – but do they really need more coverage? I am already sacrificing tons of under-the-bubble groups. You know whether or not you like Bad Bunny & Peter Gabriel.

From experimental bedroom pop, to French indie, to a dozen hardcore albums, bluegrass, new wave, indie veterans, bubblegum pop, religious black metal and a handful of the loudest noise records ever produced – it’s all here.

#100. HEALTH – RAT WARS

One of the very last albums I listened to (somehow I missed the release) sneaks in at the bottom. Ever since I saw HEALTH for the first time in 2019, they’ve been one of my favorite bands. They’re still chasing the highs of their best album, but this industrial-heavy album comes damn close. This is heavy, pounding music, always offset by the distant, high vocals. There is more of a sweaty club vibe on this one which really aids the slower tracks. Rarely does a band capture the 80’s industrial intensity as consistently and successfully as HEALTH does.

RIYL: Nine Inch Nails, Author & Punisher, getting into a fight at the sex club

#99. Slaughter Beach, Dog – Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling

The trajectory into slightly Americana-based indie is simply not what I would’ve predicted for Jake Ewald. When Modern Baseball split – the pop-punk group beloved by all, even me who does not like pop-punk – Ewald ramped up his side project. Now a decade later, he’s doing folksy indie, and this album is his best SB,D work yet. These are songs with rich characters and storied histories, with love and tenderness inserted each time. While these songs are not upbeat, there is a consistent engaging quality to them, one that nags at the listener. This is Ewald’s best songwriting to date! 

RIYL: Real Estate, Grizzly Bear, finding your old ripped CBGB’s shirts a decade later

#98. The Beaches – Blame My Ex

I dropped the ball on this one. In advance of Boston Calling, I received a dozen interview requests from the Beaches’ PR person. I passed, not having the time or knowledge of the group. Well now they’re big! And rightfully so. The band’s sophomore album is a spunky, catchy indie-punk record filled with snarl. These songs are built around melodies, but they come straight from the heart. The amount of energy and earnestness across this record is apparent immediately, especially on the aptly-named opener “Blame Brett.” They have hooks for days.

RIYL: Beach Bunny, Clairo, knowing your break-up will end in a defamatory radio hit

#97. Suzie True – Sentimental Scum

This is the first of a handful of blisteringly fun, feminine indie-punk records on this list. Suzie True does fast and heavy songs, loud enough to be punk and catchy enough to be indie, all wrapped up in compact records. The overly girly imagery of the group matches with the old-school punk riffs in just the right way to piss off some old gatekeepers. Listen closely for what I believe is an uncredited Sean Bonnette on vocals (from AJJ – more on them later). Fast, fun, angsty, loud – perfect for 2023. 

RIYL: Teenage Halloween, Oceanator, reading your old diary

#96. Speedy Ortiz – Rabbit Rabbit

Rabbit Rabbit. It’s what Sadie Depuis tweets on the first day of every month. A new start, a new beginning. The first Speedy Ortiz album in five years (following an excellent Sadie solo release) is kind of more of the same, kind of not. A great indie-punk album, it’s got some of the fiery energy of old Ortiz tunes, with a lot of maturity and patience thrown in. This is maybe the most well-rounded Speedy album yet, and they’ve always had a handle on complete packages. I was not anticipating another Speedy Ortiz release, so this was a delightful surprise.

RIYL: Hop Along, Charly Bliss, getting too old for street punk shows

#95. Deerhoof – Miracle-Level

I will not claim to be remotely knowledgeable about the experimental group Deerhoof or their approximately 100 albums. But I know fun experimental indie when I hear it, and that’s exactly what they provide on Miracle-Level. It’s unpredictable stuff, often manic, but without the abrasive unpleasantness of a lot of experimental rock stuff. This is their first album to be sung entirely in Japanese, further removing it from any curious normie audiences. But it’s a celebratory album, a joy in a scary world.

RIYL: Xiu Xiu, Battles, getting hypnotized 

#94. Chris Farren – Doom Singer

Chris Farren the person is a hysterical and respectful guy I’ve always loved, especially as a lifelong friend of Jeff Rosenstock (more on him later). Chris Farren the musician has never really done it for me, his brand of smooth pop-punk/indie has chronically been a bit soft for my taste. So imagine my surprise when his newest – which doesn’t really deviate from the formula! – grabbed me. It’s a high-energy and just fun indie-punk record. Farren’s voice is always smooth and his production clean, resulting in a brisk listen and a nice antidote to much of the depressive music on this list. It’s fun!

RIYL: Chumped, Lemuria, living in Brooklyn baby

#93. Wilco – Cousin

Wilco might be considered one of the premier dad bands, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still have the juice. Wilco’s 13th album sees them hand off the production reins for once, to test themselves. We’re in a creative boom for Wilco, too – following last year’s excellent country double-album Cruel Country, we’re now getting the most experimental Wilco album in over a decade. Now it’s nothing like Yankee Hotel of course, but these songs pack a lot of little punches. There are a lot of intricate details here, aided by Cate le Bon on production. Wilco could easily be producing “another Wilco album” but they’re still finding ways to stay fresh, instead. 

RIYL: Arcade Fire, Spoon, being the cool uncle

#92. Body Void – Atrocity Machine

Finally music that really answers the question, what would body horror sound like? In a list filled with abrasive and off-putting metal, this is one of the most intense records. It also purposely refuses alignment with any specific metal subgenre, incorporating elements of doom metal, black metal and industrial. While the songs are lengthy, they’re also completely unpredictable. There’s something for nearly all metal fans in here (except power metal, thankfully). Add in body horror lyrical concepts and you’ve got yourself one of the wildest metal releases of 2023. 

RIYL: Full of Hell, Primitive Man, scaring your neighbors

#91. Joanna Sternberg – I’ve Got Me

Folk music should always be honest and vulnerable. Sternberg’s sophomore album, written during COVID, as they pulled away from substances and from a manipulative music industry, is chock full of it. This is a painful record, with heartfelt grief sessions peppered in frequently. But don’t think it’s a sob session, because many of these songs are fun, too. Complex emotions with layered lyrics and uppity acoustic guitar make for a well-rounded folk record. There’s never any certainty to what the next song holds. And what’s more like life than that?

RIYL: Julie Byrne, Cassandra Jenkins, having a breakthrough at therapy

#90. Agriculture – Agriculture

One of the last albums I listened to in prep for this list, this one left me blindsided. I’ve never heard something like this. This is black metal, but with roots tied in experimental music. It is beyond heavy and extreme, with raging guitars and screamed vocals, all meshing together in lieu of a sense of melody. Sometimes. Other times, it’s got steel guitar and harmonies. It’s totally unpredictable and thrilling, something wholly new even in the black metal world. I mean, the band is called Agriculture. Black metal bands are normally named like Sancti Stigmata or Festering Gushes or something. Anyways, this is sick as hell.

RIYL: Vile Creature, Mizmor, black metal that pisses off Nazis 

#89. Capra – Errors

You’ll notice a trend on this list – boundary-pushing hardcore. There were a great number of hardcore albums this year that pushed out of genre barriers, usually in the form of sheer intensity. Capra is a little more standard, but they’re still very unique. Errors is a fiercely intense hardcore punk record, one that comes with some variations and some scant outside influences. It sounds closer to Gouge Away, with songs that balance volume and heaviness with leveled tempos and mature rhythms. And all of this comes with rough, rough vocals that give the group a lot of credibility. 

RIYL: Ithaca, Gouge Away, slamdancing in a 100-degree church basement 

#88. Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite

Cattle Decap has been a band for a very long time and I’ve always considered them one of many interchangeable, not particularly interesting death metal-adjacent groups. But when I heard a single on the radio, it caught my attention. These are some of the most well-written metal jams of the year, all crafted with a graceful touch and ceaseless brutality. Not to mention, the production is immaculate. This goes beyond death metal into deathgrind territory, but the nomenclature doesn’t matter. What does matter is riffs, headbangers, and songs called “Scourge of the Offspring,” and this one delivers on all fronts.

RIYL: Cannibal Corpse, Aborted, earplugs

#87. Alex Lahey – The Answer is Always Yes

There’s a couple albums on this list that blend indie and punk, which is Lahey’s specialty. These songs are a little too energized to be indie, but a little too patient to be punk. Really, this album – more so than similar ones on the list – are the advancement of the more memorable emo bands of the mid-10’s. These songs are emotional, but often affirming, and mix rhythmic melodies with just enough oomph to be bangers. There were a few great emo-punk albums on this list – this one should not get lost in the shuffle. This is a special collection of songs that are both fun and deeply personal.

RIYL: Camp Cope, Swearin’, smiling through the pain

#86. Squitch – Tumbledown Mountain

RIP Squitch long live Squitch. The final offering from one of the best local indie bands is a delightful and emotional journey. Despite the opening track “Not The End,” this is definitively the final album, and the band is going out on top with their best record. The guitar-based songs here are both catchy and complex, drawing on strong vocals, dense production and heart-on-sleeve emotions. It might be the end, but there’s still time to get Squitch on your radars.

RIYL: Puppy Problems, Real Estate, a little cry in a comfy bed

#85. Worriers – Trust Your Gut & Warm Blanket

Similar to Squitch, Worriers have always occupied a space in indie that hints at punk edges but never truly explores them. While classified as punk, Worriers – mostly the solo project of Lauren Denitzio – craft intricate and vulnerable singer-songwriter tunes. Much of the lyrical material here is derived from small interactions, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings, and not any grand, vague scopes, which helps give these songs a raw earnesty. It was a busy year for Denitzio, releasing two great albums. “Gut” is a bit edgier than the very low-key “Blanket,” but they play off of each other very well.

RIYL: The Menzingers, the Gaslight Anthem, sneaking liquor into a poetry reading

#84. Be Your Own Pet – Mommy

One of my favorite bands, and it’s a marvel they reunited. They split up in 2008 as quietly as they had lived, a garage punk that was always bubbling a little too under the radar to make an impact. But they’re back – at the request of Jack White! – and they haven’t missed a beat. I was concerned that they would be too mature these days, and while these songs don’t necessarily have the same unfiltered chaotic energy of the band’s debut, there is still a healthy amount of inappropriate and loud stuff. I mean, look at the title and cover, not to mention lead single “Worship the Whip.” This borders on the ledge between indie and punk, but it’s meant purely for the latter’s crowd. Long live Be Your Own Pet.

RIYL: Ty Segall, Heavens to Betsy, crashing a wedding for fun

#83. Russkaja – Turbo Polka Party

This is easily the biggest guilty pleasure on this list. It’s the only one that I’ll reckon isn’t “good” but it is fun. A Russian group that blends polka and ska into punk and metal, something that’s loud and laughable. There’s a healthy mix of genuine cultural appreciation via traditional Russian music, and tongue-in-cheek songs about the somewhat ridiculous mix of genres. This is the type of thing I would’ve loved in high school. The band mixes a lot of “uncool” genres, and to double down on that, there’s a genuine cover of “Last Christmas” towards the end (and the album came out in February).

RIYL: Alestorm, Korpiklaani, Weird Al if he had an attitude

#82. Orbit Culture – Descent & The Forgotten

Many of the acts on this list are artists who experiment around and toss genre templates out the window. But in order to appreciate music like this, there has to be a base love of the bands that can do basic templates well. Orbit Culture, a death metal group out of Sweden, play standard death metal songs, they just do them ridiculously well. These songs are heavy and brutal, direct, and all the while insanely catchy. Descent is a proper studio album, while The Forgotten is a follow-up EP with a couple of longer songs. There isn’t a bad track across the two releases, a serious breakout year for the band. If you like your music to be a quick punch to the brain – these guys are for you.

RIYL: Suffocation, Machine Head, throwing your voice out trying to growl along

#81. The Mountain Goats – Jenny From Thebes

After releasing approximately 1001 records that didn’t really have themes, John Darnielle et co. have begun to do conceptual albums. And this album takes on the toughest concept yet – a full album about Jenny, a character who has existed on the fringes of Darnielle’s lyrics dating back to 2003. Whether you’re invested in the intricacies of Darnielle’s lyrics or you just appreciate their gleefully depressive music, then you’ll love this back-to-basics album. This one sounds like it came out in 2004, in Goats lore. The songs are lean and simple, yet super catchy and always tinged with paranoia, American loneliness, and outright depression. The indie-folk legends never left, but in a way, they’re back.

RIYL: Neutral Milk Hotel, the Decembrists, crying in a hotel room alone

#80. Ragana – Desolation’s Flower

Black metal for the sake of black metal can be excellent on its own. But black metal with a message can be powerful. Ragana have always held this to be true, and their new record is downright stunning. A queer duo, Ragana bring antifascist politics to a genre that is historically, well, fascist. This record is visceral, complex and angry, with lengthy and relentless metal songs. But the band puts on the brakes frequently, knowing the power of somber bridges and interludes. In fact, a lot of this album rests, and it makes the metal songs all the more powerful. Think this is the only queer black metal album on the list? Think again.

RIYL: Mount Eerie, Thou, the film “The VVitch” 

#79. Year of the Knife – No Love Lost

Grindcore albums shouldn’t be long. This one is 9 songs and 20 minutes, a blissfully short blast of sonic warfare. I know little about this band, only discovering this one on a metal station shortly before I began writing these entries – but on this mini-album, the group is joined by insane heavy-hitters like Full of Hell and Sangusiugabogg, two bands who both narrowly missed this same list. This is super intense, super abrasive and super quick stuff. Not for the faint of heart, but also not the same song 9 times over. There’s care put into separating these songs, even the ones that are under a minute. Brutal, brutal things are afoot.

RIYL: Nails, The Locust, getting 13 songs into your 15 minute set

#78. Dreamwell – In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You

Hardcore often gets more interesting when bands don’t stick to a rote one-two-one-two formula. Dreamwell, a group from my neck of the woods, don’t so much follow a new path as they do take the hardcore formula and set it on fire. They are a deeply original and thrilling group, channeling the best days of Fucked Up (more on them later). The band explores so many territories that it no longer feels like hardcore, but Keziah Staska’s consistent growled vocals always bring things back home. 

RIYL: Converge, Deafheaven, trying to get your friends into metal

#77. Squirrel Flower – Tomorrow’s Fire

Another local artist, at least formerly so. Squirrel Flower has always made great guitar-based bedroom indie, but this is her finest work yet. Ella Williams is always one to keep things honest, and this record is emotions on full display. It’s still the indie rock that fans expect, but things are a little bit darker, a little bit heavier. Many tracks move away from the folksy influences and into a heavier rock atmosphere. And some don’t – diversity is a strength here. But everything here is unexpectedly grimier than before. Straightforward, but dense and cathartic, it’s a great set of old-school indie rock tunes.

