Top 50 favorite albums of the year (part one)
Before starting with the top 50 list in and of itself, here are some records that I thought were genuinely good but for one reason or another didn’t make the final cut. Most of these hurt really bad to leave out, but trust me, would recommend you check these out regardless!
Abadir — Ison (ambient/post-club)
Aho Ssan — Rhizomes (epic collage/electroacoustic)
Alex Anwandter — El diablo en el cuerpo (synthpop/dance-pop)
ANOHNI — My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross (soul)
billy woods / Kenny Segal — Maps (abstract hip hop)
Diego Raposo — Yo no era así pero de ahora en adelante, sí (art pop/indietronica)
Diles que no me maten — Obrigaggi (post-rock)
DJ K — Panico no submundo (beat bruxaria)
Earl Sweatshirt / The Alchemist — Voir Dire (abstract hip hop)
Eartheater — Powders (art pop/electronic)
Everything But the Girl — Fuse (alt r&b/downtempo)
Jessie Ware — That! Feels Good! (dance-pop/disco)
Jessy Lanza — Love Hallucination (synthpop/alt r&b)
Julie Byrne — The Greater Wings (psych folk)
Kesha — Gag Order (alt-pop)
KMRU — Dissolution Grip (ambient/drone)
Lankum — False Lankum (irish avant-folk)
Lostrushi — Sisterhood (digicore/cloud rap)
L’Rain — I Killed Your Dog (neo-psych)
Lucy Liyou — Dog Dreams (ambient/electroacoustic)
Mon Laferte — Autopoiética (art pop/latin alternative)
Nídia — 25 Mindjeres (batida)
Panopticon — The Rime of Memory (atmospheric black metal)
Ruth Anderson / Annea Lockwood — Tête-à-tête (sound collage/musique concréte)
Sword II — Spirit World Tour (neo-psych/indie rock)
SZA — SOS (r&b/pop)
Veeze — Ganger (detroit trap)
Victoria Monét — Jaguar II (r&b)
Witch — Zango (zamrock)
WRRN — ¿Cómo se siente estar mejor? (screamo/shoegaze)
Okay, now onto the proper list:
#50. Tirzah — trip9love???
Genre: Alternative R&B, Trap
Label: Domino || Release Date: 5/9 || From: Braintree, UK
You’re not gonna get it the first time. Tirzah’s third album trip9love???, whom she worked on with frequent-collaborator Mica Levi, can be a jarring first-listen experience, going further down the inaccessible in a record that might also be her most straight-forward yet. Its main components seem to be voice, piano, synthesizers, guitars and a beat. One beat, in fact, repeating constantly. In some kind of way, it’s a really brilliant way to explore how with interesting production and songwriting choices, these minimal elements can be elevated, getting drilled into your brain. That, or they’re hacks, which in that case… wdrgaf!
RIYL: Dean Blunt/Babyfather, Arthur Russell, Purity Ring, Three 6 Mafia
Highlights: “F22”, “their Love”, “No Limit”, “today”, “Stars”, “2 D I C U V”, “6 Phrases”, “nightmare”
#49. Vayda — Breeze/Forrest Gump
Genre: Trap, Cloud Rap
Label: self-released || Release Date: 13/3+8/12 || From: Atlanta, USA
Atlanta rapper-singer-producer Vayda is very prolific. Breeze (released in March) and Forrest Gump (released in December) are only two of four releases she put out this year, but these two albums combined run for slightly more than 30 minutes overall. Vayda’s songs are like short bursts of energy, fast, memorable, filled with humor and clever one-liners, and production-wise taking a lot of inspiration from electronic dance music (most noticeably Jersey Club but there’s also a d’n’b track on Forrest Gump) as well as “Soundcloud rap” subgenres, Vayda sounds unstoppable, and it’ll certainly be exciting to see where she goes next.
