Listening Clark :: Class Of 2023 :: Module Fourteen
*nods sagely
First off, congratulations to all of the nominees for the Mercury Prize this year, which seems to have leaned a lot harder into more dance, R&B and hip hop efforts this time around, which is nice to see. What’s more, I can actually count one of them as quite possibly my favourite album of 2023 so far, so it should be interesting which album gets picked (though I’m pretty certain it won’t be my pick anyway, such is the way…)
Feel free to take a look at the nominees here; what’s your reckoning on all of this then, eh?
Whilst you think up an appropriate answer, please feel free to take a look at the list below of my favourite L-Picks for the last 50 albums listened to from 2023…
Listening Clark :: Class Of 2023 :: Module Fourteen
Crying Crystals – Haviah Mighty
Winning the prestigious Polaris Music Prize for their debut album in 2019 (think the Mercury, but Canadian), expectations are decidedly high for the second album from the first ever hip hop artist to win said award; thankfully, Crying Crystals sidesteps any such wobbles assuredly, not least due to its progenitor’s exemplary wordsmithery and versatile technique on fierce display throughout.
Everyone Else Is A Stranger – Lindstrøm
Though he hit the half-century milestone earlier this year, Hans-Peter Lindstrøm isn’t showing any signs of slowing down in terms of their output of immersive space-disco jams if their sixth long-player is anything to go by at least, the Norwegian DJ and producer dusting off four killer, gorgeously transportive missives perfect for long-haul workouts and raves alike.
FURTHER – DJ Bone
With the completion of his third decade as one of the Detroit techno scene’s most innovative turntablists looming, DJ Bone cements his reputation FURTHER (sorry) as one of the more creative voices in dance music with his latest collection of shape-throwing chicanery, the third instalment in an album trilogy that also marks his final release on his Subject Detroit label.
Jelly Road – Blake Mills
Continuing to make confident strides in his own discography after helping produce some of the most celebrated albums in recent times for the likes of Alabama Shakes and Perfume Genius, Mills’ latest set expands his and the listener’s appreciation for the Roots and Americana genres, as well as more experimental forms of jazz and ambience with typically virtuosic results.
Joachim Mendelson, Grażyna Bacewicz: Chamber Works – Silesian Quartet
The venerable classical institution from Poland celebrates forty-five years of performances and recordings with a superlatively essayed collection of works from two of their homeland’s most revered composers, aided by similarly exemplary playing from fellow country-persons Karolina Stalmachowska on oboe and Piotr Sałajcyzk on piano.
MID AIR – Paris Texas
A concerted grab for Debut Album Of 2023 arrives in the first long-form by the prodigious rap duo who have carved an excellent niche for themselves in the present-day flux of alternative hip hop with a unique mix of bratty insouciance and plaintive rumination, as dark and grimy as it is brash and fun, all the while dissecting the dead-eyed swagger and trappings of present-day rap with a devilish grin.
Natural Wonder Beauty Concept – Natural Wonder Beauty Concept
A collaboration between ambient jazz electronica artist Ana Roxanne and reggaeton supremo DJ Python, Natural Wonder Beauty Concept is one of 2023’s most insidiously charming treasures, its constituent artists managing to marry both of their inimitable stylings into a moving cornerstone for both of their favoured genres to coexist in poignant harmony.
Pure Music – Strange Ranger
Another leftfield alternative gem from 2023 finds its way to our ears courtesy of the alternative rock outfit Strange Ranger who, in a rather exciting about-turn that was inspired by a quote from post-dubstep pioneer Burial among other influences, have crafted a moving miasma of dusty electronic pop for their fourth album, full of soul-quenching hooks and crescendos.
The Ballad Of Darren – Blur
By simultaneously showing signs of poignant evolution in terms of themes of loss and malaise whilst still retaining the impish referentialism that has defined their sound for the last three decades, Blur’s ninth album and its resulting success after sold-out stadium shows over the summer surely earns them every Like They Never Left Award for 2023.
the infinite spine – LAUREN AUDER
Beginning as a hip hop producer in their teenage years, the subsequent release of her first three EP’s marked Lauren Auder as a talent to watch in the realms of alternative/orchestral pop, and their debut album does not disappoint in the slightest, each song packed with sultry, agonising power with soundscapes as mellifluously fraught as her lyrics and themes suggest.
And there you have it… and dare I say it, the end of the backlog of albums appears to be in sight this time! Good golly, it will be nice to get it all done ahead of a much-needed vacation. But hey, we’ve still got a fair way to get there. So until next time…
xxxo