RIYL: Indigo de Souza, Cat Power, pretending you’re Gen X

#76. Palehound – Eye On The Bat

Normally, indie groups that come out of the gate with high-energy, fun tunes eventually settle down into midtempo stuff. But Palehound is only getting more fun. The rest of the album never quite hits the high of the raucous title track, but the whole journey is a blast. El Kempner is always one to wear their heart on their sleeve, and does so here. These songs are earnest and emotional, mostly chronicling the unsteady nature of the last couple years. And yet, it’s an absolute blast to listen to. 

RIYL: Adult Mom, Jay Som, early-00’s goofy indie bands with names like “Structural Integrity in Istanbul”

Thank you for reading! My hope is that you, dear reader, find at least something you’ll like and may have missed. Check back tomorrow for entries 75-51. What can you expect? Some new wave legends, a bit of bubblegum pop, back-to-back folk albums, back-to-back moody rap, and a pop singer getting more honest than ever before.

35 Songs I Loved This Year

Jump to: Fav albums 100-76 | 75-51 | 50-26 | 25-1

Hello and welcome to another edition of excessively long year-end coverage courtesy of me, someone who has had too much time on their hands lately. 2023 was a great year for music, yet again. My Spotify playlist where I dump all new songs I like is up to 563 (!!) tunes as of the time of writing. And while a condensed version of songs I loved is at 77 entries, I decided to cap it at 35 for my own sanity. I have a lot of album posts coming up.

These are 35 songs, from 30 artists, that I really enjoyed. I didn’t put a great deal of thought into these since there were so many to choose from, and I’ve left this list alphabetical. Also, I should note, much of the new music I discovered this year was thanks to the Sirius indie station I listened to on my commutes, so both my songs and albums lists are heavily indie-skewed this year.

100 Gecs – “Frog on the Floor”

I mean how else could this start? One of Gen Z’s most shining bands is out here reflecting their generation in shedding away any sort of musical norms. Is this a pop band dropping a ska song in the middle of the album? Yes. Is this just a song about a frog? Yes. Is it catchy as hell? Yes. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t one of my most-played songs this year, despite really sounding like a children’s song. Hell it’s basically made by children. 

KEY FROG PUN: I heard he was telling croaks at the party.

Arlo Parks – “Devotion”

The sophomore Arlo Parks album was excellent, but it did see the alt-R&B singer move away from jazzy indie in favor of more rote pop beats. So it makes this song – which starts off as a sultry coital anthem before doing a hard reset into straight rock – all the more out of place. Catch a Deftones namedrop early as a hint of what’s to come. Loud and catchy R&B rock; it’s simple, yet unique.

KEY NAMEDROP: Shaking to Deftones, glitter in my bones

Big Thief – “Vampire Empire”

Even in a year where indie titans Big Thief have only released two songs, they make the list. The Best Band In Music is known primarily for disastrously sad songs, so this seemingly genuine love ode feels extra suspicious. But whether there’s a flipside to this one or not, it’s one of the band’s most inventive tracks yet, with some of Adrienne Lenker’s best-ever vocals. 

KEY LYRIC: I wanted to be your woman, I wanted to be your man / I wanted to be the one that you could understand

Bully – “Days Move Slow” & “Lose You”

There’s a few instances on this list where I couldn’t narrow it down to one song per artist, and they always relate anyways (except one instance). Alicia Bognanno’s grunge-flavored indie has always been filled with a certain sense of ennui, but on her best-yet album, it comes with a purpose. The album is dedicated to Alicia’s late dog, Mezzi, and these two tracks about the impermanence of life – and the impermanence of grief – represent some genuine and complex emotion. Some assistance from Soccer Mommy bolsters the latter track, but they’re equally great.

KEY GOOD BOY: RIP Mezzi, the best boy

Cherry Glazerr – “Ready For You”

Cherry Glazerr have always been an indie group of the guns-a-blazing type, edging closer to straight rock than anything else. The second single off their new album is their best track yet, with heavy melodies and Clementine Creevy’s best-ever vocals. Her powerful vocal rhythm dominates this song and adds a hefty layer of confidence into the lyrics. Although the lyrics are actually quite vulnerable, they sound vaguely threatening under the guitars and vocals. Side note: catch this band live if you have the opportunity.

KEY I’M THE JOKER: Wish I could meet you with my eyes / I’m sick inside my twisted mind

Clark D – “It’s a Stickup!”

I didn’t listen to much rap this year, just wasn’t in the mood really! But this song by local rapper Clark D fell into my lap at the end of the year and hot damn is it one of the most fun tracks of 2023. An absolutely manic and tongue-in-cheek track with the highest possible energy. It’s a banger to the max, and doesn’t even stretch to 2:30. Add in a wild verse from kei and you’ve got a monster song. He cleaned up at the Boston Music Awards and proved that this song translates very, very well to a live setting.

KEY SCREAM IT: BITCH YOU GETTIN’ ROBBED

Death Cab For Cutie – “An Arrow in the Wall”

It’s been 15 years since I said “hey I really like this new Death Cab song,” and naturally this is the one that sounds the least like Death Cab. The Postal Service tour must have had a positive effect on Ben Gibbard’s primary indie group, as they trade in their guitars for a gloomy, minimalist beat. There’s a sense of foreboding in this that is totally foreign to DCFC, and it’s a welcome change.

KEY LYRIC: This machine was built to be broken

Faye Webster – “But Not Kiss”

Faye Webster exists in the same tragic indie-folk sad girl scene as, say, Phoebe Bridgers, but she’s always had a comical innocence to her music. That’s stripped away on this cold, baroque tune centered on a pounding, two-chord piano line and a simple but powerful “yeah yeah” in the chorus. It’s simple, but good luck getting it out of your head.

KEY LYRIC: I want to sleep in your arms………..but not kiss

feeble little horse – “Steamroller”

I’ve obviously been listening to mainly indie here this year, but there aren’t many indie bands like this anymore. These young upstarts are channeling the likes of Dino Jr. and Pixies in the way they layer their stuff under fountains of distortion. Underneath all the peels is a paranoid and apologetic tune about personal space, but it’s okay if you never make it that deep. Just enjoy the experience.

KEY RELATABLE PARANOIA: I’m the only one who sees me naked

Genesis Owusu – “Leaving the Light”

This list isn’t ordered at all (hopefully you’ve figured that out by now), but if it was, this would be #1. This absolute banger is my favorite song of the year, as it stands. It isn’t a particularly unique or wheel re-inventing song, but it is a paranoid dancehall banger. Owusu’s album STRUGGLER, which will be found on my albums list, is an album that is about a paradoxical concept – humans surviving an apocalypse. The song’s lyrics are simultaneously paranoid and prideful, and the music is blood-pumping synthy funk. It’s extremely easy to overlook the fact that the song is intended to be violent and depressing! The biggest party of the year is, in fact, the apocalypse.

KEY EARNED BOAST: Crush me with your holy hell, I feel no damage

The Hives – “The Bomb”

God bless the Hives. Their first album in 11 years sees the dance-punk legends stretching out a bit, crafting some songs that aren’t quite as high-energy as before. Logical – they’re in their mid-40’s now, even if Pelle Almqvist did split himself open and soldier on recently. But the Hives blueprint still works. “The Bomb” is a barely-two-minute track with a BPM of 1000 and the most ridiculous lyrics of the year. There isn’t a point to songs like this, it’s just extremely high-energy, goofy fun. And if the Hives can still do it this well, then they’re never going to lose it.

KEY PELLE ALMQVIST: What do you wanna do? Get down! What don’t you wanna do? Get up! What don’t you wanna not don’t do? Not get down! What don’t you wanna not don’t wanna not do? Not get up! 

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – “Deathwish”

I’m a big fan of everything Isbell has done, but there’s something specific that permeates all of my favorite tracks of his – vocal melodies. This song, the first track off his country band’s “Weathervanes” album, starts immediately with a lengthy but simple and effective vocal rhythm. It’s something that runs through the course of the whole song, very repetitive but never tiring. Isbell’s songs are often lyrically despondent, but not necessarily sad songs – this one feels downtrodden immediately, which only adds to the effectiveness. This is downright hopelessness.

KEY EXTREMELY RELATABLE OPENING LINE TO YOUR ALBUM: Have you ever loved a woman with a deathwish? 

Jenny Lewis – “Psychos”

I love dirtbag Jenny Lewis. Twenty years ago, she was singing youthful and introspective indie ballads about love and loneliness. Now, she recognizes that her era has passed, and is singing offhand country-folk songs like this one with vaguely problematic lyrics like a cool aunt. To be clear, the lyrics of this song are not good, but the 11pm-on-a-weeknight-in-a-bar vibe of this song is excellent. And, her voice has improved significantly since the Rilo Kiley days. I hate to say it, but she’s a lot cooler now than before. 

KEY RELATABLE NONSENSE: This shit is crazy town

Jungle – “Back on ‘74”

I get that I have a broader spectrum of music than most people, but one of my hardest beliefs around music is that I can’t trust anyone who doesn’t like funk. The band’s latest hit, their biggest in both America and their native UK, is a smooth and sultry vocal song ripped out of the 70’s. The nostalgic lyrics touch on past innocence and lost opportunities, but it’s more than acceptable to shut the thoughts out and just enjoy the fluid melodies. This is a banger, after all. I believe this song has gotten big on The Tik Tok website, so here’s to a whole new generation getting into soul music. Oh, and if you’re only going to watch one video on this list, make it this one.

KEY CRY-DANCE: Never gonna cry anymore, where did it all go?

JW Francis – “Swooning”

Some of the artists on this list are ones I’m extremely knowledgeable on. This is not one of them. I know absolutely nothing about this guy, but I do know that this is one of the most well-constructed songs of the year. At its core, it is a simple indie song about struggling to find the words to tell someone you’ve fallen for them deeply. But there is a lot going on – a rumbling guitar rhythm backs a sweet synth, there’s a guitar freakout, there’s a riff that mimics a butterfly, and there’s a late-song octave change. For people who like to analyze individual elements of songs, this one is a goldmine. Really fun stuff.

KEY LYRIC THAT REFLECTS THE MUSIC: Oh my, I’m swooning / I think we hit the right chord, new tuning

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – “Gila Monster”

The second proper Gizz metal album is unlike the first, which was loose thrash. This album is dense, slow and heavy. But much like “Infest the Rat’s Nest,” it centers on an apocalypse and the animals that take over afterwards. In this one, we’re praising the new king, a Gila Monster, whose adorable face graces the album cover. This one is raw and catchy, bolstered by Ambrose taking over for vocals at the bridge and pumping things into a new gear. 

KEY SCREAMABLE CHORUS: Gila! Gila! Gila!    Gila! Monster!

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – “Set”

I couldn’t keep these together. The second Gizz album of 2023, “The Silver Cord,” is an electronics one, cashing in their Kraftwerk tickets. Like “Gila” this one is just fun as hell. And like “Gila,” it kicks into high gear off a bridge where Ambrose loses his mind. There’s five different things going on at once musically, which doesn’t even address the cryptic lyrics about ancient Egypt. Everything here is manic. I didn’t think I would like electronic Gizz this much, but I was wrong.

KEY NONSENSE: Eighty years of conflict, crocodile dog birth, Lucifer inverted, slender usurper, piece of work

Lifeguard – “Alarm”

My, where did this one come from? One of the most rousing rock songs of the year comes out of these upstarts, literal children who are channeling the best days of Pixies and Bikini Kill. The song is intensity above all, but it remains extremely catchy too. It’s an absolute bruiser, and it makes the band sound both as youthful as they are, and far more experienced than it. Although I’ve heard this one on indie rock radio, I’d hesitantly call it punk.

KEY VAGUE BUT SCREAMABLE CHORUS: Switch! Switch! Trip or take me!

Lil Uzi Vert – “Nakamura”

Almost no one has a better entrance theme in the world of professional wrestling than Shinsuke Nakamura, so much so that he had to add Japanese lyrics to it to try and quell American audiences from singing it throughout his matches. It was also begging to be sampled. Well Uzi was of course the man to do it. That wildly memorable violin line serves as the foundation of this song, with Uzi rapping over it. This was an easy slam-dunk for any artist, and a shoo-in for this list.

KEY GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn from NXT Takeover: Dallas

Little Dragon – “Slugs of Love”

There isn’t much to say about this one other than it’s just one of the most fun bangers of the year. There’s a sax hit just seconds into the song that lets you know it’s gonna be a fun one. The music is fast and funky, the vocals are upbeat, and the lyrics are chaotically funny and sexual. Try getting this one out of your head.

KEY NO THANKS: Have a feast at the table / slugs of love 

M83 – “Amnesia”

Easily one of my favorite songs of the year; I absolutely did not think that Anthony Gonzalez had songs like this one left him. The slow synth build-up feels ominous, building to one of the biggest cinematic choruses you’ll ever hear. It’s Kaela Sinclair’s short but powerful lines during the chorus that really make this one stand out. The song sounds like a late night drive through a crowded but sleepy city on a warm night. It’s got a fullness to it that feels free and warm, even with a touch of dread thrown in. It might be the best song of 2023.

KEY PHRASE I’VE BEEN SHOUTING IN MY CAR: Four minutes with you

Mandy, Indiana – “Pinking Shears”

One of the best new bands of 2023 is also one of the most confounding. Quite possibly the shortest song on this list, this Mandy, Indiana track mixes mechanical percussion, heavy synths and buried vocals into one burst of sound that is very catchy while still dense and wholly unique. Oh, and it’s all in French. The end result isn’t really classifiable, and it sounded out of place on indie rock radio. It isn’t quite my favorite song of the year, but it might be the new one I’ve listened to the most times.

PHRASE CLÉ: Je suis fatiguée, tu sais parce que je suis fatiguée

MJ Lenderman – “Rudolph”

It wasn’t enough for the band Wednesday to drop an all-timer album on us, the guitarist had to drop this excellent solo track too. A crisis of faith plagues the speaker, professing his love to someone from within the walls of a seminary. Throw in some self-doubt, Rudolph the Reindeer and a Pixar reference, and you get a rollicking spellbinder. As with his other solo songs, this is an americana-grunge tune, with rough guitar and loose vocals.

KEY LYRIC: I wouldn’t be in the seminary if I could be with you. 

Model/Actriz – “Donkey Show”

The opening track from my favorite debut album of 2023 is a manic mess. The group starts hauntingly soft, with just a little synth line that sounds like a bug crawling around, until the rest of the band kicks in heavily. The song wastes no time in getting intense – singer Cole Haden sounds like a man who has just realized he is in deep trouble. On the first few listens of this song, I thought “wow this is heavy.” After a few more, I thought, “this is also….groovy.” It’s not like anything I’ve heard before. The song sounds comparable to “City Song” by Daughters, but it swaps out 50% of the paranoia in favor of funk. You can absolutely dance to this, but it might only happen in the nightclub from Blade. 