RIYL: Bbymutha, Hook, Ice Spice, Pink Siifu
Highlights: “Prima Donna”, “Ten”, “Stripper Hoes”, “Naughty”, “Ulovemequestionmarkwinkyface” (Breeze) “Rash”, “Bait”, “Oprah”, “Tweaker”, “Vogue”, “Hood Zendaya”, “Adele”, “Sonics” (Forrest Gump)
LISTEN (Breeze) / LISTEN (Forrest Gump)
#48. The Canyon Observer — Figura
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal
Label: Vox Project || Release Date: 9/1 || From: Ljubljana, Slovenia
The third album by Slovenian metal band The Canyon Observer is one of the wildest rides the genre’s had to offer all year. Released right in the beginning of January, Figura pushes their sludg-y sound forward into pure chaos, merging it with noise, drone, free jazz, post-rock, grindcore and probably even more genres, as if it was one of the best John Zorn albums he’s never made. No track sounds like the other, and in just a little over 40 minutes, Figura has so many left-turns that’ll make you stay on the edge of your seat for all of it.
RIYL: John Zorn’s different projects, Imperial Triumphant, Neptunian Maximalism, Peter Brotzmann
Highlights: “Dih”, “Koža”, “Slepič”, “Križ”
#47. Mitski — The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
Genre: Indie Folk
Label: Dead Oceans || Release Date: 15/9 || From: Mie, Japan/Nashville, USA
Mitski’s 2022 album Laurel Hell saw her moving into a mainstream-sounding direction, with lots of synthesizers and anthemic pop hooks. The large reception to it was… fine. So her returning with a new album within a year was unexpected, but The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We is one of her finest works. With reflections on both her personal life as well as the world we live in at large, it’s not necessarily a back-to-basics record but moreso an intimate, darker, stripped-down version of what she’s known for best, distinguishing herself from her contemporaries, she’s on her own league.
RIYL: Sufjan Stevens, Tracy Chapman, Lisa Germano, Laura Nyro
Highlights: “Bug Like an Angel”, “Buffalo Replaced”, “The Deal”, “My Love Mine All Mine”, “Star”, “I’m Your Man”, “I Love Me After You”
#46. Nondi_ — Flood City Trax
Genre: Footwork, IDM
Label: Planet Mu || Release Date: 7/4 || From: Pittsburg, USA
Nondi_’s first album for Planet Mu, Flood City Trax, has an undeniable influence of footwork, detroit techno and juke. And while describing as a dance music album wouldn’t be wrong (far beyond “intelligent dance music”) it sounds distant, hazy and nostalgic, like someone dreaming of going to a club as a way to escape reality. The record was informed by the history and her experiences of living in her hometown Johnstown in Pensylvannia, a town affected by one of the worst floods in U.S. history, and those complex emotions in some way are made visible through the work’s melancholic tone.
RIYL: DJ Rashad, Machinedrum, Huerco S., Leila
Highlights: “FCD (Floaty Cloud Dream)”, “Sun Juke”, “Euphonic Daydream”, “01–25–2022”. “Dusty”, “Nostalgic Vision”, “Long Ago”, “Sentimental Juke”
#45. Heejin Jang — Me and the Glassbirds
Genre: Industrial, Noise
Label: Doom Trip || Release Date: 3/3 || From: Seoul, South Korea
Seoul artist Heejin Jang’s music can easily and perhaps accurately be described as noise, but it is more than just feedback and edginess. Her Doom Trip debut, Me and the Glassbirds, she uses collages, samples found online and distorted field recordings — birds indeed appear to be a reoccurring theme — to paint herself as a sort of mad scientist who builds and destroys each of her creations constantly. While it might not be the easiest album to digest, it is complex in a way that feels very intriguing, in which every sound that comes next can feel like a total surprise.
RIYL: SPK, Kazumoto Endo, Pan Daijing, the Isolationism compilation on Virgin Records
Highlights: “In the Egg”, “Wings Customization”, “Machine Birds Fly”, “Prototypes”, “Our Brief Eternity”, “Taste of Metal”, “A Personal Matter”
#44. Purelink — Signs
Genre: Ambient, Ambient Dub
Label: Peak Oil || Release Date: 15/9 || From: Chicago, USA
Pick any track from Chicago trio Purelink’s second full length album Signs and tell me it would not look out of place in a chillout compilation CD from the 90s. This is not a diss at all mind you: their music feels like the absolute best from that era in ambient-adjacent music but recontextualized into modern-day electronica. It sounds like something that you can sink yourself into and feel a little relaxed, while still keeping you in your toes just enough thanks to the persistent percussion and sampling. If anything, allow me to say: Purelink are today’s best boy band.
RIYL: The Orb, Global Communication, Gas, Huerco S.
