In Review: Best of the Year (2023)
In Review: Best of the Year (2023)
A half-yearly roundup of my favourite records of the year.
I know a bunch of other publications are quick off the draw with their mid-year lists—and that’s entirely their prerogative—but I like to wait until the last possible opportunity, especially given the tendency for late inclusions to squeak their way onto the list (see the last slot for a case-in-point example). I tried to keep these summaries brief with a Sub Pop-inspired, 150-words-or-less approach (thanks Eli!), so read on and check out the playlist at the end. Enjoy!
Béton Armé – Second Souffle
Ever since I stumbled across the spectacular Puffer demo from last year, I’ve been obsessed with Montreal punk. Drawing influence from 80s French Oi!, streetwise quartet Béton Armé come through with four utterly infectious tracks packed with razor-sharp riffs, anthemic gang vocal hooks, and fist-pumping, pint-spillin’ rhythms. Proof that good punk makes you feel invincible.
Dust – Et cetera, etc
Newcastle’s globe-trotting indie punks Dust have been everywhere lately off the back of their stellar debut EP. Tracks like “The Gutter” and “Ward 52” play out like the narrative grandeur of Iceage meets the social commentary of IDLES. Catchy melodies slide up against bursts of saxophone and incisive class consciousness. When they hit your city—and trust me, they will (eventually)—do seek them out.
Envision – The Gods That Built Tomorrow
With another throwback from last year’s Best Of list, I’m proving yet again that I’m a big fan of everything Envision do. On their sophomore LP, the vegan straight-edge outfit serve up propulsive, floor-clearing anthems ready-made for pile-ons and stage dives. Swift guitar undercurrents fused with rhythmic momentum and impassioned vocals. It’s melodic hardcore done right.
Existence – Go To Heaven
Sweden’s Existence peddle metallic hardcore that’s on a big thrash/crossover kick. Think hard riffs, classic acoustic breaks, and gruff, commanding vocals. It’s the stuff violent spinkick dreams are made of, and there’s also one track that pairs a hard-as-nails, unsheathed sword sample into a huge stomping breakdown. It’s sick (just like the artwork).
Fucked Up – One Day
“[Having] consistently eschewed conventional takes on their hardcore punk foundations for over two decades, ... the latest full-length effort from the Toronto collective Fucked Up [represents] both a creative challenge levelled directly at a unit of time and a literal evocation of temporality as a force that shapes human phenomenal experience.” Read the full review here (Exclaim!).
Half Man – Man Proposes, but God Disposes
“While notable reference points are diverse–the concrete stomp of Cold As Life; Gulch’s dog-off-the-leash vocal ferocity; the turbulent d-beat of All Pigs Must Die; floor-clearing riff breaks of the Nails variety–the listening experience found on Half Man’s debut 7-inch is dialled into a frequency of unrelenting, seething aggression.” Read the full feature here (No Echo).
Home Front – Games of Power
Of all the groups spinning up versions of post-punk revivalism, the frigid dirges of Edmonton’s Home Front feel the most timeless and alluring. Their debut LP sports austere new wave soundscapes blitzed together with slick melodies, deep baritone vocals, and hardcore punk rhythms. Oh yeah, and that cheeky guest feature from The Chisel’s Cal Graham on “Nation” goes hard, too.
Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine
“I’m confident in stating right now that 2023 will be the year of Scowl. While their 2021 debut album, Where The Flowers Grow, received rave reviews (including yours truly) and was a firm indicator of potential, the band’s new EP Psychic Dance Routine activates that potential and levels up the band’s sound to dizzying heights.” (Weekly Roundup)
Softcult – see you in the dark
“Formed by twin siblings Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn,… the [Ontario] duo's latest offering, see you in the dark, continues their descent into heavier subject matter with an air of raw vulnerability, diving headfirst into a metaphorical abyss to confront personal demons, social frustrations and their innermost fears.” Read the full review here (Exclaim!).
Trophy Eyes – Suicide and Sunshine
“On their fourth studio album, Suicide and Sunshine, out now via Hopeless Records, the quartet continue to push beyond their roots in hardcore punk, delving ever further into alternative and pop territory with the introduction of sharp synths, dark modern pop influences, and tasteful electronic flourishes courtesy of co-producer Fletcher Matthews.” (Weekly Roundup)
Listen to all of these records on the TPD // Best of the Year (2023) playlist.