The Quest’s Top Ten Albums of 2023 (in no particular order)

the record by boygenius

Finn: Singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus re-form like Voltron to follow up their 2018 self-titled EP with a full album, and all I have to say is finally. Given the talent and artistic overlap of these three, this album is essentially a slam dunk of melancholic folk-pop ballads and tongue-in-cheek rock jams. The album has a two-pronged approach, consisting of solo tracks with backing vocals of other members and posse cuts with all 3 members, with the boys capitalizing on their tried-and-true (blue) vibes. Highlights from the former include song of the year “Not Strong Enough” and the country-influenced “Cool About It” where the trio tiptoes around volatile relationships. There is also the playful “Satanist” one of the most rockin’ moments of the album. Several solo cuts really shine as well, including the Bridgers-lead “Emily I’m Sorry” one of the most heartbreaking songs on the album, the punchy “$20” lead by Julian Baker, and “We’re In Love” lead by Lucy Dacus, the most lyrically detailed track on the project. Although the trio are each fantastic solo artists, they unlock a new magic when working together. 

Owen: This album, which opens with the memorable line “speak to me until your history’s no mystery to me,” is a powerful display of storytelling and collective healing. Bridgers, Dacus, and Baker’s combined talent is just one aspect of what makes this album the greatest album of 2023 – their unity, their support of one another, and their genuine and unapologetic love shown for one another in performing it live make this album the cultural phenomenon it is. The album has many of the same nihilistic, heartbreaking, and devastating elements of the solo albums of its writers, but when they come together there’s an element of hope that’s truly priceless. The album is filled with unforgettable anthems like “Not Strong Enough,” beautiful ballads like “Leonard Cohen,” and headbangers like “Satanist,” a track that perfectly emphasizes the idea of growing with a companion through everything. I can’t decide what brings me to tears more: hearing the words “I want to be happy” at the climax of the closing track “Letter To An Old Poet” or seeing the boys on stage in each others’ arms.

Javelin by Sufjan Stevens

Finn: With a career spanning 20 years at this point, what more could listeners ask of singer-songwriter extraordinaire Sufjan Stevens? However, Javelin acts as an aesthetic reset for Stevens to answer this question, as the record re-embraces the wondrous and melancholic folk of 2015’s Carrie & Lowell, as a great portion of the lyrical focus expresses Stevens's grief over the loss of his partner Evans Richardson in April 2023. The album opener “Goodbye Evergreen” begins with crushing lyrics like “Think of me as you will/I grow like a cancer/I’m pressed out in the rain/Deliver me from the poison pain” which leads into a crushing and whimsical wall of sound. “Will Anyone Ever Love Me?” works a more pop-inspired formula, while the 8-minute “Shit Talk” severs as a stunning focal point. And although the music is fantastic, at this point I just want bad things to stop happening to Stevens because he clearly is a treasure who deserves nothing but happiness.

Owen: The latest release by multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens contains everything you’d want in a Sufjan album, his wistful, soft vocalizations that make you feel like you’re running through spots of sun in a forest at dawn, a beautiful layering of angelic backing vocals, airy guitar, and bizarre electronica that come together like a warm sweater, and a somber emotional progression that has a climax as satisfying as a Wes Anderson movie. This is an album that’s easy to fall in love with, and it’s one of Sufjan’s greatest. Artists like Sufjan, who seem to come out with a new album every time you remember they exist, often turn away fans from their newer albums simply because there are an overwhelming amount to get through (I’m guilty of this for The Mountain Goats), but a deep listen of songs like the 8 and a half minute brilliant ballad “Shit Talk” proves otherwise: by the fifth iteration of “Hold me closely/Hold me tightly lest I fall” you ascend into the beautiful and magical headspace of Javelin and life seems to slow down in this outstanding way.

The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski

Finn: So this is Mitski’s best album. Here it feels like the themes of American disillusionment on Be The Cowboy and lovestruck sorrow on Laurel Hell find common ground, all with a stunning country twist on Mitski’s typical singer-songwriter style. For example, the stunning string sections on “Heaven” or the beautiful dusty synth builds on “Star” are some of  Mitski’s best-arranged tracks to date. Mitski spends a great deal of this album unpacking the emotionally crushing aspects of falling in love, especially in the closing moments of “I’m Your Man” and “I Love Me After You.” “My Love Mine All Mine” is Mitski’s first genuine Billboard hit, and has one of her catches chourses yet. Outside of these moments, Mitski’s lyrics paint a surreal and chilly soundscape for listeners to get lost in, like on “When Memories Snow” and “The Frost.” This album is not really Mitski really switching up what works for her, however, the country elements complement push this album into a brand new world for Mitski, as it’s clear now that the sky’s the limit for her, artistically and commercially. 