Highlights: “In Circuits”, “4k Murmurs”, “Pinned”, “We Should Keep Going”
#43. Nenagenix — Lo más cercano a caer
Genre: Alternative Rock, Shoegaze
Label: Bohemian Groove || Release Date: 26/5 || From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
While rock music never left Buenos Aires, Nenagenix have become in some sort of way figureheads of a nascent, young “underground” rock scene. Far from their beginnings as a more punk/riot-grrrl inspired sound, their debut Lo más cercano a caer seems to make more of an inspiration from acts like Deftones, 90s shoegaze and Midwest emo. And even though it isn’t necessarily experimental within the parameters of shoegaze-adjacent music, they complement that by composing relatable lyrics alongside really catchy guitar riffs and vocal melodies resulting on tracks that feel very impactful even when this album is less than half-an-hour long.
RIYL: Deftones, Ride, Lush, Giradioses
Highlights: “Pulso”, “Igual”, “Sueño por debajo”, “Nadar sola”, “Asfixia”, “Antes de que olvide”
#42. Desire Marea — On the Romance of Being
Genre: Art Rock, Spiritual Jazz
Label: Mute || Release Date: 7/4 || From: Durban, South Africa
Desire Marea is impossible to pin down. The South African artist started with duo FAKA working on the weirdest corners of gqom, but their debut solo album Desire was a true breakthrough, one of the best avant-pop records of 2020. On its follow-up, On the Romance of Being, they switch from electronic production into mostly live instrumentation, accompanied by a full band. While the difference between the newer spiritual-jazz and rock influences are notably different from its predecessor, they both do a great work on helping Desire Marea’s attention-commanding performance shine as an ode to queer love and, well, desire.
RIYL: Sons of Kemet, King Crimson at their jazziest, Batsumi, Sun Ra Arkestra
Highlights: “Ezulwini”, “Be Free”, “Mfula”, “Rah” (feat. Zoe Modiga), “Banzi”
#41. Titanic — Vidrio
Genre: Post-Minimalism, Post-Rock
Label: Unheard of Hope || Release Date: 20/10 || From: Mexico City, Mexico
Since 2019 with her debut album, Guatemalan cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti has been making truly gorgeous-yet-intense electronic-experimental music, which focuses on her brilliant songwriting as well as digital textures. On her latest project Titanic, made with drummer I.La Católica, things sound a little more… raw. Not raw as in simple, but moreso as it sounding like a full-band making a “rock” record of sorts. Except it being a Mabe Fratti project, it isn’t as straightforward, as the album Vidrio pulls from jazz, experimental classical music and pop just as much as anything else, and it’s another win for her.
RIYL: Talk Talk’s later era, Julia Holter, Colin Stetson, Jenny Hval
Highlights: “Anónima”, “Cielo falso”, “Te evite”, “Palacio”, “Balanza”
#40. Maria BC — Spike Field
Genre: Psychedelic Folk
Label: Sacred Bones || Release Date: 20/10 || From: Oakland, USA
Singer/songwriter Maria BC has been behind some of the prettiest-sounding music of the past few years, but the growth that they’ve shown from release to release has been stunning to watch in and of itself. On their second album Spike Field, their first for Sacred Bones, they have reached newer heights that go even beyond most combinations of ambient music, pop and folk would. With emotive lyrics accompanied by an excellent production, beautiful harmonies, digital glitches and soaring guitars that build like the best post-rock would, Spike Field is a wonderful journey that you hope has only just begun.
RIYL: Lisa Germano, Grouper, Angel Olsen, Fennesz
Highlights: “Amber”, “Watcher”, “Haruspex”, “Return to Sender”, “Tied”, “Still”, “Lacuna”, “Mercury”, “Spike Field”
#39. a.s.o. — a.s.o.
Genre: Trip Hop, Art Pop
Label: Lying Low || Release Date: 2/6 || From: Melbourne, Australia/Berlin, Germany
Trip hop has never really died. And while someone might see the work of Berlin-via-Australia duo a.s.o. as derivative from the classics, it still feels as contemporary as anything. a.s.o.’s music can feel really cold and distant either through the constant presence of reverb, but also memorable enough thanks to its hooks, ultimately feeling very inviting towards the listener. Lifting from the most experimental corners of the genre, but also from its influence in mainstream pop via, say, William Orbit’s production work for major popstars, the sound of a.s.o.’s debut album is proof the genre is more alive than ever.
