It started with a spark and it ended with a bang, to (slightly mis-)quote a song from one of the new releases I picked up in 2023. I’m just going to scroll down through the artists list (sorted alphabetically) in MusicBee and point out the ups & downs, plus direct you to some highlight songs you may want to check out via the online service of your choice.
Battle Tapes, Texture: I covered this one at release time and it is right near the top of my favorites of the year. (Can I pick just one? Maybe. Maybe not.) If anything, “Syntax” grew on me a bit (it’s the other refugee from the gen:LOCK animated TV show soundtrack) and I found myself liking “Brand New” even more than I did on first listen, which is saying something. Y’all, this is a banger of a record, if that’s what terminology the kids are still using these days. Highlight song pick: “If Only”
Depeche Mode, Memento Mori: My feelings on this record haven’t changed much since the initial write-up. It’s fine as a piece of art, it just doesn’t connect. YMMV. Highlight song pick: “Ghosts Again”
Duran Duran, Danse Macabre: A surprise, an absolutely pleasant surprise. I gave it some flak for being almost half covers (including covers of their own songs) but considering at least half of the covers land pretty well… eh, I’ll forgive it. If nothing else, it’s a superb Halloween party record. Highlight song pick: “Love Voudou” (the cover of their own earlier song, “Love Voodoo”)
Filter, The Algorithm: Every so often I wonder if Filter’s records and my tastes are ever going to get any closer again, like the way they absolutely lined up for Title Of Record and never again since. That’s still a “no” but I keep trying, apparently. As with most Filter records there are about three songs I enjoy and the rest I could do without. If you’re more into the band than I am, you probably don’t need me to tell you to pick it up. If you’re not, well, don’t. Highlight song pick: “Obliteration”
Garbage, Witness To Your Love (EP): I didn’t write about this when it dropped, partly because it’s only an EP rather than an LP. If you like the band but kind of bounced off of the 2021 album, No Gods No Masters, much like I did, I’m here with the happy news that this collection of four songs is absolutely worth your time & money. Yes, even the cover of “Cities In Dust.” Highlight song pick: “Blue Betty”
Genesis, BBC Broadcasts (boxed set): Oh, dear. I forked out a great deal of money to get two discs worth of old band recordings of note, plus what amounts to audio CD versions of live shows that are already available on DVD. At least they threw in the 1998 session with Ray Wilson, since otherwise the entire Calling All Stations experience has been memory-holed. Basically I got a small handful of useful tracks out of this, and the rest is more-or-less disposable. Sigh. Highlight song pick: “Harold The Barrel [Sounds of the 70s (1972)]”
HOYO-MIX, Honkai: Star Rail (various OSTs): Okay, yes, it’s a video game soundtrack… several of them actually… but they’re quite good and make excellent background music for puttering around doing other things. Highlight song pick: “Wildfire” (from the Of Snow And Ember release)
Jessie Ware, That! Feels Good!: It’s a disco record. I mean, let’s not beat around the bush, it is 1000% a disco record. And it’s a very good one. It follows on from 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure? and is even less abashed about what it is, which seems like it should be impossible, yet here we are. When you’re in the mood for a very particular kind of groove (“bow chikka wow” optional) this is what you should reach for. Highlight song pick: “Free Yourself”
Jethro Tull, RökFlöte: Just kidding, I didn’t buy it. I listened to the track previews at 7Digital and nothing in there jumped out at me enough to make me take the chance on it, not after how solidly I bounced off of last year’s The Zealot Gene. Sorry, Mr. Anderson.
Mono Inc., Ravenblack: In a lesser year this would’ve taken the top spot on my favorites list with ease. Instead it’s merely a rock-solid entry that kicked off 2023 with great verve. I just don’t get tired of this band. Highlight song pick: “Lieb Mich”
Pet Shop Boys, Lost (EP): I can’t complain about more PSB, and while these five songs are pretty much a mixed bag of leftovers there’s yet some charm to be found. Highlight song pick: “I will fall”
Peter Gabriel, i/o: It’s only been a couple weeks since I wrote about this one, go on then. Highlight song pick: “Four Kinds of Horses (Dark-Side Mix)”
SawanoHiroyuki[nZk], V: Technically my first purchase of the year, it’s another collection (the fifth, hence the roman numeral title) of singles and other material from composer Sawano Hiroyuki’s “nZk” pop-music… label? Identity? I’ve never quite understood the whole thing going on there, but I don’t need to. I just know that when he teams up with a vocalist to deliver top-tier tunes, I’m gonna be here for it. If you’re into anime at all and watch big-budget shows, possibly featuring stompy robots and/or dangerous teenaged girls, there’s a chance it’s got one of these songs attached. With that said… V doesn’t have as high a ratio of top-tier content as previous collections. Highlight song pick: “LEMONADE”
Takashi Ohmama, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Original Soundtrack: Included here for completeness, either you’re into background music from soundtracks or you’re not. There’s nothing for me to sell you on, here. The same goes for…
Various Artists, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Original Soundtrack and Various Artists, RWBY, Vol. 9 (Music from the Rooster Teeth Series): Yes, there are technically actual artist names I could attach to these, but it’s complicated and makes my music library even more of a mess to wrangle, so I don’t. The Three Hopes game OST includes some interesting mixes of songs you may have liked from Three Houses (if you’re into that sort of thing), while the RWBY soundtrack is… better than the season of television it was attached to. (OK, that’s kind of unfair, but… opinions are complicated and divided.) Heck, for RWBY I’ll even throw in a… Highlight song pick: “Checkmate”
VNV Nation, Electric Sun: Ridiculously solid release from Ronan Harris’ big flagship project. A mix of new all-time greats among a field of generally well-crafted material overall. Simply an absolute standout.
YOASOBI, The Book 3: I just picked this up a couple days ago, largely on the strength of the well-regarded pop duo’s singles for the Frieren anime and the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury anime. Not a bad way to close out the year, not at all. Maybe I’ll dig into their back catalog (such as it is, they’re relatively new) and find some more gems. Something to do in the new year? Yeah. Highlight song pick: “Yuusha”
With all that said… what’s my favorite new release of the year? Can I call it a three-way tie between the long-awaited new Battle Tapes, the even-longer-awaited new Peter Gabriel, and the superb new VNV Nation… with honorable mentions for Mono Inc. and Duran Duran to fill a top five? Sure, let’s go with that.
Now, bring on 2024. More new music! MORE!