Owen: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Mitski has not released an album as good as her 2012 debut, Lush. However, does that mean she does not continue to grow and be an artist who defines a generation of music through her timeless approach to songwriting and mastery of the 2-3 minute song? Absolutely not, and The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We is a perfect example. In just 32 minutes, Mitski incorporates a variety of innovative musical techniques into stylish, beautiful, and sexy tracks. In doing so, she creates the memorable hit “My Love Mine All Mine” along with the whimsical “Heaven,” and the comfortable “The Frost.” It’s amazing to see Mitski share her voice in the beautiful array of artistry the indie rock world has become in the last few years; her latest album uses elements reminiscent of many of the best albums of the last few years, her pacing is similar to that of that of Weyes Blood’s And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow, and the intense track “The Deal” uses a sporadic drum pattern many fans have noted as akin to the heavily controversial drums from Black Country New Road’s “Snow Globes.” Overall this album is definitely one of my most returned to this year, and Mitski again does not fail to produce a beloved album.

The Loveliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen

Finn: Carly Rae Jepsen has consistently been one of the most underrated pop artists of the last 10 years. Most people know her from her smash hit “Call Me Maybe” (aka the best pop song ever made), but she has gone on to redefine and push the boundaries of pop, most notably with 2015’s Emotion. Her latest album serves as a sort of sister album to her previous one, The Loneliest Time (2022), and continues to expand her 80s-revivalist sound to new heights. Most notably “Psychedelic Switch” which is a soaring house-pop anthem reminiscent of Daft Punk’s best works. The pop excellence continues onto the nocturnal “Kamikaze” which paints infatuation as deadly, and the slinky “Shy Boy” which I relate to because I am shy and a boy. Carly also really shines on the album’s softer moments too, the rhythmic and touching lyrics of “Shadow” come to mind, as well as the sunny and intimate closer “Weekend Love.” All-in-all, CRJ has not missed, and if you are a fan of pop music of any kind, this is your album. 

Owen: As a fairly new Carly Rae Jepsen fan, this album absolutely blew me away. I had a similar reaction to this album as I did with CRASH by Charli XCX last year–in believing that this is everything a pop album should sound like–except far stronger. This album has so much complexity in its grooves which are the undertones of a powerful strong-feeling danceable tune. Carly Rae Jepsen is the ultimate soundtrack to being in love, encapsulating a visceral reaction to marveling at the beauty of one’s own emotions. This is music that truly just feels warm to me, with a heavy beat that keeps your feet moving forward walking across the Blue Bridge on a cold Portland night. An invigorating and encouraging display of emotion, The Loveliest Time turns house-pop into a home.

Ooh Rap I Ya by George Clanton

Finn: If you are in any way a fan of vaporwave or even just left-field electronic music, George Clanton’s latest album is one for you. The project has a seamless flow that is easy to get lost in, as each track hits listeners with heavily textured synths, punchy drum loops, and distant (but still present) vocals. In a sentence, Ooh Rap I Ya feels like it comes straight out of a neon-lit rainy dystopian city set on a planet far away. The groove of lead single “I Been Young” seemingly throws back to late 90s and early 2000s pop with a hooky chorus to boot, and closer “For You, I Will” featuring Hatchie sports some of the darkest and intoxicating synth layers. Another track that shines is the almost entirely instrumental “You Hold the Key and I Found It” which turns the immersion level of the record up to 11, and truly reflects everything great about the record. 

Owen: A goal that plenty of musicians have tried to achieve over the past few decades has been to make a musical sound that’s truly filling with noise, a wall of sound that overwhelms its listeners in noise in a cleansing way, like a nice shower that cleans every crack and crevice in your body with an overwhelming amount of water. Musicians from the shoegaze/dream-pop genres especially, have tried to achieve this through a blend of distorted guitars and pedal loops, but few musicians can create this effect well with–as George Clanton’s label calls itself–100% Electronica. Ooh Rap I Ya is an album that truly encapsulates the purpose of its unique sound, through vaporwave beats and echoes that make their ways into all the synapses of your mind in the form of a cool wave washing over you. Every sound and sample in this album is produced in a way that seems so natural and yet engaging, it truly maintains the overwhelming sound needed to serve the purpose of its genre while avoiding the monotony of so much of shoegaze/dreampop.

This Is Why by Paramore

Finn: In a career spanning almost 20 years, rock band Paramore, consisting now of Hayley Williams (vocals), Taylor York (guitar), and Zach Farro (drums) continue to push new ground and expand their sound. While their last album After Laughter incorporated 80s synth-pop, This Is Why returns to the band's guitar-driven sound, this time with a dance-punk twist. The opening title track hits with the best choruses of the year, as do the melodic hooks all over “Running Out of Time.” The bangers continue onto “You First” and “Figure 8,” as well as the single “The News” which unpacks the taxing struggle of staying hyperaware in the social media age. Although Paramore can write a rock hit in their sleep, the softer moments on the record hit just as hard, like the stunning “Crave” and the touching “Liar.” The album closes with the crushing “Think Skull” which touches down on the record's core themes of being trapped in toxic cycles of negative behavior that you just can’t shake, giving the entire record an all-too-relatable angle. Rock album of the year in my opinion. 