RIYL: Madonna’s Ray of Light (and other William Orbit stuff), HTRK, Bowery Electric, Sneaker Pimps
Highlights: “Go On”, “My Baby’s Got It Out for Me”, “Rain Down”, “Love in the Darkness”, “True”, “Falling Under”, “Understand”, “Somebody”
#38. Rắn Cạp Đuôi — *1
Genre: Epic Collage, Glitch
Label: Nhac Gay || Release Date: 23/4 || From: Ho Chí Minh, Vietnam
Vietnamese group Rắn Cạp Đuôi first started as a post-rock-ish band, but on their Ziúr-assisted 2021 album Ngủ ngày ngay ngày tận thế they broke through with their style of chopped up, densely-packed psychedelic collages. On their follow-up record, simply titled *1, they continue what they started on their predecessor, but go even wilder places. While the frequent, intense, disorienting use of sampling remains present, the presence of guitars and live instruments becomes more evident, a combination of RCĐ’s past and present music, if you will. If this is what rock bands will sound in the future, I’m all in.
RIYL: Ziúr, Fuck Buttons, Aho Ssan, Squarepusher
Highlights: “Straws”, “What Cherubs”, “Bloody”, “Pressure”, “Bugs Life”
#37. Slauson Malone 1 — EXCELSIOR
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia, Art Pop, Experimental
Label: Warp || Release Date: 6/10 || From: New York, USA
Jasper Marsalis’ first album as Slauson Malone was a collection of short vignettes that found a midpoint between rap, ambient, jazz and experimental music. His first album on Warp Records, EXCELSIOR is not exactly not that, but it’s still very different. Now as Slauson Malone 1, there seems to be more of a presence of rock of all things, with the presence of a live band and all… and yet that alone would also be a disservice as a description, as each track brings a surprise of its own, it’s a very interesting new direction but one I welcome definitely.
RIYL: King Krule, Dean Blunt, Body Meat, Jenny Hval
Highlights: “The Weather”, “House Music”, “Olde Joy”, “New Joy”, “Love Letter Zzz”, “I Hear a New World”, “Destroyer X”, “Voyager”, “Decades, Castle Romeo”, “Us (Tower of Love)”
#36. Niecy Blues — Exit Simulation
Genre: Alternative R&B, Ambient, Ambient Pop
Label: Kranky || Release Date: 10/11 || From: Charleston, USA
Released on ambient/post-rock-leaning label Kranky, Charleston artist Niecy Blues’ Exit Simulation is one of the greatest surprises of the year, and one of their best in a while. The influence from R&B, gospel and soul are all definitely throughout it, but the way in which it’s just as present as haunting, droning ambient music is, genuinely feels innovative. It also helps that Niecy Blues is, first and foremost, a fantastic vocalist who elevates these ethereal songs into glory. Exit Simulation is not only one of the best debut albums of the year, but a revelation in and of itself.
RIYL: Grouper, L’Rain, Kelela, Space Afrika
Highlights: “1111”, “U Care”, “Violently Rooted”, “Exit Simulation”, “Soma”, “Lament”, “The Architect”, “Cascade”
#35. cabezaden, Leyblack & Mbé — MIMOSA
Genre: Funk brasileiro, Plunderphonics
Label: QTV || Release Date: 23/11 || From: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Each year, it seems like Brazilian funk reaches new heights not only of popularity, but also of sheer insanity, which we’ve seen with the international attention the DJ K and DJ Ramon Successo albums have gotten. No less insane is MIMOSA, a project by performance artist Luíz Felipe Lucas and producers Mbé and Leyblack, which, in some sort of way, feels like a genre deconstruction of sorts from its roots in heavily-sample-based Miami bass/rap, Afro-Brazilian folk music and club beats. And while it certainly is chaotic and heavy, it’s far from pretentious, still feels like a party all in all.