KEY TROUBLING VAGUENESS: All night, me and my wretched device

The New Pornographers – “Really Really Light”

There’s hardly anything new about the pornographers, who admittedly wear out the formula a bit on their ninth album. But the opening track is an absolute delight of breezy indie. The lyrics are both poetic and empty, singing about nothingness. The fading guitar lick that runs the song sounds like wind entering your car windows on an empty Midwestern highway. There’s a certain listlessness to this song, like everything about it exists only to kill time, but it’s a pleasant feeling. A distinct balance that only a band this deep into the game can pull off. 

KEY BOREDOM: We sit around and talk about the weather / My heart just like a feather / really, really light

Orbit Culture – “Vultures Of North” & “Descent”

Sometimes you just need some good death metal. Orbit Culture’s newest album is a victory lap and a breakthrough, with a bunch of great songs that do a lot with a little. These two songs feature rhythms that are, quite frankly, very simple! But they’re super fun and incredibly catchy while still being heavy and brooding. The growled vocals are top notch and the production is stellar. The metalheads probably have this band on radar already, but here’s a note in case you don’t.

KEY BROODING: The descent into madness is all I see, and it’s all I’ve seen

Palehound – “Eye on the Bat”

How much fun can one song be? Local legends Palehound hit an absolute home run (pun intended) on their latest album’s title track. The song kicks off with a fun and complex acoustic guitar line, with bright and cheery vocals and one quick slide guitar hit thrown in too. Although the song is ostensibly about how grueling a tour can be, the lyrics cherry-pick some nostalgic moments too. This feels like a song we’ll still be listening to in a decade. Spin it a couple times:

KEY SAME: Black Sabbath as the sun goes down ‘cause I like heavy metal / We’re the only people for miles around and we’re headbanging to Paranoid.

The Rolling Stones & Lady Gaga – “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”

I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that the new Stones album is anything really worth listening to, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you skip this one. This 7+ minute track is possibly the best Stones song since…the 80’s? Gaga brings the best out of the Stones, who face down mortality on this apocalyptic track. Her background vocals provide a moving aura that earnestly feels akin to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” There is also a vulnerability here that we don’t see from Mick much, though it’s still wrapped in ego too. 

KEY LYRIC: No, I’m not goin’ to Hell, in some dusty motel / And I’m not goin’ down in the dirt.

Sleep Token – “The Summoning”

One of the first new songs I heard in 2023 ended up being one of the best, a heady and highly conceptual song that acts as metal, but dissuades any real classification. A simple and pounding riff comes and goes as huge choruses rise and fall, as the song meanders between radio rock and straight metal. The whole thing has this aura that there’s a great bridge coming, but where it ends up going is unpredictable – an extended ambient segment followed by a poppy, jazzy coda. The song messes around with genres and expectations, with supreme confidence.

KEY RADICAL TONAL SHIFT: Oh, and my love, did I mistake you for a sign from God?

Slowdive – “Alife”

This is aural Xanax. We should be so thankful that Slowdive reunited back in ~2015 because the niche they left behind had been imitated by countless bands, but never perfected. While many of their shoegaze contemporaries like My Bloody Valentine and Ride often searched for bliss and clarity in sheer volume, Slowdive did it in minimalism. “Alife” recaptures the stunning and cathartic aura of their original 90’s work. Everything is so slight that it feels improvised, but it’s all so polished that it could’ve only been done by perfectionists.

KEY LYRIC: Two lives are hard lives with you. 

Slow Pulp – “Cramps”

Slow Pulp is an indie-pop group that would usually not get mistaken for doing anything heavy or edgy, but the first single off their newest album is just that. The song, which yes is about period cramps, comes complete with fuzzy guitar and full-to-the-brim vocals. It’s an extremely fun song, reminiscent of a more 90’s indie pedalboard sound, and helps the band expand their sound some. It’s a simple song, but I spun it a whole bunch this year.

KEY I AM NEVER JEALOUS OF PEOPLE WITH PERIODS: I play out the same scene, bleeding on my new sheets / I wanna bake out on the concrete

Wednesday – “Bull Believer,” “Chosen to Deserve,” “Quarry”

One of these things is not like the others! I couldn’t help but include three songs by the Band of the Year in here. For those unfamiliar, Wednesday deliver a brand of americana-infused indie with a healthy amount of heavy guitar, in a total package that feels similar to Neil Young on paper, though not in practice. “Chosen to Deserve” and “Quarry” are country-fried indie tunes that tell tales of American loneliness; the former is a first-person tale of two bored people forcing a relationship, the latter is a walk down a poor street deep in the suburbs. “Bull Believer,” meanwhile, is a 8+ minute dose of heavy grunge that culminates in minutes of screaming. You simply won’t believe it’s from the same album. 

KEY STORYTELLING TIME: Somebody called the cops on Mandy and her boyfriend / When they busted in they found that her house was a front for a mob thing / Pulled guns and cocaine from the drywall wrapped in newspaper / We gathered in the tall grass and watched unblinking as they cuffed ’em and hauled ’em away

There were of course many, many other songs I wanted to write about for this list. Real quick, here’s five that just missed the cut: 26Fix – “Stonekiller” (electronic/indie), Full Body 2 – “wonder limit” (shoegaze/hyperpop), The Kills – “New York” (guitar indie), Nation of Language – “Sole Obsession” (electronic/indie/new wave), Slaughter to Prevail – “Viking” (deathcore)

Check back in tomorrow when I start my official countdown of *cough* my 100 favorite albums of 2023!

The Depeche Chronicles

Happy Halloween! Here’s an intro paragraph I wrote months ago:

Hello welcome to THE DEPECHE CHRONICLES, a title that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. This is entry number four in an ongoing series where I force myself to sit down and actually listen to the catalogue from an artist I claim to love, or one that I simply should know more about. You can click through for the first three entries: Zola Jesus | David Bowie | The Replacements. For this project, I am planning on listening to and writing about all 15 studio albums, including the ones I’m already familiar with. Why did I choose Depeche Mode? Easy – I’m seeing them on Halloween night (!) and, well, I just haven’t heard nine or so of these albums.

This was originally going to be a multi-part series but I neglected it and now I’m scrambling to get it up hours before Halloween. Shall we get started?

SPEAK & SPELL (1981)

I’ve always wondered if their debut would follow suit of “I Just Can’t Get Enough” and, well, it does! This first album seems like a massive red herring compared to the band that would follow. It’s not exactly fair to call this album “jolly” when the second track is called “I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead” but the music is far bouncier and new wave-y than what would follow. I had forgotten, quite frankly, that Vince Clarke wrote these tunes before he spun off into Erasure and let Dave Gahan get weird with it.

I mostly found this album…bewildering. There’s a lot of strange choices, like taking the dense, catchy and incredible opener “New Life” and following it up with the short, midtempo “I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead” that halts the album in its tracks immediately. Also, for a band that has spent decades being deathly serious, there’s an instrumental filler tracker called “Big Muff.” It has the exact same effect as Alice in Chains having an early track called “Fat Girls” (which is real, btw).

The bookends of this album are great – the hits “New Life” and “I Just Can’t Get Enough.” What comes in between is a handful of songs that sound pretty similar to those two hits. It’s not bad by any means, but it is repetitive. Side B starter “Photographic” is bolstered by a strong beat and some very subtle chaos. The back half of Side A – “Boys Say Go!,” “Nodisco,” and “What’s Your Name?” are all very pleasant songs as well, though they were not necessarily ones that demanded my attention.

This is a very new wave album, almost to the point of parody. I’m mostly surprised that something so fully synth-poppy existed this early in the 80’s. I wrote in my Replacements piece about bands struggling to adapt to changes, and with an album like this in ’81, it’s easy to see why so many classic rock bands couldn’t adjust. This is a moderately fun debut, but there’s a hard reset coming and I think it’s for the better – this sound is barely sustainable across one album. I’m looking forward to seeing how the band really solidifies themselves, because I know absolutely nothing about the next couple releases.

Grade: 6.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Photographic”

A BROKEN FRAME (1982)

Sheesh. This one’s pretty rough. The group – now a trio with their chief songwriter departing – have dug themselves a wide trench and jumped in. There’s very little to say about this one, it’s just boring.

The songwriting isn’t that bad. There are enough ideas happening here to make a lot of the tracks unique, although many of them are pretty barebones. Redundancy is actually something that plagues later DM albums so it’s nice to see it isn’t a case here. Plus, having Gahan and Gore share lead vocals on “Shouldn’t Have Done That” gives that song a special feeling, a late album treat. “Nothing To Fear” is a neat instrumental, not riveting or anything but also unique against the album’s other tracks. Otherwise, the good tracks here are just some very Depeche-y songs, like “Leave in Silence,” “See You” and
“The Sun & The Rainfall.”

Those songs are decent, but there’s no real standouts here. The songwriting is a bit minimal, often moving on just one idea until it runs out of gas. More critically, the production is hollow. There’s a lot of dead air, with Gore sounding distant and the synths not sounding full enough. It feels like a trial run – in a way, it was – for a band that had already had a major hit. The production really kills whatever beauty this album could’ve had, and reduces it into just a passable, forgettable synth album. Skip it.

Grade: 4/10

Fav non-hit track: “Shouldn’t Have Done That”

CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN (1983)

When I jumped into this project, I truly didn’t know what to expect from the 80’s hit valley albums, but I expected a number of releases like Frame. Luckily, this one overdelivered! It’s far from a great album, but it’s also a tall step up from the utter tediousness of their sophomore record.

There’s a lot of fun ideas on this album, and the best tracks are the ones that feel wholly unique. Opener “Love, In Itself” is a dark and moody to kick the album off, an omen of better Depeche albums down the line. It’s a tortured song of needing more than love, complete with minor key synths that hit hard. The follow-up, “More Than A Party,” is bouncier but stands as the highest energy Depeche song to date (in fairness, not much competition). It’s a great song that shows a side of the band they often ignore. “The Landscape is Changing” shows some inspiration taken from industrial music, which was operating on the sidelines of the same synth-pop movement. Again, it’s something the band clearly can do, but rarely does. So that’s a nice, unexpected late-album banger.

The middle of the album does sag, though. “Everything Counts” and “Two Minute Warning” are simply songs that exist, and I could not find an opinion to elicit at all. Same goes for “Told You So” and “And Then” at the album’s end. “Pipeline” worked on paper, as the band took a very Asian-influenced rhythm and fed it through synths, but the song doesn’t exist much beyond it and it stretches on for far too long. There’s still considerable downtime on this album.

I won’t say this is a great album, it’s fine, just one with some great songs. I’m glad I listened to it. This is the true birth of the band that would go on to sustained greatness – the first two albums are scratched experiments. I’m excited on what the next few albums hold, while apprehensive. We’re in a serious hit drought, still albums away from Violator. But! Onwards I will go.

Grade: 6/10

Fav non-hit track: “More Than A Party”

SOME GREAT REWARD (1984)

Well, hm. I’ve gotta respect the work ethic here – they haven’t missed a year yet. But after the more adventurous and diverse Construction, this feels like a bit of a backpedal. Frustrating, and disappointing. This is another Depeche album where there’s simply not much going on, it feels like mostly downtime. That’s no good!

Okay so I’m not gonna go back and edit my mistakes, I’ll own up to it – I thought we were in a low period for hits, but I didn’t think about “People Are People.” At track 3, it’s the first interesting song here. “Something to Do” has a tantric rhythm, but it’s got nothing lyrics, and on the whole it’s a bit dull. “Lie To Me” left no impression on me whatsoever! The rest of the first side of the album followed in this manner – songs I simply didn’t care about one way or another. “It Doesn’t Matter” didn’t matter, and “Stories of Old” felt a bit empty despite some fun music.

Side B fared better! “Somebody” was a nice, and surprising, piano ballad. For a band that has always relied on synths, the switch to real piano was a shock. That’s followed by “Master & Servant,” another industrial-tinged flare, with far more interesting lyrics than any song prior. These two back-to-back really helped to save the album from being dismal. “Blasphemous Rumors” closes things out, a minor classic that was better than I remembered.

There are some standout tracks, but it feels like a regression. The music is back to sounding repetitive and midtempo, and the lyrics are pretty forgettable across the board. It’s a pleasant album, and the band is starting to gel more on the “who does what” front, but it just isn’t that interesting. A shame. Oh well.

Grade: 4.5/10

Fav non-hit track: “Master & Servant”

BLACK CELEBRATION (1986)

Finally, we’re getting into some real meat & bones Depeche Mode. This is the first album so far where it’s really felt a full album of inspired stuff that’s distinctly Depeche. The album has its faults – mostly strange ones – but it’s a vast improvement over Reward, too.

Let’s talk about the opening track. The title track really caught me off-guard! So far, the albums have had somewhat weak openers that lead into a better track, but this one starts off hot. In fact, “Black Celebration” is the best song on the album. It’s got a very complicated, puzzling central rhythm and good vocals that produce a song that sounds vaguely threatening. It taps into the torturous well that many of the best Depeche songs pull from, one of the first great ones so far. The two following songs – “Fly on the Windscreen” and “A Question of Lust” follow suit, but to diminishing returns. Still, it’s the template of better Depeche to come, and it feels like the first time it’s been solidified.

“A Question of Time” starts off the back half with a real moody and intriguing vibe, a great rebound after the first half trails off. Late-album track “World Full of Nothing” is also very strong, a soft and absent piano ballad that sounds pretty bleak. “But Not Tonight,” which is just a bonus song on extended editions, finishes off the album with a bouncy, catchy rhythm, the kind that is largely missing from the back half.

There’s still general downtime on this album. Both halves have songs that simply didn’t register an impression on me, and it was really disappointing how quickly the first side tapered off after a great start. Also, there were bizarre issues in the mixing; some songs were just too quiet? Everything in “New Dress” sounded hushed in a way that was unintentional, like it was a lo-fi production. Everything got lost in the mix. It was odd. This happened on a few tracks, but it was the most noticeable on “Dress.”

Still! I really enjoyed this album. Even the lesser tracks offered something fun, and the band is really, truly, taking shape. We’re ramping up to Violator, and it’s making me hopeful for the albums that come in between. This is a solid record with some real standout tracks, it’ll be worth a revisit!

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: “Black Celebration”

MUSIC FOR THE MASSES (1987)

Celebration felt like a template for the Depeche Mode albums to come, and this is a mostly fun minimalistic supplemental piece. This doesn’t feel quite as “Depeche” as the albums bookending it, but it still sees the band maturing and solidifying their base sound. For me, this one didn’t hit quite as hard as the ravenously positive retro reviews, but it’s still very solid.