Owen: This Is Why was a very fun way to start off the year, and fueled my extreme Paramore phase that defined my departure from high school. It definitely does well in trying new styles and engaging themes that bring Paramore into relevance once again. Hayley Williams can never be a letdown, and she certainly was not on this album, yet I still oddly found myself revisiting This Is Why less than nearly every other Paramore album this year. I believe this is because this album lacks a similar element of consistency and identity that makes their most memorable albums, like Riot! and Brand New Eyes, as timeless as they are. Don’t get me wrong: songs like “Running Out Of Time,” with its brilliant stylistic switch-ups, or “Big Man, Little Dignity,” with its soft melodic undertones, or the empowering bridge of “Crave,” and the overall phenomenal screaming conclusion “Thick Skull” take their place as some of the best Paramore moments across their discography. However, songs like “C’est Comme Ça,” with their obsessive repetition, and some of the more unusual moments on songs like “You First,” such as the weird opening off tune guitar, while being interesting moments on the album, give the album a feeling of inconsistency that taints its replay value. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this release, and it deserves a spot on the best albums of this year, but it would not be my first choice if I wanted to hear a Paramore album. Oh, and I could also write another paragraph about my love of the Julien Baker remix of “Thick Skull” off of the remix album Re: This Is Why, but we are running out of printable space here.

Let’s Start Here. by Lil Yachty

Finn: If you walked up to me a year ago and said that rapper and singer Lil Yachty, famous for his “bubblegum trap” music style and taking the “wok to Poland” would release a stunning psych-rock album, I would have been really confused. But alas, this year Yachty has completely reinvented himself with his most recent album, in my opinion becoming exponentially more compelling and interesting as an artist. Just take the over six-minute opener “the BLACK seminole.” which plunges the listener into a surreal and darkly-textured soundscape. The lush synthesizers on the following track “the ride-” are stunning, and Yachty pushes his fun-loving attitude to feel eerie and unsettling, representative of the album cover. There is also the fantastic warped disco track “drive ME crazy!” where Yachty kinda gets outstaged on his own song by the lovely vocals of Diana Gordon. However, it is clear that Lil Yachty is aiming to be more of a curator of sounds and vibes, akin to Tyler, The Creator, moments like these fit just right within the album overall. 

Owen: Let’s Start Here. is a brilliantly-produced psych album that represents a cool, matured sound. With transitions Pink Floyd would be proud of back to back with grooves reminiscent of MGMT, many songs on this album are a go-to for a casual night alone or with friends. There are darker elements that fit in very smoothly, such as “:(failure:(” or “THE zone~,” and the song that probably found itself in everyone’s playlists this year – “drive ME crazy!” – for good reason, it combines a nostalgic soul sound with elements of modern R&B. Overall, I thought the album was satisfying but not revolutionary – although I certainly do not have the perspective of knowing anything of Lil Yachty’s past works and I appreciate artistic development – it works well as a sonically cohesive psych album. However, while it has glimpses of striving to be an emotionally fulfilling masterpiece, which it does successfully at times (such as in “The Alchemist.”) it did not leave the overall complete impact on me I was hoping it was, however this definitely may change over time.

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek

Finn: On Caroline Polachek’s second solo album (as she was once one-half of the indie-rock and synth-pop band Chairlift), she deals out 12 tracks full of wondrous fun. The intro cut “Welcome To My Island” fully showcases Polachek’s mesmerizing lead vocals over massive and spacious beats and guitars, opening the album with a salacious bang. The quirky pop bangers continue onto “Bunny Is A Rider” and “Smoke” as well as the lovely Celine Dion-inspired ballad “I Believe” written on acid as a tribute to avant-pop producer SOPHIE (rest in power). Another facet of this album is Polachek’s attempts to fuse 2000s pop stylings with her signature pop-futurism, resulting in the playful “Pretty In Possible” and the stunning crossover with Grimes and Dido on “Fly To You.” On the album's longest cuts, “Blood and Butter” and closer “Billions,” Polachek expresses an intense lovesickness and would make anyone listening swoon. One last left hook that she includes is the acoustic “Sunset,” a dive into Spanish-flamenco pop, which shows Polachek leaving her comfort zone behind, even on an album a wild and eccentric as this one. 