RIYL: Tati Quebra Barraco, Linn Da Quebrada, DJ Travella, Elysia Crampton
Highlights: “Roda”, “Toque”, “Chora”, “Quinta”, “Dfb”, “Taca”, “Matuta”, “Lanca”
#34. Laurel Halo — Atlas
Genre: Ambient
Label: AWE || Release Date: 22/9 || From: Ann Arbor, USA
Laurel Halo might be one of the most important artists in electronic music from the 2010s on. Whether crafting experimental club music or futuristic pop tunes, she’s always delivered nothing but the best. On her album, Atlas, she opts for ambient music that, while not necessarily dark, never feels like something you can just zone out to. That isn’t a bad thing, as the tense-sounding influences of jazz and classical music are a perfect fit. With contributions from like-minded artists like Lucy Railton, Coby Sey or Bendik Giske, Atlas is one of the most remarkable releases in an already-impressive discography.
RIYL: Kelly Moran, Harold Budd, Eberhard Weber, Tim Hecker
Highlights: “Abandon”, “Naked to the Light”, “Sick Eros”, “Belleville”, “Atlas”, “You Burn Me”, “Earthbound”
#33. Chini.png — El día libre de Polux
Genre: Art Pop, Art Rock
Label: Fisura || Release Date: 31/3 || From: Santiago, Chile
Chini Ayarza had already made her name in Chilean indie music circles with her band Chini and the Technicians, but on her solo project as Chini.png she truly shines. Her debut El día libre de Polux goes considerably beyond alt-rock, incorporating elements from both pop and experimental electronic music, and whether drowning in distortion or over minimalist semi-acoustic accompaniments, Chini’s artistic voice sounds very distinctive. A record in which she worked with quite a few present-day greats of the Chilean underground scene, it’s one of the most refreshing works to come out of Latin American indie in quite some time.
RIYL: Water from Your Eyes, Juana Molina, Hatchie, Stereolab
Highlights: “Nanai”, “No midas las palabras”, “Laurel”. “Yo misma”, “Loop”, “Árboles y pasarelas”, “Sofía”, “Tonto”
#32. Little Simz — NO THANK YOU
Genre: UK Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop
Label: Forever Living Originals || Release Date: 12/12 (2022) || From: Islington, UK
British rapper Little Simz reached a whole different level of acclaim and fame with her album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. Released in 2021, it was a grandiose, maximalist record that was undoubtedly one of the best of that year. So naturally, in typical introvert fashion, her following project NO THANK YOU takes a more subdued nature. But by no means is it less good than anything she’s done before, alongside the gorgeous production from her frequent collaborator Inflo, it is an introspective, wonderful analysis of the impact of fame in her life and her experiences with the music industry.
RIYL: Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Lauryn Hill, SAULT
Highlights: “Angel”, “Gorilla”, “Silhouette”, “No Merci”, “X”, “Heart on Fire”, “Broken”
#31.
#31. Caroline Polachek — Desire, I Want to Turn into You
Genre: Art Pop, Alt-Pop, Electronic
Label: Perpetual Novice || Release Date: 14/2 || From: New York, USA
Caroline Polachek’s first solo album under this name, Pang, slowly became one of the most beloved records of the past decade, and with its brilliant production as well as Caroline’s fantastic vocals, it’s clear why. And while it took a little for her sophomore record to take form, Desire, I Want to Turn into You feels like an appropiate follow-up. Taking clear inspirations from 00’s pop music (Dido is on it, after all) as much as Scottish-folk, flamenco or ambient, it’s equal parts fun and carefree as it is moving and passionate, there’s gotta be something in it for you.
RIYL: Imogen Heap, Kate Bush, Dido, Oklou
Highlights: “Welcome to My Island”, “Bunny Is a Rider”, “Sunset”, “Crude Drawing of an Angel”, “I Believe”, “Blood and Butter”, “Hopedrunk Everasking”, “Smoke”, “Billions”
#30. Loraine James — Gentle Confrontation
Genre: IDM, UK Bass
Label: Hyperdub || Release Date: 22/9 || From: Enfield, UK
With each project she puts out, British producer Loraine James shows a new facet of her artistry. On her third album for Hyperdub, Gentle Confrontation, she reflects her affinity for Midwest emo as well as early 2000’s IDM-pop crossovers like Telefon Tel Aviv. The result is a record that blends the futuristic club music and ambient sounds she works with a much more emotional, reflective tone with a very slight tinge of nostalgia. Alongside a number of collaborators who each give their best, help Loraine in Gentle Confrontation bring her artistic vision to fruition in one of her best works yet.