The album opens with hit “Never Let Me Down Again,” which is a great song and not at all a good album opener. It sets the tone of the album, but doesn’t have either enough oomph or nuance to feel like a proper intro. Still, it’s an excellent song! The follow-up, “The Things You Said,” might be more indicative of the album – pleasant, minimalistic and vaguely ambient. It’s lighter than previous Depeche songs, which mostly aren’t super loud or heavy to start with. Most of Masses plays with this minimalistic sound. It’s nice that they can pull it off, given that that isn’t a trait common among synth bands (and knowing the album that’s looming). “Sacred” sees this style coupled with the band’s standard religious lyrics in a winning effort. On the back half, “To Have and To Hold” works minimalistically, as well.

The album’s three biggest divergences all work incredibly well, too – the very fun and bouncy “Behind the Wheel,” the piano ballad “Nothing” and the unique instrumental “Pimpf.” These tracks manage to expand the band’s sound on an album that otherwise defines it.

As always, the album isn’t perfect. There are a few down spots. “I Want You Now” has a strong vocal performance and a layered melody, but it doesn’t sustain the interest. And “Little 15” is straight up dull. However, these were the only two songs that really stuck out to me negatively, which is the best batting average of any album yet.

Another high point is the production – it’s been shaky to outright bad on other albums, but everything sounds great here. The mixing is strong on these songs, especially the more layered ones. But even on the minimalistic tunes, there’s care put into the softness and richness of each contributor. The band is really settling into their midtempo groove – basically every song is midtempo – as they’re really starting to congeal more than ever. It’s easy to see why this album is beloved by some, it’s got a number of individual great songs on it. The best tracks either sound exactly like Depeche, or very different. This was the moment the band was really taken seriously – pretty comical, since Violator is just around the corner.

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav non-hit track: “Behind the Wheel”

VIOLATOR (1990)

I mean, what is there to say about Violator that hasn’t already been said by people more qualified than me? It’s an all-timer album! It also is definitely not a first-time listen for me, but it’s been so long that it felt like one.

This is the big one for a reason. Their songwriting has improved, and their concept of what they can do with an album has greatly improved. I mentioned before that the band struggled with opening tracks and sequencing – well those issues are erased here. The album is sequenced perfectly, and explores what to do with downtime on an album. “World In My Eyes” is a great opener, a standard but solid Depeche song, and one that lulls the listener into false expectations. “Sweetest Perfection” follows the same trend, though both songs make it obvious that this album is better produced than any previous Depeche effort. But when those two songs give way to “Personal Jesus,” something hits. “Jesus” is of course a massive hit on its own, but it sounds pummeling on the album. The band hadn’t put a song like that out in years, far funkier and confident than listeners at the time were used to.

When talking about sequencing, we’ve gotta look at the transition between “Waiting For The Night” and “Enjoy the Silence.” The former is a minimalistic tune, hypnotic but barely present, and one that ends on the same rhythm that “Silence” starts on. It allows the latter tune to hit so hard refreshingly hard that it sounds energizing, even though it’s a song I’ve heard a thousand times. Likewise, the band explores free space at the end of “Silence,” cut out from the radio version. There are a few hidden interludes on this album that really work well in separating songs and ideas.

Everything on this album just works well. There’s still space to say I loved the closing track, “Clean,” which reminded me greatly of Pink Floyd’s “One Of These Days.” Also, I listened to the extended version, so I picked up some neat instrumental tracks after the record. “Kaleid” was the most interesting one of these, something that sounds more akin to today’s electronic than 80’s Depeche Mode. All in all, this one rocks, but did you not already know that?

Grade: 9/10

Fav non-hit track: “Clean”

SONGS OF FAITH & DEVOTION (1993)

Alright folks, if you’re reading all of these posts in order than it all comes together at once, but it’s actually been about a month since I spun Violator, so apologies if this gets inconsistent or loose or anything. It’s been a busy month – we moved, then my gf had surgery, and work has been crazy. And, for whatever reason, I just haven’t been in a Depeche Mood. But we’re back, where I had left off right in the middle of their peak.

I’m not sure this album hit for me the way it seemed to hit most upon its release. I’ve always known this one to be one of their bigger, better albums, and for good reason. It expands on their creative peak of Violator, and even if the actual songwriting isn’t quite as exemplary, it really solidifies the sound that the band has become known for since that album. This is a gloomy, depressing album, and one highlighted by religious imagery. There have been hints (or full-blown excursions) into that territory before, but never as deep or consistent as here. I mean, look at the album title. They didn’t make it subtle.

Okay, first off, I loved the opening track. “I Feel You” has a respectably high number of spins on Spotify, especially as one that I don’t think I was already familiar with. It’s a departure – somewhat – from the electronics-based sound the band is known for. It’s more of a rock song, with live guitar and drums and a complex time signature. It feels like the opposite of Radiohead dropping the synth-based Kid A, a surprise given how immensely popular the previous album was. It was also the lead single, a changing of the guards song. To be quite honest, the rest of the top side of this album didn’t really grab me! You can maybe chalk that up to a pre-coffee listen at work, but the next few songs felt a bit like “more of the same,” to me.

Side B mostly all worked for me, thankfully. I really dug the later single “In Your Room,” a patient and gloomy song that really grabs that dark-synth, goth vibe that they excel at. Gary Numan apparently credits this album with helping him get heavier, and it’s easy to see why in this song. (Side note: Numan has put out some incredible albums in the last decade). “Get Right With Me” is a livelier song, at least in comparison, thanks to a bouncy vocal rhythm. It’s a very textured song; so far, Depeche has done much better with layered songs rather than barebones ones. “One Caress” is a string section-backed ballad, one that comes as a surprise after the rock/electronic songs prior, but one that fits right in with the tone. It’s a great piece of gloomy art, and couples nicely with “I Feel You” in showing how the band can be comfortable in uncomfortable territory. The closer “Higher Love” is another solid ballad, with a great vocal performance. It’s not the finest song on the record, but one that acts as a great closer.

All in all, I did really enjoy this album. I owe it – especially the first half – a pretty immediate re-listen. I think it could become a personal favorite. Consider a grade on this one to be temporary, as it could easily be elevated. The band is on a hot streak, and this album is extremely important in formulating the sound and aura that all of the future albums would strive for. Although the biggest album is behind us, this is the one that FEELS the most like Depeche Mode.

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav non-hit track: going back and forth here because “I Feel You” was very much a hit, but one that I didn’t already know, and maybe my favorite first-time hear so far. I’ll toss in “One Caress” too, not a single at all.

ULTRA (1997)

So, the point of these projects is that I listen to a band’s catalog in a condensed amount of time, so I can track how a band progresses, and to get better at listening to full catalogs. But I needed a break! So I’m actually writing this one months after Faith & Devotion. It was an unfortunate place to take a break, as this album was such a near-disaster that it really comes in at a left angle on the listener.

Depeche Mode is in turmoil. Alan Wilder is gone and Dave Gahan has both overdosed and attempted suicide since the last album. It looks like a lot of people assumed the band was finished – and justifiably so. But instead, we get this dense and puzzling album. Knowing the backstory, the whole album feels darkly mystical and downright uncomfortable, as if Gahan is going to disappear halfway through. The sense of dread that fills it is, almost unfortunately, something that could’ve helped their rough early albums. The blackened cover and the maximalism-implying title give this one a real sense of doom.

As for the actual album, it’s often great but somewhat frustrating. The opening track – with the apropos title “Barrel Of A Gun” – is a dark and funky tune that sounds gleefully miserable. The specific tone of the song is difficult to pinpoint, which is something that truly works well. I mean, what’s more goth than this? The immediate follow-up is a left turn, “The Love Thieves,” a much more toned-down and moodier piece. It’s nearly as effective as the opener.  The album continues on this inconsistent trend throughout.

Some tracks stand out more than others. “It’s No Good” is another funky jam and an early highlight. “Useless” is a real solid tune, borderline industrial and richly textured with multiple overlapping rhythms. Late-album track “Freestate” is maybe the most ‘classic’ Depeche song on the album, midtempo and brooding but still catchy, and the song’s placement towards the end after a lot of experimentation is a nice touch.

The album’s biggest drawback is length. The thing is an hour long, and it includes a few instrumental ditties that just don’t serve much of a purpose. It is, at times, a slog. Some songs like “Home” and “The Bottom Line” just don’t hit very hard, and make it apparent that the album could’ve used a touch more editing. Some tracks, namely “Sister of Night” and “Insight,” are mostly great – but overstay their welcome. Truthfully, the album could’ve been trimmed.

With some cutting, this could’ve been a classic in the highest regard. It’s still a downright great Depeche album, their most haunting album to date (and probably overall). It isn’t really one that demands a number of relistens, due to its nature, but it will be a great one to come back to once and a while. And speaking of coming back, I’m excited to come back to this project, as it’s suddenly less than a week before I’m seeing Depeche Mode live!

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav non-hit track: “Useless,” which was released as a single but clearly didn’t make waves – it’s one of the lesser-played tracks, at least on Spotify.

EXCITER (2001)

I often find that when I have days when I am feeling particularly bad – be it sickness, anger, or poor mental health – I often follow it up with a day where I feel great. This album feels like the second day. After the sludge of darkness of Ultra, we get a release that’s much more atmospheric and euphoric. I’ve talked a lot in these posts about the importance of cover art, and just compare the two albums. Ultra has a cover of all black and gritty font. The Exciter cover? A lovely agave leaf. It’s pleasant to look at. And, it’s pleasant to listen to.

Full disclosure, I listened to this a week or so ago, possibly longer, so it really isn’t as fresh in my memory as I would like. I would love to relisten now – but I don’t have much time! It’s still in my brain, anyways. Onwards: I’m surprised by many of the middling grades assigned to this album. Scores for this one are pretty all over the place, and while I felt it wasn’t up to the standards of the last couple releases, it’s still a very strong and unique album.

As stated, this one is a lot more ambient than anything before it. I can see that being a letdown for folks expecting more dense muddiness, but it complements Ultra well. The album’s opener, “Dream On,” is a cheery pop tune with, shockingly, acoustic guitar. It’s the first in a series of songs that feature instruments, influences and textures not normal for Depeche Mode. “The Sweetest Condition” is a nice, breezy tune that mixes an urgent vocal performance with patient music. “The Dead of Night” has more of a droning rhythm, heavier in nature but still funky. “Freelove,” is a soulful and mature track that is very heavy on the blustery mood. The last one I really enjoyed, “I Feel Love,” is another optimistic one, a house music influence on a winding pop tune. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s nice to hear them having fun.

However, this one suffers the same major problem that Ultra does; there’s unnecessary downtime. It is not as egregious here, because the ambient nature leads to less jarring transitions, but it still feels like there are moments where you’re waiting for a bigger song to come along. This has been kind of a running issue through their catalog, one that hasn’t been amended by increased success. The songs I noted as the great ones are quite literally tracks 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The ones in between are less interludes and more puffier songs that don’t really work all that well. When the album hits, it’s great, but it couldn’t be spottier by design. Still, I think this is one of the more unique entries, and I think it’s one I may actually find myself coming back to often.

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: “I Feel Loved”

PLAYING THE ANGEL (2005)

Four years later. A tumultuous 90’s saw the band grab their biggest hits and best albums, while spiraling out of control behind the scenes. Ultra was the low, Exciter is the rebound. Now, in 2005, we’re settling into normalcy. But that sounds like an insult – this album is anything but complacent! I was expecting something steadier and less experimental, and this album is just that, but it’s an absolute blast. Quite frankly, I loved it.

Let’s talk about “Precious.” I was 15 when it came out, and I was only listening to guitar rock. Just starting to come into my own, I was chowing down the indie on VH1 at the time – Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, etc. I was just starting to get into punk and metal, too. I was hearing this song a lot, and I felt couldn’t land anywhere on it. I felt like it was something I wasn’t supposed to like, because it wasn’t what I already liked. Long story short, the song was instrumental (uh, no pun intended), in me learning I did not need to pigeonhole myself into liking any specific kind of music. To this day, I see the song for exactly what it is: an absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking piece of music.

This album starts off hot. “A Pain That I’m Used To” is a blaring opener, and just sounds cool. It’s a sonic shift after the ambient mix of Exciter. The second track, “John the Revelator” is centered around Dave Gahan’s vocals, one of his best vocal performances yet (if not the best). And, to complement that, “The Sinner In Me” features some very fun synth work that stands at the crossroad of funk and industrial, with little in the way of vocals. Both songs prove that Depeche Mode has overcome the murk and mire of the 90’s. Elsewhere, “Nothing’s Impossible” has a lot of groovy stuff going on despite a moderate tempo, and “Lilian” has a nice hook, although it is very much a late-album track in spirit.

Perhaps the biggest joy of the album is that it feels like they put the same amount of genuine effort into crafting every song, as opposed to bolstering the album with lesser tracks, like the previous two releases. This may be due to Gahan taking over some lyric writing for the first time. Still, there are some lesser tracks; “I Want It All” is an engaging ballad but it stretches on too long, and “Macro” just misses in general. “Damaged People” has some fantastic lyrics, but the final product is only a fair one.

My I’ve gone long. I really really enjoyed this one, suffice it to say it may be my favorite so far, besides Violator, of course. Genuine surprise – I thought I was settling into a run of C+ releases. What a delight.

Grade: 8/10

Fav non-hit track: This is tricky, as “Precious” was the only song I knew going in. But if I am to stick to non-singles, then “The Sinner In Me.”

SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE (2009)

Okay, see, this is more of what I was expecting from this era. This one won’t go long because my immediate thoughts are that I just don’t have much to say here. Universe is full of mostly midtempo meanderings, something that feels tame and stopgap. Not bad by any means, but very template. We haven’t gotten an album like this since the 80’s.

Let’s dig in. One thing I’ve noticed so far, with both individual songs and full albums, is that the band likes to run overlong. The opening track, “In Chains” starts with silence and then a curious softness, like a grand awakening. It’s a cool and subtle opening, until the song just falls into midtempo complacency. By the end, it gets kinda dull. At nearly seven minutes, it could’ve been saved. Follow-up “Hole to Feed” is a bouncier song, but it doesn’t amount to much. Again, we see an album that sacrifices the opening tracks to build to a different one. “Wrong” is a classic, I’ve loved it since the day the album dropped. But hearing that funky, heavy rhythm and the urgent vocals really highlights how pointless the first two songs felt.

There’s some fun stuff right after. “Fragile Tension” is a very fun ditty that sounds like a much younger band. And “Little Soul” is a great, spacey song that sounds like something Depeche would’ve recorded twenty years earlier. “Peace,” similarly, is a very spacey song. It drags in tempo, but the soundscape more than makes up for it. “Miles Away / Truth Is” has an exceptional vocal performance, probably the best one on the record.

That’s about it though. The album’s other tracks are mostly just mildly interesting songs that exist. None of them are bad, but few of them are great. It’s sad to see such a sharp downturn in quality, especially after such a long run. But I also expected it, in a way. We’re approaching a run of albums I’ve heard before and I’m not incredibly pumped to revisit them. But I will!