Owen: This album is majestic, funky, and awe-inspiring, and in it Caroline Polachek uses her unstoppable vocal chords to their full effect, especially in the unforgettable opening “Welcome To My Island,” and also in the riveting “I Believe,” a song so groovy and miraculous that if you’ve caught me dancing in the basement of the library, I was probably listening to it. I was not originally a Caroline Polachek fan, but have since drastically changed my mind, especially after gaining more of a taste for pop and truly falling in love with Polachek’s voice, which makes this album absolutely gorgeous. There’s not a crazy amount to write about Desire, I Want To Turn Into You (and no, I’m not just saying that because I’m tired and my editors are pushing me to finish this already) simply because it’s an album you have to experience through wherever its emotions take you, whether that’s writhing on your floor in lamentation or dancing in the middle of commons with no shame.

SCARING THE HOES by Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA

Finn: Okay guys, what the hell? As a hoe, I was really scared by this album and found it really offensive. But anyway, I have to give credit where credit is due, because this collaborative album from two of the most talented semi-underground rappers out there is full of brash and hilarious bangers. First off, the production on this project is absolutely unhinged, full of crushing bass, piercing synths, some random ambient tones, and grimy hip-hop beats. All of this serves as the backbone for Brown and Peggy to go off lyrically, packing each track full of hilarious quotables. Look no further than some of the track titles for an idea of this, including opener “Lean Beef Patty” and “Jack Harlow Combo Meal.” Some of the tracks that feature great flows backed up with punchy beats include the one-two punch of “Fentynal Tester” and “Burfict!” Oddly enough, the album ends on some (relatively) softer jazz-rap-influenced cuts “HOE (Heaven On Earth)” and “Where Ya Get Ya Coke From?” which are surprising yet welcome. Although the project is on the shorter end at only 36 minutes, JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown creatively let loose, but still display fantastic rapping and production. 

Owen: The intense, sporadic, and heavy sound of this album was one of the ways hip hop was brought into a new and innovative way this year. Combining the unforgettable “crackhead” voice of Danny Brown and the computerized sound of JPEGMAFIA is a mashup made in hell, and I’m all for it. Take the title track “SCARING THE HOES,” which opens up with a perfectly unsettling clapping noise, indiscernible utterings, and disturbing and unusual instruments, transitioning into powerful and intense chanting-like rapping from both Peggy and Brown. This album is truly experimental, every song has its moment that uses a certain sample, lyric or transition that makes you just ask yourself “What the actual fuck is going on?” and it’s beautiful. You never know what you’re going to expect from a track from this album, even after several relistens, you’ll hear a lyric like “Netflix and chill on a jailbroken Roku,” or a distorted vocal sample that sounds like Stuart the minion, or a soothing and enchanting sampled singer that gets interrupted by an obnoxious text alert sound and a Danny Brown verse. Everything about this album is so wrong, and that’s what’s wonderful about it. There’s a good reason that this album inspired my JPEGMAFIA/Twin Peaks themed KRRC show, “Scaring the Log Ladies” – simply because adding unexpected dissonance to things as wholesome as the voice of Kyle MacLachlan is exactly what Peggy and Brown want from this project.

The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monáe

Finn: As a person, I really like having fun, and Janelle Monáe’s most recent album is chock-full of summery, blissful bops. In a post-RENISSANCE by Beyoncé world (which thankfully we live in), it’s clear that Monáe is working with a similar formula, crafting an album with a seamless flow from track-to-track and a nonstop party, but instead of dance music, it’s reggae. For example, “Lipstick Lover” works a straightforward instrumental formula but Monáe’s vocal performance and sensuality really steal the show. Earlier tracks like “Float” and “Champagne Shit” work a trap-reggae fusion, excluding effortless confidence, and “Phenomenal” and “Know Better” push reggae into a weirder, futuristic world with electronic elements. The album's final moments, the ode to polyamoury that is “Only Have Eyes 42” and the acoustic “A Dry Red” leave listeners on a sentimental note, making this endless pool party feel like that one summer situationship you will not be getting over any time soon. After 15 years of pushing pop forward, Janelle Monáe deserves a party. 

Owen: The Age of Pleasure is an album that’s filled with bliss, combining the braggadocious, unapologetic elements of hip hop with the enjoyable moderation of reggae to create an album that will instantly make you the coolest person in the room by playing it. It’s impossible not to move your body while listening to it, its trap-inspired drops fuse with Janelle Monáe’s confident, rhythmic vocals create an overall entrancing sound. The transitions are brilliant, and the songs are master hits with their quick, hard-hitting choruses that still leave room for musical elements that make you raise an eyebrow, but in a sexy way. The album brings you into this unusual and glamorous world, one which Monáe dominates with every verse. I haven’t had nearly the amount of time to explore this album in depth as I would like to, and I can’t wait to add the powerful swagger of Monáe to some of the most groovy moments of my life.