From Kara Jackson’s folk masterpiece to Balming Tiger’s K-pop reinvention and CASISDEAD’s crowning moment: here’s the best albums, EPs and mixtapes you missed in 2023.
As the nights grow longer, tins of Celebrations are stockpiled and radio is invariably tuned to Mariah Carey FM, end of year lists are inevitably beginning to clog up your feed. Rife with controversy and speculation, these lists attempt to decipher the bad from the good, the good from the very good, and the very good from the quintessential, based on all-encompassing merit.
Is that even possible? How can you compare boygenius’ glorious the record with Travis Scott’s dense, thrilling (if overlong) UTOPIA?
Rather than suggest that my opinion holds more weight than everyone else, I thought it more appropriate to round up the albums, EPs and mixtapes that perhaps went under the radar, and that you, the readers, might have missed.
In the fruitful undergrowth of the industry, definitive and seminal albums have sprouted. From challenging avant garde progressions in UK and US rap to vast strides in the consumability of electronic sub-sounds, the fringes of popular music have seen an augmentation in their craft, and a diversity in their listenership.
Household yet under-appreciated artists have had their crowning moments, cult classics have been born, and highly promising newcomers have stated their case for disrupting the industry status quo.
Here’s 10 of them…
CASISDEAD – Famous Last Words
Release Date: 27th October 2023 Key Track: “Venom” What It Sounds Like: Half 80s-tinged disco, half futuristic electronica: all grit-laden rap brilliance. Why You Should Listen: The king of the underground has finally emerged, from wherever he was hiding, to perch upon his rightful throne. CASISDEAD is one of the most notorious and enigmatic figures in hip hop – your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper. Nearly a decade since his debut album, The Number 23, this autumn he returned with a sophomore effort, which merges the past and the future in a complex, creative and challenging manner. Across its dense 58 minute run time, Cas lays it all out to bare; from his addiction problems and violent undertones to heartbreaking sorrow and provoking reflection, Famous Last Words is an incredible character study, a musical symphony and a conceptual masterpiece. What’s New and What’s Next: He’s set to appear at London’s Project 6 Festival next May. But in general – who the fuck knows, it’s CASISDEAD.
Listen…
Kara Jackson – Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
Release Date: 14th April 2023 Key Track: “no fun/party” What It Sounds Like: Folk-laden balladry with hazily raw qualities and ethereal existentialism. Why You Should Listen: Illinois poet, singer and songwriter Kara Jackson is one of the most strikingly unique voices in US music. Delicate yet commanding, she narrates her 2023 album Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? with assured delicacy. The songwriting is visceral, engaging and at times heartbreaking, with the sparse and intricate instrumentation proving a treat on the ears, and a perfect canvas for Jackson’s broad, enticing brushstrokes. What’s New and What’s Next: Jackson has embarked on a US tour, with a new project also in the works, hopefully sometime next year.
Listen…
billy woods & Kenny Segal – Maps
Release Date: 5th May 2023 Key Track: “Soft Landing” What It Sounds Like: Devastating and intricate experimental hip hop. Why You Should Listen: Maps is one of the best collaborative rap LPs between producer and MC in recent history. Virtuoso beatmaker Kenny Segal builds a sonic world that is bleak and beautiful, atmospheric and articulate in its compression of emotion. Atop the producer’s musical decadence, New York’s indie rap icon billy woods is impactful with each word that he utters, each vocalisation he croons. Visceral, profound and challenging, Maps is one of the best rap records to come out of the 2020s to date. What’s New and What’s Next: Prolific as they come, woods released a joint-tape with Armand Hammer in late September.
Listen…
Cleo Sol – Heaven
Release Date: 15th September 2023 Key Track: “Miss Romantic” What It Sounds Like: Emotionally articulate and dazzlingly daring new age neo-soul. Why You Should Listen: The genius of Cleo Sol knows no bounds. 2021’s Mother was one of the best LPs of the year; a quiet period followed from the singer-songwriter, but then September of this year hit and Sol blessed us with not one, but two full length records. Due to this unique releasing method, it’s easy to understand why soul (and Sol) fans may have missed, or not paid much attention, to both albums. But you most definitely should be. I prefer Heaven personally – it’s richer, progressive and emotionally potent. It’s absence from so many year end lists is a cardinal sin. What’s New and What’s Next: We should have no expectation of Cleo Sol. Whatever she gives us next, however long it takes her, let’s just be grateful.
Listen…
Del Water Gap – I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet
Release Date: 29th September 2023 Key Track: “Beach House” What It Sounds Like: Indie pop ballads to fall in love to. Why You Should Listen: The sophomore album from Connecticut raised, New York-based singer-songwriter Del Water Gap doesn’t reinvent the pop wheel, but its eclectic free-flowing production, powerhouse performances and thoughtful songwriting make it an excellent addition to the indie pop canon. Del Water Gap, as a narrator, oozes depth and vitality, offering sprawling tales of late night romance, isolation, addiction and self realisation. What’s New and What’s Next: When I interviewed Del for Man About Town a few months back, he told me: “I have this dream of renting a house in Montana and bringing a little tape machine and just writing some poems and playing a little acoustic guitar and making an album that way again. Going back to the way it started…” In the short term, he’s coming to the UK and Europe for a handful of live shows in the new year.