Grade: 6/10

Fav non-hit track: “Fragile Tension”

DELTA MACHINE (2013)

Quite frankly, I’m not sure if this is a first time listen or not. By 2013, I was already a long ways into “liking the Depeche Mode hits” and, a few years later, I picked up a discarded CD version of this release on the side of the road. But I don’t think I ever actually listened to it. Either way, this to me exemplifies what I think of when I think Depeche Mode – a lot of midtempo songs full of synth and almost uncomfortable amounts of sex and religion. I came into this one with low expectations, thanks to a perceived notion that I may have listened to it and disliked it. Hey I listen to a lot of music, I can’t be expected to remember what I have and have not heard. Either way, it surpassed the expectations, but not by much.

This one has a great opener! “Welcome to My World” feels similar to the opening track of Universe, in that it recognizes the importance of an auspicious beginning. It’s a confident song, and features a lot of morphing and tempo changes, something mostly foreign to Depeche Mode. The follow-up, “Angel,” is just a good Depeche Mode ditty. Nothing more – what you picture with the phrase “good Depeche Mode song.” There were great tracks peppered through this one. “My Little Universe” is a great and more experimental one, a song that feels both bouncy and minimalist. The even better “Soft Touch / Raw Nerve” has the same energy, with a beat that somehow blends minimalism and industrial. “Soothe My Soul” is the album’s best track, very fun energy with powerful lyrics and harmonization (!) between Gahan and Gore. The song feels akin to a religious awakening, fitting that it comes at the end of an album chock full of religious analogies.

Too much, maybe. The album’s lyrics are not really up to par, honestly. They feel vague, and when they do get religious, it’s too persistent. “Angel” transitions right into “Heaven.” And there’s just too many midtempo ballads. “Secret to the End,” “Broken” and “Alone” are all interchangeable snoozers. “Slow” is a great ballad, but it comes at the album’s midpoint, when we’ve already gotten a few similar-but-worse tracks that bog it down. The album really needs two or so more songs with energy. It just gets kind of drab, which is exactly what I feared this album would be.

In the end, it’s an improvement over the general boredom of Universe. The songs here feel fuller, except for two brilliantly minimalist songs. There’s too much downtime, but the highs of this album are excellent – well above the ones of the previous album. It was a mixed experience. I won’t be coming back to this one anytime soon; however I have grabbed a couple songs off of it, that are just DM all-timers. Ah well. The finish line is near.

Grade: 6.5/10

Fav non-hit track: I don’t think I knew any of these songs coming in, and the best is “Soothe” but for the sake of not picking a single, it’s “Soft Touch / Raw Nerve.”

SPIRIT (2017)

By this point, I know I’ve listened to this album. I was already into my “listen to all new music” mode that I’m still very much in, so I spun this one. But I don’t remember it much. Besides, with the album’s background, how could I not? Depeche Mode have always avoided politics, but for this album, they dive head in. The state of politics both American and British was beyond dire, and the band specifically felt the pressure when that fascist should-be-murdered-in-the-street bitchboy Dick Spencer called DM the band of the alt-right. The band was pretty hurt by this, releasing two statements condemning Spencer and the alt-right and releasing a very leftist inspired video for “Where’s the Revolution?” Boy I bet they enjoyed watching him get punched.

Anyways, let’s dig into it. The opener here is great, “Going Backwards,” a depressing tune with great vocals and a nice beat. It sets up the album nicely, as Depeche are channeling politics into their music without sacrificing any of the misery. “The Worst Crime” is pretty similar, a downtrodden song that isn’t really a ballad. It also has – shockingly – a guitar line as the primary focus. This is an entirely different side of DM. The follow-up, “Scum,” is the closest thing to a straight rock song that the Mode has ever done. At points on this album, they really feel a new energy, a new anger. From a politics perspective, “Poorman” is the most direct song on the album, with blatant anti-corporate and pro-worker lyrics. It’s very cool to see a band at this stage in their career chime in with this kind of stuff. Genuinely, it’s refreshing. And “Where’s the Revolution,” the single, is of course a classic DM song. We’re still waiting.

This is not the most consistent album, unfortunately. When the band strays away from politics, it gets weaker. “You Move” is a fine Depeche Mode song, but it follows the two political, rock-adjacent songs. It is classic synths-and-sexy-lyrics, which feels like a backpedal. Other tracks like “Cover Me” and “So Much Love” are just time-fillers. “Poison Heart” is a very full song sonically and very interesting from a music perspective, but suffers from lackluster lyrics. “No More Time” is a fun one, but one that didn’t leave much of an impression on me.

Overall, this was a very interesting experiment for the band. Some people have criticized their political lyrics for being too blunt, but why? When you’re dealing with politics, no need to be poetic. No one has levied that criticism at Pennywise before. They were already expanding their horizon! The album is ultimately a bit unfocused sometimes, however, and it gets bogged down in inconsistencies. Still, I enjoyed it, especially at this later stage in their career. One day left before the show, one album left to spin.

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: “The Worst Crime”

MEMENTO MORI (2023)

And see, this is why I do these experiments. I spun this one twice when it first came out, and both times I reluctantly dismissed it as repetitive midtempo noodling. Now I have a fresher, deepened mind on all things Depeche, and it’s allowed me to see this album for what it really is. And it’s a gorgeous one.

Death surrounds this album. It was already surrounding this album during the songwriting phase, as many songs focus on mortality, but that became tenfold truer when Andy Fletcher passed away in 2022. Allegedly, he had neither contributed to nor heard any of the early versions of the songs when he passed, so this was recorded truly as a duo. The opener, “My Cosmos Is Mine,” is easily the most haunting song the band has ever done. It sounds like it was recorded in the depths of Hell, like something we weren’t meant to hear. The follow-up, “Wagging Tongue,” is equally grim, with the repeated line about watching another angel die. “Don’t Say You Love Me” is a pure goth ballad, one that sounds a bit old school for them. “Before We Drown” is a late-album song that’s also haunting with some cool synth stuff, albeit not as good as previous tracks. And the closer – “Speak To Me” – is a true Depeche song for the ages. It is an incredibly moving song, a powerful death ballad, and one that makes me wonder how I missed it the first two times. Even for Depeche, this is a doom and gloom release.

But it isn’t all that way! Lead single “Ghosts Again” may not be an uplifting track, but it does sound like one, with a very bouncy beat that sounds like 80’s Depeche. “People Are Good” is also a simple but unexpectedly optimistic song, one that’s necessary so the album doesn’t get too downtrodden. On a much softer note, “My Favorite Stranger” is a nice and bouncy one, though it is a bit on the uninspired side.

There are some weak spots on the album. “Soul With Me,” Martin Gore’s only lead vocal track on the album, was just too corny for me. “Always You” is one that completely lost me, a dull ballad stashed away towards the bottom. And while I enjoyed “Caroline’s Monkey,” I couldn’t put my finger down on what exactly the band was going for.

The real power of this album lies in the vocals. Song after song, we get the best harmonies and the best lead vocal performances from Dave Gahan that we’ve gotten in years. Practically every track has impeccable vocals, it truly is astonishing. “Never Let Me Go” might be the best vocal performance of the bunch, but it’s truly too hard to say. All in all, on a third listen, I loved this one. Now I get it.

Grade: 8/10

Fav track: Since this is one is new the slate is clean for song choice! I think it’s “My Cosmos Is Mine.”

And that’s a wrap! There’s a way to write 5,000+ words on Depeche Mode. I really enjoyed this project, it’s been a blast to dig into these albums after years of saying I should. I found a lot of great cuts and some excellent albums to revisit. And I feel prepped to see them tomorrow. Gonna cry when they play “Precious.” If you like this, check out some other entries! I’m going to try and do one more this year, haven’t picked the artist yet though.

Stay tuned, homeboys.

The Replacements Chronicles

It’s been a long few months since I’ve posted here – I really intended to use this blog more this year, but real life stuff keeps getting in the way! But I’m here with another edition of my new Chronicles series, where I burn through a band or artist’s studio catalog, specifically an artist that I should have a deeper knowledge on. You can check out my previous posts, Zola Jesus, and David Bowie. Truthfully, I finished this one months ago and just haven’t gotten around to uploading it. Whoops! My bad. But with the new release of the remixed Let It Be, it felt like the perfect time to upload. I haven’t included that here, but I’m excited to find some time to dive into it.

Unlike Zola & Bowie, I really do not know much of anything about this group. I remember checking them out many years ago and being turned off for some reason. Now I am older, wiser, and ready to explore something I’ve been putting off. I’ll be listening to all seven of their studio albums and chronicling my thoughts along the way. This will be a one-time entry, so all seven albums are below. Join me!

SORRY MA, FORGOT TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH (1981)

Okay so off the bat, I’m noticing the track lengths here. I think the reason I was initially turned off from the group was that they were heralded to me as a “punk” band so I was expecting the punk I was into at the time – Rancid, the Damned, the Stooges. It wasn’t that.

Well, this is actually along those lines and clearly where I should’ve started. This album does an expert job at melding pop and punk in the exact definition of power-pop. It’s got the punk energy and the punk snarl, but without sacrificing melody and licks. My immediate comparison was the Buzzcocks, though they leaned a bit more heavily into the “-pop” side of it. This album is full of bruisers, and a lot of them are excellent. The 1-2-3 opening punch of “Takin’ A Ride,” “Careless” and “Customer” really sets the tone for the band, with the latter song the best of the three. You’ve also got the two odes – “Somethin to Du,” the obvious ode to fellow punk group Husker Du, and “Johnny’s Gonna Die,” a more somber and serious song about the heroin-riddled Johnny Thunders. The best track is the comical “I Hate Music,” which satirizes the inherent paradox of the punk scene from the inside.

There is probably a little too much going on in this debut, even for one that isn’t particularly long. Some songs simply aren’t as melodic and memorable as the others, and the great ones are scattered throughout so it’s a real cherry-pick situation. The album feels a little maximalist, which is ironic given the short song lengths and barebones music. But, some songs could’ve definitely been cut.

It’s a fantastic album. It feels so definitive of the 80’s punk scene and the pop-driven bands who were rebelling against the hardcore factions. Power-pop like this simply doesn’t exist anymore, so all of these records feel like relics. Loved it, I’m hooked immediately. Can’t wait to check out the next six.

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav track: “I Hate Music”

HOOTENANNY (1983)

What a wild ride this one is. Almost immediately, the Replacements break the shackles of defined genre with this diverse, loose record. There’s a lot to love on this one, and the playful experimentation and gritty bitterness of the band is already coming out.

Some of the better tracks are punk bruisers that feel like a hangover off their debut. “Run It” is the shortest and loudest of them, a rambunctious track that feels like it’s about to go off the rails. Late-album bangers “You Lose” and “Hayday” are proper fight-starters, too, with only the latter stretching over two minutes. But there’s a lot of more midtempo stuff, too. One highlight is “Within Your Reach,” a more maturely written song that sounds closer to the Talking Heads side of new wave than anything. There’s also “Take Me Down to the Hospital” and closer “Treatment Plan,” two low-key songs that are closer to ditties than anything else.

Not everything worked for me. “Willpower” was straight up boring, and “Buck Hill” was another ditty that just felt like a filler retread of “Hospital.” In an album this short, there was still some unnecessary downtime. “Color Me Impressed” and “Lovelines” are both tracks that left no impression on me – literally, as my notes for both read just “?”.

There’s two absolutely bewildering tracks that were more confusing and exciting than anything else. The opening title track sees all of the band members switch instruments – poorly. It’s the kind of a thing a more restrained band would put at the end of the album. But the Replacements aren’t that band, and they both opened the album up with it, and named it after the song. Also there’s “Mr. Whirly,” a song credited to “mostly stolen,” which it is. It’s under two minutes, and is built on interpretations of other songs like “The Twist” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” among others. I’m not sure it works as a taunt, but it’s fun. It got me more excited for the upcoming album “Let It Be.”

Great album, it kept me guessing top-to-bottom, even if it wasn’t 100% successful. I’m really wondering how I was put off from this group for so long. I’m excited to keep on going.

Grade: 8/10

Fav track: “Within Your Reach”

LET IT BE (1984)

I like to read reviews of albums when I do listen-throughs like this. I knew this was a renowned album, but I didn’t realize just how renowned it is. This represents a more mature Replacements, swapping out garage jams for longer and more toned-down songs and, in doing so, producing a certified indie classic.

I’ll be honest here and say I wasn’t hooked at first. The classic opener “I Will Dare” and the follow-up “Favorite Thing” didn’t really grab me in any way. I’m not really sure why, maybe because I didn’t quite know what to expect. Regardless, I was hooked after that. “We’re Comin Out” may have been more of a throwback punk jam, but it roped me in and the rest of the album held me tight. The disdainful ennui of “Unsatisfied,” the straight-forward rock of “Sixteen Blue” and the powerful ballad “Androgynous” all signal a genuine turning point for the group. “Androgynous” is easily the best and most important song they’ve done so far, with serious and prescient lyrics and real shades of Bowie rhythms on the vocal front (though maybe I’ve got Bowie on the mind from both his own flirtations with androgyny and, well, all of my Bowie posts).

The album isn’t devoid of energy and wit, though. I mean, there’s a song called “Gary’s Got A Boner.” The album is also titled Let It Be, with no songs by that name – an obvious bait. There’s also the aforementioned punk track “We’re Comin Out,” and a experimental garage tune called “Seen Your Video” that gives some vital energy to the album’s back half.

Still, the most impressive things about this album are the patient songwriting and the ballads. It’s a total 180 from the first two records, where energy and snark were the driving factors. The band wanted to sound more mature, and it’s a complete success. This may well be one of the best albums of the 80’s. I find myself struggling to criticize even a single song. Perfect.

Grade: 9.5/10

Fav track: “Androgynous”

TIM (1985)

Another Replacements album, another heralded piece of art from the 80’s. Critics seem to be just as hot on this one as they were with Let It Be, but I wasn’t feeling Tim as much. Pardon my phrasing.

This album was certainly interesting on paper, because it was as diverse as the previous outing while also managing to make everything feel cohesive, instead of a manic collection. My two personal favorite songs on the album – “Bastards of Young” and “Here Comes A Regular” – could not have been further apart. The former is the most raucous song on the album, a ripper that doesn’t align with their garage rock past, but falls somewhere near it. Closer “Regular” is a somber and metrical ballad, which sounds all the more striking when most of the preceding album was loose and rough. It’s got a catchy, repetitive hook that didn’t necessarily grab me at first but wore me down until I was super into it.

The rest of the album is fine to great, but the individual songs didn’t leave much of an impression on me. Like Let It Be, this one took some time to get going for me. The two songs I loved are on the back half, though “I’ll Buy” and “Swingin Party” were great as well. Even now, shortly after I finished listening to it, I couldn’t tell you much about most of the album’s songs. I think I owe this one an immediate revisit, because clearly something didn’t quite click for me.