RIYL: Telefon Tel Aviv, Clark, Jessy Lanza, Actress
Highlights: “Gentle Confrontation”, “2003”, “Déjá vu” (feat. RiTchie), “Prelude of Tired of Me”, “Glitch the System (Glitch Bitch 2)”, “I DM U”, “While They Were Singing” (feat. Marina Herlop), “Tired of Me”, “Speechless” (feat. George Riley), “I’m Trying to Love Myself”
#29. Liv.e — Girl in the Half Pearl
Genre: Alternative R&B, Neo-Soul, Neo-Psychedelia
Label: In Real Life || Release Date: 10/2 || From: Dallas, USA
The debut album from Dallas-born musician Liv.e, Couldn’t Wait to Tell You, fused jazz, R&B, rap and soul into a psychedelic and hazy concoction that was equally as beautiful as it was disorienting. However, on her second album Girl in the Half Pearl, things sound normal by comparison. While there are some clearer moments, she pushes things even further when it comes to her experimental side, and inspired by grief and changes in her life, it does sound more intense and even gloomier at times, but this only works to her favour, as it is probably Liv.e at her best.
RIYL: Solange’s weirder stuff, Kelela, KeiyaA, Mica Levi
Highlights: “Gardetto”, “A Slumber Party?!”, “Ghost”, “Find Out”, “Heart Break Escape”, “HowTheyLikeMe!”, “Snowing!”, “Wild Animals”, “RESET!”, “Our Father”
#28. Tujiko Noriko — Crépuscule I & II
Genre: Ambient, Electroacoustic
Label: Mego || Release Date: 13/1 || From: Osaka, Japan
In 2021, Editions Mego founder Peter Rehberg passed away suddenly. His label was one of the most important in the development of modern experimental electronics, giving chances to artists in the genre to be heard, one of them being Tujiko Noriko. The Japanese musician’s newest record, the double album Crépuscule I & II, was conceived largely before his passing, but it does feel mournful and oddly peaceful, like a distant memory of a loved one. While largely on the experimental end of ambient, it still carries the DNA of her 00s avant-pop works, only extended into wonderful yet haunting pieces.
RIYL: Grouper, William Basinski, Steve Roden, Eiko Ishibashi
Highlights: “The Promenade Vanishes”, “Fossil Words”, “Cosmic Ray”, “A Meeting at the Space Station”, “Bronze Shore”, “Golden Dusk”, “Roaming Over Land, Sea and Air”
#27. Emilia — .mp3
Genre: Dance-Pop
Label: Sony || Release Date: 2/11 || From: Nogoyá, Argentina
If you’d told me a year ago that Emilia Mernes would release one of 2023’s best albums I would’ve been… confused. And yet! A far call from her music as part of Rombai or even her pre-2023 output, Emilia’s second album .mp3 is one of the most exciting mainstream pop albums to come out of Argentina in recent memory. With overt nods to Y2K-era stars but with a modern twist, it’s pop music that isn’t afraid to be what it is, but still has enough personality to catch attention. I hope she continues this path, because it’s the right one.
RIYL: Tove Lo, Shakira, Rina Sawayama, Kylie Minogue
Highlights: “Facts.mp3”, “Jagger.mp3”, “JET_Set” (feat. Nathy Peluso), “Iconic.mp3”, “GTA.mp3”, “Exclusive.mp3”, “No_se_ve.mp3” (feat. Ludmilla), “24_Hs.mp3”, “Guerrero.mp3”
#26. Lana Del Rey — Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Genre: Art Pop, Singer-Songwriter
Label: Interscope || Release Date: 24/3 || From: New York, USA
What can be said about Lana Del Rey that hasn’t been said before whether good or bad? In some way, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. is her trying to answer that question. It is a very open album, touching on fame, relationships and mortality, not unlike she did before, but from a much more Adult perspective, as well as talking about her family in more detail, getting older and everything it implies. The album might not be as tight as Ultraviolence or consistent as NFR!, but its honesty, messiness and havoc is why it’s lovable.
RIYL: Joni Mitchell, Weyes Blood, Fiona Apple… but really, just Lana Del Rey
Highlights: “The Grants”, “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”, “A&W”, “Candy Necklace” (feat. Jon Batiste), “Paris, Texas” (feat. SYML), “Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing” (feat. Paris, Texas), “Peppers” (feat. Tommy Genesis), “Taco Truck x VB)”