Listen…
Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music
Release Date: 8th September 2023 Key Track: “Marching Band” ft. Masego What It Sounds Like: Masterful musicianship and compositional excellence with jazz, classical and global influences. Why You Should Listen: Meticulous maverick Yussef Dayes has been quintessential in London’s jazz renaissance for the past decade, and, with Black Classical Music, finally has the first of assumedly many crowning moments. He told me when I spoke to him about the album that he doesn’t consider himself or the LP to be ‘jazz;’ the more it’s grown into my rotation I agree that it’s not a jazz album. The best moments on the project come when Dayes dives into the influence of global sounds that he’s accumulated whilst touring and travelling. Dayes’ drumwork is, unsurprisingly, eclectic and enthralling, with moments of deep emotional resonance scattered amongst the supreme musicality. It’s a damn near flawless album, and probably my favourite of the year. What’s New and What’s Next: Popping up with the occasional live performance video to satisfy our Dayes obsession (including a new, jaw-dropping COLORS), the drummer will tour all over the place in the new year, and undoubtedly be featured on some of next year’s finest albums. Fingers crossed for a solo follow up before too long!
Listen…
Jim Legxacy – “homeless n*gga pop music”
Release Date: 26th April 2023 Key Track: “candy reign (!)” (or “dj” or “eye tell (!)”… ahh maybe all of them!) What It Sounds Like: Nothing else. Why You Should Listen: One of the most compelling acts in London, few artists are as successful as merging sounds as Lewisham polymath Jim Legxacy and his simply incredible latest body of work. The talent flaunts not only his dexterous production nuance but also propels himself as a multi-layered character of complexity, imperfection and resolution. Whether through delicate falsetto vocals or rousing rapping, Legxacy excels, as accomplished in chatting wass as delivering a sprawling breakup ballad. Untouchable and individualistic, “hnpm” is a rare breed of project from a rare breed of artist. What’s New and What’s Next: Personal adversities may press pause on Jim’s immediate return, but if and when he does release again, it will surely be a career defining moment.
Listen…
Anish Kumar – “A Mixtape by Anish Kumar”
Release Date: 25th August 2023 Key Track: “Nothing Else Will Do” What It Sounds Like: Classic hip hop beats produced for a Boiler Room set. Why You Should Listen: When he is not studying to become a veterinarian at Cambridge university, Anish Kumar passes the time concocting forward-thinking productions and spinning records at some of the UK’s most cherished venues. One of the many South Asians causing a splash in the UK market, Kumar brings effervescent excellence to his productions; epitomised on his sprawling and terrifically entertaining debut mixtape. Suitably named, “A Mixtape by Anish Kumar” is a statement release brimming with magnificent sampling, merging deliciously authentic breakbeat with soulful old school hip hop. One of the finest young beat-smiths residing in the electronic scene, Kumar has the potential to shape a legacy and reinvent himself over and over again. What’s New and What’s Next: Kumar has already returned for another project: “In Sri Lanka” was unveiled in late November, and showcases the progressive nature of the producer’s craft. Further bodies of work will surely follow in 2024.
Listen…
Shame – Food for Worms
Release Date: 24th February 2023 Key Track: “Adderall” What It Sounds Like: Progressive post punk that isn’t afraid of honesty and vulnerability. Why You Should Listen: Post-punk was revitalised and revolutionised in the mid-to-late tens with the emergence of Idles, Fontaines DC and many other contemporaries. One of which, shame, immediately grabbed the attention and admiration of the industry thanks to the terrific ’18 debut Songs of Praise. The initial excitement from the wider indie industry may have waned somewhat around their exploratory if elusive follow up Drunk Tank Pink (still a fantastic album mind you), but with this year’s Food for Worms, shame have shown themselves to be one of the most impressive bands in the country, let alone within their loosely-labelled sub-sound. The most recent LP feels grander yet subtler; the walls of guitars are engulfing, the quieter moments poetic and beautiful. As devastating as it is divine. What’s New and What’s Next: Gut punching live shows and a major festival run have ensued the LPs, with a fourth studio album that will be sure to mesmerise set to follow.
Listen…
Balming Tiger – January Never Dies
Release Date: 19th October 2023 Key Track: “Trust Yourself” What It Sounds Like: Jazz-leaning BROCKAMPTON on steroids. Why You Should Listen: South Korean collective Balming Tiger are changing the way the West can consider K-pop. On their startlingly good debut album January Never Dies, each member brings their own musical identity and vision, amalgamating into a cohesive and captivating sound that borrows from jazz, experimental hip hop and Asian sonic aesthetics. Diverse, daring and dramatic, the record carves a career for the group and places them at the pinnacle of Asian music. What’s New and What’s Next: They’ve been touring with more shows to come. Looking forward, a sophomore LP will surely come to reimagine the collective’s sound once again.