Still, this is a great album, and it’s another logical step forward for the Replacements. They’re still maturing their sound, deepening their lyrics and cutting away some of the roughness. It’s rare to see such a hot streak to open a career, and I’m wondering if that gets maintained across the whole run (which I’m now over halfway into). I know very little about the upcoming albums, so let’s see!

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav track: “Here Comes A Regular”

PLEASED TO MEET ME (1987)

Okay so, if you’re reading this, then you’re doing it all in one chunk. But I should mention that there’s actually been a multi-week break in between Tim and now, which is antithetical to the project itself. Life got in the way! A lot of things are suddenly in shambles right now! But that is also fitting, given the general concept of this album. The Replacements are down to a three-piece, and shifting even further away from their punk origins. The album’s cover and title reflect this, in a one-two meta joke that also feels less snarky than their older jokes.

This album basically goes chronological – the opening three tracks, “I.O.U.,” “Alex Chilton” and “I Don’t Know,” are all fast-paced punkish bangers. But it calms down after that, and the forward-looking lyrics of “I Don’t Know” reflect that. The few songs that follow are all (a little too) similar, in their midtempo post-punk nature. There’s a lot of tracks that could get mistaken for indie these days. The songs are generally more serious than before, mostly drained of their humor and energy. Side A is all great, but it does fade out a bit as it goes on.

Side B sees the band diving further into unexplored genres and ideas. The classic closer “Can’t Hardly Wait” is a smooth, jazzy tune with early ska undertones and smoother production than any other track they’ve ever put out. “Shooting Dirty Pool” is a song that both sounds and takes place in a dark, carpeted lounge. And “Red Red Wine” comes close to pop ballad, ironically sounding similar to Peter Gabriel’s “Red Rain” (and this time, I don’t think it’s a joke).

The concept of this one really worked for me a lot. I greatly enjoyed this one, a true meeting of the punk and alt minds, and a stepping stone that feels like it was meant to happen behind the scenes. This is, also, the exact album I expected to hear at some point in this project, when I jumped in knowing very little about this group. Excellent.

Grade: 8/10

Fav song: “I Don’t Know”

DON’T TELL A SOUL (1989)

Again, there’s a logical progression we took to get to this album. This album continues down a path of self-serious reinvention. It is the most mature, serious and introspective album from them yet – by far. This album is a collection of jangly, adult songs.

As I often do with albums of midtempo alternative like this one, I’m struggling to really come up with much to say about it. Everything on this album works, but it’s not really a “for me” record. Naturally, my two favorites were the two most energetic songs – “They’re Blind” and “I Won’t,” although I will concede that the latter is really kind of a filler song.

It’s an immensely pleasurable listen, and it really doesn’t have any down moments, but it’s also definitely my least favorite so far. For me, the enjoyment in this record is more the path we took to get to the record rather than the record itself. What started out as a bratty, snarky punk group quickly found their cement in maturity and patience. And the fact that a more mature version of the group can put out a record this consistently solid without sacrificing any morals or soul is remarkable. It’s a trajectory that many have tried and few have passed.

This record is a must-listen for any 80’s alternative fans. I suspect it’ll grow on me with more listens, but that’s not the point here – immediate reactions only. So basically, I don’t know: it’s good!

Grade: 7/10

Fav song: “They’re Blind”

ALL SHOOK DOWN (1990)

Alas, this almost entirely fulfilling project ends not with a triumph but with a whimper. This last Replacements album is barely such, devised originally as a Paul Westerberg solo project. It’s messy and clunky, devoid of all charm and humor. Worst of all, it’s the only Replacements album that doesn’t have any sort of flow to it. It is, in my opinion, just bad.

But not entirely! The album did produce two modest hits in “Merry Go Round” and “Attitude,” and they’re both fine songs. There were also two late-album tracks, “Happy Town” and “My Little Problem,” that clung to me in the way that the older Replacements tracks did. So it’s not like this album is a wash or anything – but four out of thirteen tracks is a low batting average.

The Replacements coming to a halt in the 90’s feels similar to classic rock bands struggling to adjust to the 80’s. The album’s atrocious cover is a gray photo of two dogs while the album title is upside down and the band name is written twice – once forwards and once backwards. It’s an aggressively 90’s album cover, similar to Yourself Or Someone Like You, Cracked Rear View, and Stunt. Like the album, it feels unfocused and obligatory. There was a changing of the guards sonically, and this signaled the end of the Replacements.

There’s nothing wrong with this album, it’s just pretty boring. Everyone that plays on it feels lost and there’s little for a listener to really grab onto. It should’ve stayed a solo album rather than the label forcing their hand at a cash grab, because it does diminish the band’s legacy. Not a terrible album, but not a fitting end.

Still, this project has been far more fruitful than I could’ve possible imagined. I really wasn’t sure if I was going to like anything I heard – and I loved so much of it. Consider me hooked. I did a full 180. Their style didn’t really click with me until I just sat down and consumed what they had to offer. I will definitely be revisiting most of these albums on a regular basis now. Hooray!

Grade: 4.5/10

Fav song: “My Little Problem”

Thanks for reading, if anyone did! Up next is another long venture, and a band I’ll finally be seeing come Halloween night: DEPECHE MODE.

The Bowie Chronicles, Part 5

Well folks, we’ve done it. We’ve hit the end, er, we will in a few hundred words. I’ve listened to every studio album Bowie put out during his original run, and it’s been…..an experience. It was as enlightening as I had hoped, but maybe not quite as good as I had wished. A lot of these albums weren’t the best! But we still have a few more to get through before the finish line. Back at it.

BLACK TIE WHITE NOISE (1993)

It wouldn’t be the whirlwind of the Bowie catalog without another total reinvention. This feels like Bowie’s most adventurous album to date, a breezy and atmospheric art-pop album with forays into soul, jazz and electronic. The album was born out of excitement and tragedy, with Bowie’s marriage to Iman and the LA police riots, two things that occurred in the same week. The album is reflective of that, and I can feel it in the genre blend. Although all of these songs are fun and smooth, there is definitely a melding of influences. The added influence of the king Nile Rodgers behind the scenes only helps this.

It’s a bit of a confounding record, to be honest. Each track feels both complex and innately digestible, so the product all feels like manufactured soul. But there’s an earnestness to it too, with Bowie shedding yet another persona. You can listen to this either as forgettable background music or as a complex and curious work that ranks among Bowie’s more underrated albums. I suppose I, even more confusingly, took it both ways. It isn’t super cohesive – although I would argue it is more cohesive than the most slanderous of reviews claim – but it does seem to have an identity. There’s no standout track, not one I would grab for my general collection, but as a whole it’s a passable, fun listen.

As is the case with some previous albums, the low point for me was a cover – this time of Cream’s “I Feel Free,” arguably my personal favorite Cream song. It’s a pretty lifeless song, ironically, and a bad example of a “lyrics only” cover. It loses the spirit! There’s some other low points, though the album really does just flow as a whole. “Looking For Lester” is a fun jazzy jam for a while, until it belabors the point and you realize it’s very rehearsed. And the opening track “The Wedding” works for a bit but overstays its welcome.

As an experimental and dedicated record, I think this mostly works. It shakes the stink of “obligation” off form the 80’s pop records, this sounds like an album Bowie made for himself. It’s never really great but it has few low points too. I would maybe revisit this at some point, but I’d have to be in the right mood. I don’t know!

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: Well like the two Tin Machine records, this didn’t really provide a hit. I’ll say the dreamy “You’ve Been Around”

OUTSIDE (1995)

Man I don’t know what to make of this one. I had no clue coming into this that Bowie had done a massive concept album like this. I can see he was originally planning on this being a minimum 5-album project that was never seen out. It’s wild to think this is just sitting in his catalog with no real attention positive or negative.

I was listening to it while I was working (as with every other album on this list) so I really couldn’t pay devout attention to the narrative themes or characters, and that aspect was certainly lost on me. With only the music to go on, this was a slog and a half. Bowie was inspired by “outsider music” but I don’t really see that present here. It’s mostly slower songs and interludes that become mostly interchangeable with each other after time. It’s Bowie’s longest – by a considerable amount – and that length comes into play. It’s bloated and, simply, boring.

There’s a few interesting tracks, of course. “The Heart’s Filthy Lesson” is a particularly fun one, and the surprising “Hallo Spaceboy” sees Bowie tread into more of an industrial territory. This album preceded the doomed tour with Nine Inch Nails, but this song acts as the precursor. It’s the loudest and best song on the album, and the most left-field one. But both of those songs are on the album’s front half, and the back half is long.

This is another reactionary-against-pop album, with Bowie in full control of his ambitions. I can never fault him or the album for that. If this had been realized as a full universe, it could be a classic! But as an abandoned project, it exists as a weird artifact, an outsider album for even Bowie, and one that leaves me more dumbfounded than anything. On another listen, especially a closer one, I might learn to love it. But really, I found it monotonous. Bewildering, skippable work.

Grace: 4/10

Fav non-hit track: “Hallo Spaceboy”

EARTHLING (1997)

This one I know I’ve listened to at least some, because “I’m Afraid of Americans” has always been one of my favorite Bowie tracks and I was intrigued by the Nine Inch Nails pairing. But I really didn’t remember any of it! I super enjoyed it, it’s Bowie just exploring new territory because he wants to, again. But gone are the dreamier elements of his past few albums in favor of pseudo-industrial rock. It’s very metrical and often very heavy, probably the most abrasive music in Bowie’s catalog. But it’s not without melody, too.

It’s far from perfect, it really relies on the heavier, more booming songs – and they’re a little too and far between. The album’s more filler tracks don’t really hit with any sort of urgency or importance. They’re pleasant, but it’s clear the album is centered on a few songs and not a whole.

Thankfully, some of the best tracks are on the longer side – some of the longer ones in his catalog. The pounding opener “Little Wonder” hits six minutes, and the equally-good “Dead Man Walking” stretches past seven. And, unlike some of the other Bowie singles I love, “Americans” really sounds great in the context of the album. Absolute banger.

So: this is a great one, I feel it’s due for a reappropriation. I don’t think people are super keen on it, but there’s a lot of good stuff to dig through. Even some “lesser” songs like “Seven Years in Tibet” and “Battle For Britain (The Letter)” hit, at least as enjoyable songs. I liked it as much as I expected to!

Grade: 7.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Little Wonder”

HOURS… (1999)

I’ve mentioned this before, but Bowie has always been keenly aware of how an album cover can reflect its contents. Earthling see him downing a flashy suit from behind, with bright colors seemingly added in digitally. The cover to this album is…dreadful. His name is written in no specific font or size, and the image of one Bowie cradling another looks religious – the intention, but not in the correct way. It looks like the cover for a Christian rock album.

It’s pretty dull. After a few albums of “for me” experimentation, Bowie treads back into the light of radio-friendly music, this time in the form of adult contemporary rock. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the album, it just all feels similar. There are 10 tracks; one is an interlude, one is a banger, and eight of them are mostly interchangeable ballads. On their own, they sound fine, but as a collection, it just doesn’t add up to anything particularly inspiring.

The opener “Thursday’s Child” was the only song I knew going on, and it really is a fine and pleasant ballad. Seemingly the most popular track (on Spotify) is mid-album ballad “Seven,” which really is the best one in the collection. It’s one of the better Bowie ballads, at least of the back half. I urge folks to check that one out. My personal pick was, naturally, the sole banger: “The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell.” It’s a fun tune, a nice antidote to the first few downer songs.

Those three songs aren’t really enough to save the album. It’s a release searching for an identity. It’s kinda spacey, a bit, but not enough to feel like Bowie. It simply exists. It’s one I’ve been dreading, and it really just wasn’t much of a listen.

Grade: 5.5/10

Fav non-hit track: “The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell”

HEATHEN (2002)

On paper, this album is intertwined with Hours… due to the fact that they’re both art-pop albums that embrace vaguely religious themes. But this is one is far better, and delightfully so. I had higher hopes for this one, but I really was surprised – it’s one of his more underrated albums! I mean, the reviews were all pretty positive, but its an album that’s just not talked about much anymore.

In practice, the album really is similar to Hours… as well – mostly ballads with some fun stuff thrown in. But the ballads feel stronger somehow. I’m not sure if it is inspiration of production, but the songs just sound fuller. And in this case, the “fun stuff” is covers of songs by Neil Young and Pixies. There’s also some delightful bops like “Afraid” and “I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship,” the latter of which is unsurprisingly Bowie’s spaciest song in years. Early album cuts “Slip Away” and “Slow Burn” are extremely satisfying ballads, with Bowie relying more and more and his simple vocal power.

I’m being totally gushy – it’s not a perfect album or anything. The back half is fun and playful, but it isn’t anything super memorable. Songs like “A Better Future” and “Everyone Says ‘Hi’” are very digestible little jams that justify their presence but don’t exactly stick around in your brain. Nothing wrong with that! It’s an improvement over most of the last decade’s worth of album back-halves. But still, it only makes an album that’s “pretty good!”

It’s a shame that I’m so close to the end, because if Bowie had kept up with a sound like this, we could’ve potentially had a nice late-career run. But, touring was growing on him, and he was moving increasingly reclusive. Heathen is a fun album, though, and should be cherished as a little late-career gift (until the two late-late-career gifts). Really folks, it’s worth it!

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav non-hit track: “Slip Away”

REALITY (2003)

And friends, this is the end. And we end in a very similar way that we started: with a decent, mostly unnoteworthy rock album. Reality is a fun, playful rock album similar to the ones Bowie was putting out before he really got into his groove. It’s fascinating to think this is how he ended his original run, a run that I always assumed ended a few years after this album’s release. Now, I wonder if this was a planned goodbye.

This album has some solid bangers and ballads, though it’s got some filler time too. Real talk: I accidentally let this album sit for a week, so I’m not remembering it as well as most of these post-mortem reviews. But still, the good tracks are fresh in my brain. It’s an up-and-down album, but considering how bad some of the nadir albums have been, it still feels refreshingly jubilant. Bowie has one of his better late-career vocal performances on the disarming “Looking For Water,” a downtrodden song that’s still pulsing and catchy. “Reality” is a great bruiser, and would fit in with his early classic rock hits. “Try Some, Buy Some” hinges on a corny rhyme, but it grows into a powerful ballad about Bowie’s own addiction issues – and running with the theme he used in “Space Oddity” and “Ashes to Ashes.” A lot of the other tracks are at least enjoyable, if not as memorable as these three standouts.

Unlike the 90’s run of Bowie albums, he’s not trying to reinvent the wheel here. It’s just a showcase for what he did best during his heyday. It’s a fittingly hit-and-miss finale for a hit-and-miss catalog. I’m skipping over The Next Day and Blackstar because I already know those albums extremely well, and I love them both. So for the purpose of this exercise, Reality is the end. Quite frankly, this whole Bowie project was not as rewarding as I had hoped it would be! But it served it’s purpose – I’ve finally contextualized the decades of Bowie songs I’ve loved into a (somewhat) cohesive catalog from a (not at all) cohesive musician. While there was a lot of sludge, I definitely love and appreciate Bowie more than I already did. This has been fun! Even with the putrid 80’s albums!

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: “Looking For Water”

My next long project is going to be Depeche Mode – I’ll be seeing them on Halloween – but up next is a short one from a band I know little about: The Replacements.

The Bowie Chronicles, Part 4

Ugh, again, I apologize for how late this is – this whole Bowie project was supposed to take a month at most, but I haven’t had the time to actually make these posts. I’ve been listening and writing! But everything is on fire right now and I have neglected this blog. Not only am I done with Bowie, I’m done with the next artist and four albums deep into the next artist, so expect a flurry of these. Ok? Where did we leave off. Oh right, the 80’s. Not a pleasant time for Bowie. Let’s dance jump in.

LET’S DANCE (1983)

I knew going in that this would be an interesting one to write about, since Side A of this album kicks off with three huge hits – including my favorite Bowie track – so naturally I was going to like it. And yeah, hearing them back-to-back-to-back didn’t exactly provide any kind of insight or unique listening experience. The fourth song, “Without You,” didn’t exactly demand or grab my attention, a crashing back down to Earth. What else is there to say about this?

Side B was varied, though it ultimately proved that the album was the top-heavy release that I was expecting. Side A mostly eschews the moderately-uncharacteristic lengthy tracks in favor of more standard pop akin to Scary Monsters. It’s mostly pretty boring, though I really liked “Ricochet.” Also, “Cat People” is a minor classic for a reason. “Shake It” proved to be a decent final track and one that made me realize that Bowie has never really put much focus on closing tracks, something I always find fundamental to albums.

I’m a little surprised at how little I have to say about this one. I always kinda figured this was a key Bowie album based on the triple-punch openers (pun intended). Yet, it just exists, and it feels clear to me why Bowie himself didn’t like this period. It’s also worrying for me, because I know the next few albums are going to be much worse. Oh well. Let’s dive in.

Grade: 6/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Ricochet”

TONIGHT (1984)

Yep. This isn’t exactly great. For the first time since the beginning of his career, Bowie sounds consumed by, rather than predicting, the state of music. This feels very 80’s in a not complimentary way, a collection of cheesy ballads and synthy noodling. It isn’t bad, at all, it’s just…there.

There are some highs! The opening track “Loving The Alien” is one of Bowie’s best vocal performances to date. It’s a ballad – not a great way to open an album to be honest – that strips away theatrics in favor of performance. It’s a crooning song, something that I feel like is associated with Bowie but rarely actually present. There’s a handful of these tracks across the album, but none as good as this. Also, I really enjoyed “Neighborhood Threat,” which kicks off the back half with the first dose of adrenaline on the album. It’s a genuinely fun song, and seems to have fallen into obscurity within a catalog that hasn’t.

But that’s about it. Six of the album’s nine tracks are forgettable pop fluff, reflective of the times and not ideal relics. It’s clear Bowie was running out of juice. The album’s penultimate song “I Keep Forgettin’” is actively bad, a hokey and cringey song that sounds closer to music made for toddlers than anything else. The fact that it’s also the album’s shortest song is both a relief and an insight into how little ambition there was across recording. There’s nothing remarkable about this album, and diehards may get something to glean from it, but there is very little going on. It’s dull.

I’m going to say that this is the worst one yet, but I know that title is largely reserved for the next album. I’m about to hit a weekend, so I get to treat myself Monday morning.

Grade: 4.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Neighborhood Threat”

NEVER LET ME DOWN (1987)

For the record, I was listening to the version on Spotify listed merely as “2018 Remaster” and I cannot tell if it’s the full-album remix or a slight reworking of the original, due to the platform’s continued and nonsensical war on an audiophile’s reliance on accurate data. Anywho. This album is fine. It’s pretty universally regarded as the worst Bowie album, by critics, biographers and the man himself. I don’t think I would go that far, but I also had my expectations set low because of the reviews. The album was supposed to be a return to rock-and-roll Bowie and by that metric, it’s an abject failure. The record mimics the art-pop of Tonight, a collection of quirky and complex pop tracks that sound closer to livelier Kate Bush or MJ than anything else.

For the most part, the record feels kind of lifeless. It’s not uninspired, like some earlier Bowie, but there isn’t really a whole lot going on, no real statement or character work. Each song individually is fine but the album as a whole feels lackluster. It’s clearly a mess, and unlike some of Bowie’s early slapdash albums, there’s no real excuse. He had the time and energy to do something more but the well ran dry. Every song feels like it borders on being fun and danceable but never quite gets there, more of the disposable pop music he had satirized a decade prior.

That’s the album as a whole. As stated, the quality isn’t due to effort, and there are some good tracks. “Zeroes” and “Glass Spider,” both centering the album’s midpoint, grabbed my attention and didn’t let go. There’s enough cool stuff going on in those songs to make them worthwhile listens. Also “New York’s In Love” is hokey, but it features the best guitar work on a Bowie album in a long while. These songs are all fine, but to call them the best on the album is not complimentary to the rest of the songs.

I don’t think this is the worst Bowie album yet, I’m keeping that with the previous entry. But there is a brutal irony to the album’s title, as Bowie has let us down again. Up next is the Tin Machine duo, something I personally am very excited for as it seems like “me” music – but I will tamper my expectations.

Grade: 5.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Zeroes”

TIN MACHINE (1989)

It’s really funny that people had such strong reactions to this one in any direction. There’s really very little to say about it! A lot of reviews seem to liken it to alternative or even proto-grunge, but to me it’s more of a throwback to bluesy classic rock, released right around the time that “classic rock” became a solidified period of music. It doesn’t really fit the “hard rock” label and it doesn’t really try to, a lot of these reviews are head-scratchers. The album is definitely focused more on volume and vibes than melody, a lot of these songs intentionally eschew any earworm qualities. It’s a proper about-face for a man who was miserable in the pop music he was making.

However, this also means that there’s just very little to grab on to! This album is almost entirely forgettable, the second it’s over. The opener, “Heaven’s In Here,” is a solid rock track and a nice mission statement. The album’s best song is easily “Under the God,” a scathing satirical screed that has the most energy of any song on the album, and feels the most inspired. Otherwise, these are all just pleasantly enjoyable, disposable songs.

I was looking forward to this one despite the bad reviews because it might be something up my alley. It was, but it certainly isn’t an album that left any impression on me. It’s not one that I regret listening to, but I will not be paying a revisit. It’s fine! Time to wash the 80’s stink off of all of this.

Grade: 6/10

Fav non-hit track: “Under the God”

TIN MACHINE II (1991)

I never would’ve guessed that a Bowie album would be so tough to track down! This album is out-of-print and not available on Spotify. Luckily, it’s all up on YouTube, but it is wild that there’s an album so discarded that’s not even in print, less than a decade removed from his commercial peak.

Anyways, this one is a little better than the first iteration, and I’m surprised it’s been so thoroughly retconned. These songs are much more melodic, a marriage of rock and pop made after the whiplash affairs through both. There’s more energy here, and the band feels more locked in. I’m realizing now that Tin Machine exists mostly as a reactionary statement to pop-Bowie, with the man proving he can still hang in the rock crowd. But this album exists because the band simply wants it to – which is a much better incentive for an album.

To say it’s better isn’t entirely complimentary, because the first one really is forgettable. This is not a classic or totally worthy album, but it is solid. There are some good rock earworms, and a lot of sustained momentum through the album’s slightly-too-long runtime. Songs like the opener “Baby Universal,” “A Big Hurt” and “If There Is Something” are just great, energetic rock tunes. They can’t hang with Bowie’s best, of course, but they’re fun and they help this album a ton. Also, “Sorry” is a great, forgotten ballad; Bowie’s vocals on it are astonishing.

Otherwise, this is standard fare pop-rock stuff. Like the first Tin Machine album, this is a little too long when the quality isn’t stellar. A little less would’ve been a little more. But, it’s an improvement over the first, and it makes me a bit sad that the group didn’t live through the proper grunge era. This is a fine album, even if tough to find, but we’re still well in the wake of Bowie’s peak. Back to solo Bowie next. And one more post to wrap everything up.

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: “If There Is Something”

Thank you to anyone who is borthering these silly little musings on the worst David Bowie albums! This is part of an ongoing series where I’m deep diving into catalogs by artists I either love but don’t know as well as I should, or artists that are just big blind spots. You can check out the previous Bowie entries Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 as well as the foundational post, Zola Jesus.

daycare – College as Daycare / Daycare as Heaven or Hell

Photo Credit: Bandcamp

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Life As A Petting Zoo,” “Diet Coke Saint”

2023 has already seen the debuts from genre-defying groups like Mandy, Indiana and Model/Actriz, and the debut album from new group daycare is no different. The Minnesota band bills itself as being pop-punk flair, and as “College as Daycare / Daycare as Heaven or Hell” kicks off, it seems like an apt indicator. But the album never finds comfortable territory, charging through a few other influences and ideas, in a delightful way.

The opener “Failed Disney Plot” is really only about 30 seconds long, an acoustic sensitive emo track that sounds closer to a Front Bottoms cut than anything. “Secs ‘n Babes” follows, showcasing the band’s spunky energy that they’ve prided themselves on. It’s the most characteristically pop-punk track on the album; energetic, ripe with tempo changes, and tongue-in-cheek references amidst more reflective lyrics. While I’m personally not big into pop-punk, these two songs prove themselves catchy as hell, and show the band can hang.

Daycare never intended to be a group – they only “formed” last year, as an excuse to put a few lingering songs to tape. Although a new group, the members – Andy Evren (vocals/guitar), Michael Kuhn (bass), and Eli Phillips (drums) – are seasoned songwriters, and those years show across the flowing nature of the album.

What I find interesting about this album is how it feels structured like a natural progression. The third track, “Life As A Petting Zoo,” exists well-within the confines of pop-punk, but has a more balanced rhythm and less referential lyrics. It feels like a Dirty Nil song more than anything – high praise in my eyes. From there, the band moves into more indie-inspired tunes. “funny” and “Xtian Boy” both feel like straight indie songs, especially with lyrics centered in religion. “DAYCARE” and “Rideout” are the same way – two great ballads on the album’s back half that stray far from the limits of pop-punk. “New Year’s Dissolution” is a great mid-album banger, with some strong energy, great guitar work and cool tempo changes. It’s also a song that can really only fall under “punk.” Late-album track “i.d.k.t.b.o.m.h.” is really the only time the band embraces pop-punk/emo again, fully, and it’s a much more-toned down track. And, as progressions logically go, the final track feels the furthest from the first. “Diet Coke Saint” is a straight indie ballad, complimented by haunting guest vocals and twangy guitar. It’s also maybe the best track on the album, and it comes as a real surprise given what came before it.

While some of the songs on this album won’t sound like the most exciting songwriting of the year, there’s a lot of interesting ideas. A lot of these songs rely on tempo changes, which feels like a nice symbol of how the band eschews any specific genre labels. It’s a very fun album, even through the more honest songs, which can be a difficult balance to capture on a debut. Also impressive for a debut is the production – the vocals sound crisp, and the band is all mixed well. All in all, there are some songs that sound a step above others, but this is a very solid punk debut. Daycare may not have intended to stick around after this, but they’ve begun booking shows – so check them out if you’re in Minneapolis!

“College As Daycare / Daycare As Heaven Or Hell” releases this Friday, June 9th. You can pre-order the album and stream the single “Life As A Petting Zoo” on their bandcamp page.

The Bowie Chronicles, Part 3

Sooooo sorry for this post being delayed for months, there’s been a lot of unplanned chaos in my life and this has been on the backburner! Truthfully, at the time of writing, I’ve not only been done with the Bowie project for weeks but have nearly wrapped up the next band’s Chronicles, too. So…expect a flurry of posts in the coming days. I’ve not had the time or motivation to actually upload what I’ve written and deal with the boring metadata administrative stuff to get these posts live. Anyways where were we? Oh yeah, BERLIN. We’re about to enter the critical peak of Bowie’s career!

LOW (1977)

Like Station to Station, this was not a first-time listen but a long-overdue revisit. I’ve been a fan of the instrumental opener “Speed Of Life” for quite a long time now. But what was incredibly interesting to me was listening to this (nearly) back-to-back with Station (that’s the point of this exercise!). Separated by only a year, they’re total complements to each other. Both albums venture out of stadium glam rock and into avant-garde territory, but where Station was focused on drawn-out, maximalist nonsensical pop-rock, Low finds its comfort in repetitive bursts of reflective art rock. It all is a reaction, of course, to Bowie’s move to Berlin. Bowie finds the state of Berlin and the state of his own mind in disrepair, and all of the fun of his previous albums is drained out here.

That’s not a negative. This a gorgeous record, and one that absolutely whiplashed people on it’s release. Bowie – first and foremost a singer – rarely actually lends his vocals on the record. The back half is all instrumental, as is the opener. The intent of this album was pessimistic – Bowie was in a bad place physically and mentally, and that’s displayed through distorted and sadder music, often with a repetitive and minimalist tone. But, it had the opposite effect on me. I find Low very peaceful, even in its melancholy. One of the standouts is the longest track “Warszawa,” which sees Bowie enter ambient for the first time. It’s the quietest track on the record (or any Bowie record so far) and feels like the lowest point for David, but a very calming and peaceful track for me. The back half – derided on first release – follows this trend for me, though none of the subsequent three songs hit the same level as “Warszawa.”

As with many other Bowie albums, the lone hit – “Sound and Vision” – feels like an outlier, because it’s the closest thing to a standard rock song. Even then, though, it’s quirky and repetitive and does not feature Bowie’s voice until a little ways in. It’s also nice to hear Mary Hopkin – who against all odds released a good album in 2022 – on backup vocals.

This one is a masterpiece. You’ll find out in a minute that I messed the listening order up, but the issue I had with “Heroes” is not present here – the tone of this record works throughout, on every track. It’s one of the most consistent Bowie records and one that really defies a true explanation. The record was disregarded as being like a soundtrack, but I don’t see why that’s a negative. It feels like the score to a film that can never exist. It’s not the most interesting record at all times, but it’s Bowie reflecting himself and his fractured state, no longer hiding behind plastic characters. You can feel, good and bad, Bowie’s true intentions and how ‘out of the game’ he was feeling here. This is one of the best I’ve done so far, and I love it far more in this sequential context.

Grade: 8.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Warszawa”

“HEROES” (1977)

Thanks to my pre-coffee morning brain and Spotify’s ambivalence to detail, I listened to this one before Low, which came out the same year but is alphabetically after “Heroes”. I’ve been saying for a long time that I think the title track is not only Bowie’s best song, but one of the best songs ever. It really does hold up this album and elevate it to seminal status, even with no other hits. Consider me surprised, then, to learn that much of this album was improvised in the studio. It shows, for better or worse, and the immaculately-crafted title track ends up sticking out like a sore thumb. The album’s first two tracks are weary rock tunes that seem to weirdly hearken back to the novelty days, and it’s apparent that there was no plan for them. I’ll be honest – they’re not good. But the rest of Side A after “Heroes” has some great rock tunes with impressive Bowie vocals. “Sons of the Silent Age” is a solid rock tune, and “Blackout” is one of the best Bowie tracks yet. One of his loudest tunes and some of his strongest vocals.

I’m not sure how to really write about Side B here; it’s clear that Brian Eno commandeered this record almost to a fault. Eno is a legend, and the three instrumental ambient tracks here are damn-near perfect, but they don’t fit. They’re pleasant listens, in the way that Music For Airports is. But they’re a huge departure for Bowie (pun intended, let me have it). I enjoyed the music, but I guess I just didn’t really “get” why this was featured unless it was really Eno doing a hostile takeover. All in all though, it does give the listener a calm break before the closer “The Secret Life of Arabia.” I think “Arabia” would probably be a great song on it’s own, but with this ambient section acting as a ~13 minute intro to it, it comes off very powerfully. It’s another great vocal turn from Bowie, and solidifies this as his best vocal album so far.

This record is a lot more confounding than I expected – I thought it was Bowie’s return to ballads. Far from it! I really enjoyed the listen, even though half the record didn’t make sense to me. It’s definitely a top-tier Bowie album, though I think it does a little more for most listeners than me.

Grade: 8/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Blackout”

LODGER (1979)

Okay, I’m returning to this from a long break – well-timed for the mind, poorly timed for the post, as I split the Berlin trilogy up with a week and a half or so in between. Anyways, I have mixed feelings about this one. It’s a solid pop-rock album. I was nervous diving in since the album produced no real hits and simply isn’t celebrated very highly, but it was during his creative peak too. Like the other trilogy entries, the album is split into two ideological halves, but not quite in the same way. This album is more sonically cohesive than the vocal/instrumental complements of Low and the rock/ambient halves of “Heroes.” It’s just two lyrical halves – the first is about world travel and the second is more tongue-in-cheek critiques of Western pop culture. So, let’s split this review in two.

I wanted to like the first half more than I did. There’s some excellent ideas, namely taking inspirations from world music and pairing them directly with lyrics about travel. It’s inherently cultured and some of the most intelligent songwriting of Bowie’s career so far. It’s also just not super fun to listen to? The opener “Fantastic Voyage” is dull, and while “African Night Flight” and “Yassassin” are livelier, they don’t feel like the complete, sophisticated songs they should be. I hear the world influences, but the actual origins of the influences don’t feel as clear as, say, Graceland. That said, the final track of side A, “Red Sails,” is maybe my favorite on the album.

Side B is a lot more fun and definitely a more comfortable territory for Bowie. “D.J.” and “Boys Keep Swinging” are loosely satirical and fun pop-rock songs, while “Repetition” explores a slightly softer but very catchy side. “Swinging” is probably the highlight, but all five of these songs are vibrant and fun. There’s no unexplored territory here, and all five of them are ultimately kind of forgettable, but they’re worthy of a listen, too.

This album is fine. I’m not sure it was worthy of the mixed criticism on it’s release, or the pure reappraisal either. It was recorded on tour and it feels like it, even if it had lofty ambitions. It ultimately feels a little rushed, a little empty and a little plain, while still maintaining a purely fun energy. It doesn’t feel like the album Bowie wanted – both him and Visconti have said as much – and it’s a weak way to close out the Berlin era. And still, I might come back to it. It’s pleasant and digestible, with enough familiarity to be Bowie but enough exploration to not be a slog.

Rating: 6.5/10

Favorite track: “Red Sails”

SCARY MONSTERS (AND SUPER CREEPS) (1980)

I felt like I didn’t know much about this album going in and, knowing the downfall that’s coming in just a few years, I was worried. The backstory to this one is pretty interesting, where Bowie felt that his Berlin trilogy wasn’t selling well and that a lot of artists who were directly influenced by 70’s Bowie – namely another guy I love, Gary Numan – were now overpowering him. So this is a back-to-basics pop Bowie. It doesn’t all work unfortunately, but what does work is quite good.

Bowie rings in a new decade with one of most surprising songs, “It’s No Game (Part 1),” which features a female singer in the place of Bowie. The first side of this album is all very unique and often pounding music. Bowie’s pop to this point has often been kind of plastic, but side A of this album feels urgent and adventurous in a way that’s new. The second track, “Up The Hill Backwards” is a surprisingly beating track that feels a little more in place with the hyperpop and alt-pop stuff of today rather than anything from 1980. The third and fourth songs are, of course, the title track and “Ashes To Ashes.” Both are great and the latter will always be a top-5 Bowie song.

Side B is frustratingly bland. It isn’t bad, and it isn’t the artificial pop of past Bowie – it’s a step up from that. There is absolutely ambition here and not quick songs assembled on tour. But, some of them just don’t amount to much. “Fashion” feels kind of lame and “Teenage Wildlife” goes on longer than necessary. The remaining songs certainly aren’t bad, but just don’t leave a real impression on the listener. Still, it’s a solid album, and another important reboot in the career of Bowie. It really is fascinating to me that he’s had so many hold-ups, restarts and critical or commercial failures up to this point. We generally think of the era from Ziggy to Let’s Dance as a run of near-perfection, but it certainly wasn’t viewed that way at the time. This album though finally managed to mix critical and commercial success. I’ve said little about Side B, but I really do recommend this one.

Grade: 7.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Up The Hill Backwards”

Thank you to anyone who sought out, or stumbled on this and read it! If you did, feel free to go in order with Part 1 and Part 2 of the series. Part 3 sees the commercial peak and critical nadir of his career, as well as the Tin Machine years. It’s a trip. See you on the other side!

The Bowie Chronicles, Part 2

I really meant to get around to this sooner! Listening wise I’m already well into part 3, but I’ve been busy so I haven’t had a chance to update here. We’re hitting the real meat of Bowie’s career here, the topsy-turvy years of his glam phase-backslide-into-rock-and-drugs era. There’s some heaters in this collection, and some genuine blind spots in my listening history. Onto Aladdin Sane!

ALADDIN SANE (1973)

Ugh, this is a fantastic album but it’s impossible to look at without context. The point of this series is to watch how an artist transforms over time while also judging all of their albums individually, but there’s no way to listen to Sane as anything but a continuation of Stardust. And it’s a lesser one at that. This was Bowie’s first album as a megastar, written on tour, and it shows – the songs are punchier and slicker, but clearly recorded and mixed hastily and lacking in the substance that made Stardust such a classic.

There’s a deep irony here, in that the songs on Sane individually hit harder and more concisely than those on Stardust, and they come even closer to defining the glam rock sound. And yet, the whole doesn’t match the parts. This is a solid and fun rock album, but the first album in Bowie’s career that’s felt mandatory. Not directionless, not uninspired, but still mandatory. The songs are easy, empty and rushed. This is apparent immediately on the opener “Watch That Man” – a great, boisterous rock song, but one filled with repetitive, shallow lyrics. The album that follows is mostly that, punchy rock songs with tired lyrics and rushed production. It’s even more paradoxical – or possibly not – that the album’s best song is “Time,” a patient ballad with a committed vocal performance. It feels like a sign of the Bowie to come a few years later. The closer, “Lady Grinning Soul,” is an equally great, manic ballad that shows this album would’ve been better with more devotion and patience.

This album was inspired by both America and the Rolling Stones, with Bowie going so far as to include a cover of “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” It feels like DEVO’s cover of “Satisfaction,” in that it takes a signature Stones song and dilutes everything that made it a classic to turn it into a different entity altogether. Unlike the DEVO cover, I wouldn’t go back and listen to the Bowie one again, but it is decent. Anyways, that Stones influence is palpable here, with a bunch of flashy, rough blues-rock songs. I was surprised looking at the track list to see that the album only produced one Bowie classic – “The Jean Genie” – but after listening I understand why. What should have been a landmark album instead feels like a placeholder. On it’s own, it’s a fine record, but it’s Bowie treading water and I don’t think it would’ve made him a star if he wasn’t already. A couple of these songs really do slap, though.

Grade: 7/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Time”

PINUPS (1973)

This one will be quick – if Bowie didn’t spend a whole lot of time on it, why should I? Pinups is a contract-filling covers album, made up of mostly classic rock tracks that influenced Bowie. It’s not bad, really, just a mostly unnecessary listen.

What is curious though, is that this is one of the only albums where we actually get to see the Spiders of Mars in action! Bowie makes an effort to glam up some of these songs, including the great opening one-two punch of “Rosalyn” and “Here Comes the Night.” The songs are mostly older classic rock – Yardbirds, Who, Them, Kinks – which feels antithetical to the Stardust character. Bowie spends some songs ‘updating’ them for a glam era and some doing straight covers, which is very confounding. It can’t help but feel pointless. He tries to outweird Pink Floyd on their “See Emily Play” – and fails. He slows down The Who’s “I Can’t Explain” to make it his own and, well, it’s a lot worse. The beauty of that song is the rocking energy within the crisp, clean instruments and production, not the lyrics or anything.

I actually think I like the tracks where Bowie plays it safe more, although those are even more pointless. His cover of “Sorrow” is genuinely great. He tries another Who track in “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” and plays it so close he actually sounds like Roger Daltrey. And, as much as this album is nothing more than contract fulfillment recorded on the road, it is still important in context to the Spiders of Mars and end of the glam era. It’s an era associated with Bowie – yet one he was not active in for very long and with limited successes.

Grade: 6/10

Favorite non-hit track: Uh, N/A?

DIAMOND DOGS (1974)

This record is a mess, but not without some real highlights. It’s clear at this point that Bowie isn’t the solidified superstar I was under the impression he was in 1974; this album has too many directions and characters, loose half-inspired threads and competing influences. It’s very good, but it’s a couple different albums at once. I think it works best when it tries to work within glam but shed the Ziggy Stardust elements. The Spiders From Mars were gone, and the fact that Ziggy makes appearances here just feels somewhat stale. It feels like a step forward, a step laterally and a step back all at once.

The general conceit for this album, an apocalyptic one, works well. It’s a darker direction for the generally poppy sound of Bowie. The fact that he wanted to center it around 1984 but couldn’t get full permission from the Orwell estate is unfortunate and unintentionally funny, especially as the back-to-back tracks “1984” and “Big Brother” come off more like a weird obsession than an album concept. But, the theme really does set groundwork for glam and punk; it’s easy to forget how instrumental Bowie was in the latter. The album is at its best when Bowie is loose and loud. The title track is a fun, bombastic mess. “Sweet Things” rocks, and the song’s reprise leading right into “Rebel, Rebel” is an equally rambunctious sound. Meanwhile, more conventional tunes like “Rock N Roll With Me” are just disappointing. They sound plastic and empty, years behind the time.

This is ultimately a crucial record in the Bowie catalog, as it sees him move away from the glam sound, just as he was really perfecting the lyrical aesthetics. The album’s raw and rowdy elements really are fantastic, and directly inspirational to a forthcoming generation of loud bands. It’s the end of Ziggy Stardust and the end of this period of Bowie’s career. If this one had just been more cohesive than it would be an all-timer. But, it’s a still great listen and one that stamped Bowie as a legend.

Grade: 7.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Diamond Dogs”

YOUNG AMERICANS (1975)

I’ll never understand when artists don’t put effort into an album cover. The covers of these 70’s Bowie records could not be more indicative of the music underneath. Diamond Dogs has the classic, loud painting of a half-dog-half-Bowie creature. Young Americans? Just a simple photo of Bowie smoking. With the glam era and the Ziggy Stardusted off his shoulders, Bowie is free to embrace an American soul sound. It’s a direction that’s been hinted at already, with some incongruous tracks on other albums that may have worked better here. It’s a pleasant, if forgettable listen.

This is clearly an album that Bowie wanted to make. With the power of hindsight, it’s a wild move to shed yourself of the zeitgeist-founding, sultry and disorderly persona in favor of porno music. But, Bowie has always had soul elements, and he’s finally devoting full time to their exploration. Young Americans is ultimately the most digestible Bowie record yet.

Most of these tracks are pretty similar and not wholly different than other soul songs. “Right,” “Somebody Up There Likes Me” and “Can Your Hear Me” are the most effective ones, especially due to the inclusion of backing vocalists. Bowie’s voice maybe isn’t the best on this record, and strong arguments can be made that everything sounds thin. It’s not a classic soul record, and if you removed Bowie’s obvious personal desire to record it, it’d probably a failure for the genre. There is also the bizarre inclusion to include a cover of “Across the Universe” – with Lennon! It’s not a good cover, it’s straight up bad, it doesn’t fit on the record, and it follows in the heels of a full covers album. The album’s fascination with the Beatles – Lennon also co-wrote “Fame” and there’s the shoutout on the title track – feels divorced from the American soul influences. It’s yet another Bowie record where competing influences cannot interact peacefully. But, that was not nearly enough to detract me from pleasantly enjoying this one.

Grade: 7.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Right”

STATION TO STATION (1976) 

This I know for a fact was not a first-time listen; my dad had this one on CD growing up and I used to stare dumbfounded at what a ten-minute song could be. This is the result of Bowie in the throes of a cocaine addiction, one so bad that he’d later admit he has no recollection of even recording this album. That’s especially remarkable given how strong it and patient it is.

Americans gave Bowie some freedom to do what he wanted on his next album, and the result is a collection of fewer, longer tracks that incorporate a mix of everything Bowie had done up to that point. It’s a pretty genius album, and easily his most layered and textured so far. Gone are the direct lyrics in favor of dense poetry, gone are the simple guitar or synth rhythms in favor of complex, multi-instrument tracks with healthier runtimes.

The A side is certainly better – all three tracks shine. The title track is one of the most ambitious songs in the Bowie catalog (matched only by “Blackstar” 40 years later), with a 10+ minute runtime and patient, complex rhythms. “Golden Years” was the hit, and for good reason – it’s the catchiest track on the release. “Word On A Wing” is also a pure standout. Side B is less memorable, though it does include the infamous “TVC15,” with Bowie at his most nonsensical.

It’s fantastic, just a brilliant album even if it’s not the easiest one to listen to. Up next: The Berlin trilogy and the pop downfall!

Grade: 8.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Word On A Wing”

Thanks for reading! I hope at least one person has as much fun reading these as I do writing them. Feel free to check out the first installment in the Bowie series!

By Andrew McNally