The top 30 albums of 2023: part 3, 30 to 11

Like each of the past eleven years WoNoBlog presents its favourite albums of the year. The last couple of years a top 30. As always it was tough to decide which band or artist deserves a spot. After giving it a lot of thought and extra listening sessions, this is what has come out.

30. Interpretative Dancing. The Slow Clock

2023 pop lovers following the charts most likely will not understand this opening sentence but pop is oozing out of Interpretative Dancing like water from a well.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/09/interpretative-dancing-slow-clock.html

29. Not Your Cupid. Erny Ball

The word water surfaced a few times in my posts over the years where music from New Zealand, and especially its female artists, were concerned. Erny Belle brought it up herself, so perhaps she knows what it is in the water that makes herself and these artists write and record music at this high a level. New Zealand is, at a minimum percentage wise if not absolutely, outperforming other countries with ease.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/11/not-your-cupid-erny-belle.html

28. Do You Ever Wonder What Comes Next? Loupe

Loupe has released a beautiful album that the world should learn about. Now I understand that Spotify took care of that with an add on Times Square in NYC?!

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/06/do-you-ever-wonder-what-comes-next-loupe.html

27. In Times New Roman. Queens of the Stone Age

I had not bothered to check out the two previous records really. I had lost interest. Curiosity can be stimulated, as the enthusiastic reviews of In New Times Roman did. Yes, I wanted to know if they were correct. Yes, they were.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/06/in-times-new-roman-queens-of-stone-age.html

26. A Living Commodity. Egyptian Blue 

A Living Commodity shows a band with promise for the future and I'd say the potential to grow. Just listen to 'To Be Felt' and tell me you don't like it. For a debut album this is more than enough.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-living-commodity-egyptian-blue.html

25. Turn The Car Around. Gaz Coombes

There's a stack of records written and sung by Gaz Coombes in the home here but none of them is a solo album. Having been able to listen to Turn The Car Around I start to understand in a much better way why there are solo records: this is a songwriter who threw off the chains of expectation.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/01/turn-car-around-gaz-coombes.html

24. Rat Saw God. Wednesday 

With Rat Saw God Wednesday makes a huge step towards more fame. Those with more sensitive ears, will just have to skip song #2, more precisely after circa five minutes and enjoy all the rest offered on this album. There remains more than enough for that to happen.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/04/rat-saw-god-wednesday.html

23. Be My Reactor. EUT 

With Be My Reactor EUT sets another great step in its career. From a good debut, to a very good second album that is expanded on in every way possible on the third album. Growth, development, focus, determination, experience, whatever you like to call it, is present in abundance on the band's latest. Slowly but surely EUT is growing into one of the better bands of this country. (And then split up right after the release.)

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/09/be-my-reactor-eut.html

22. De Toegift. De Toegift

Veel nieuwe nummers zullen de mensen die de band hebben gevolgd in het afgelopen jaar niet horen op 'De Toegift'. Wel zullen zij eindelijk de onderlinge samenhang horen en daar zeker niet in teleurgesteld raken. 'De Toegift' is een prachtig album, waarop de band zijn melancholie en hang naar het verleden in een breed geluid uitmeten. Als luisteraar ben je onmiddelijk deel van dit gevoel. Warm en inclusief.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/01/de-toegift-de-toegift.html

21. Ideal Home Noises. Vera Ellen

Four songs into the album, I am about to let you alone with it. It is extremely worthwhile to get acquainted, be surprised and give it the time to grow. Vera Ellen has set tremendous strides, assisted by producer and multi-instrumentalist Ben Lemi. Together they've made the best album coming from Down Under so far this year, and that tells you something, if you follow this blog.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/04/ideal-home-noises-vera-ellen.html

20. Ebony Lamb. Ebony Lamb

Does something like a soft rocker exist? If so, 'Drive Me Around' qualifies. With a prominent drums and bass they set the basis for the other instruments and singer to play off from. This observation is what sums up Ebony Lamb. It is an extremely strong and good album that puts Ebony Lamb right up with Reb Fountain's 'Reb Fountain' and 'Iris' in my book.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/11/ebony-lamb-ebony-lamb.html

19. Oh Mijn Ziel. broeder Dieleman

Inmiddels is meer dan duidelijk dan Tonnie Dieleman zijn eigen unieke muzikale weg vervolgd, die hem diep in het nabije en verdere verleden van zijn geboortestreek en huidige woonplaats in de provincie Zeeland brengt. Als broeder Dieleman creëert hij zo een eigen biotoop, waar ik als westerling bij gelegenheid in mag kijken, maar op geen enkele manier ooit deel van uit kan maken. Gelukkig voor mij staat genieten van de platen van Dieleman geheel vrij en zo kom ik zo dicht bij als mogelijk is als buitenstaander.... In alle bescheidenheid is er een meesterwerk afgeleverd.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/08/oh-mijn-ziel-broeder-dieleman.html

18. Exit Strategy. The Clockworks

The fact that the band was able to land Bernard Butler, once of Suede fame, as producer, attests to the potential. It results in a clear sound, open and with ringing tones, outshining the darker parts that often come with the newest new wave influenced bands. More importantly, the songs nearly all totally convince and that's enough for a debut album. The Clockworks is a band to watch.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/11/exit-strategy-clockworks.html

17. The First Two Pages Of Frankenstein. The National

      :Laugh Track. The National

Yes, cheating a bit, but both albums are very good and deserve a spot. Which one is the better? It depends on my mood, time of day. 

More importantly, I notice how rich the music on this album is. Multi-layered music with lots and lots of sounds and instruments to discover with each spin. In other words, The National plays music to listen to through the headphone, secluded from all daily deliberations.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/05/first-pages-of-frankenstein-national.html

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/11/laugh-track-national.html

16. Bird Machine. Sparklehorse 

Right up to the very end, I'm more than pleased with what I'm hearing. Whatever the original recordings sounded like, we'll probably have to live until the 10 to 40 year deluxe edition to find out. In the latter case chances are I never will. It's inconsequential. Bird Machine is a fine addition to Sparklehorse's oeuvre.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/09/bird-machine-sparklehorse.html

15. Honeycomb Shades. Robin Kester

Yesterday I read on Twitter something like "Everybody has already said what a brilliant album Honeycomb Shades is, so what can I add"? I have to agree here but add that I want to express what I think of the album....Robin Kester plays a very modern pop with many references to the past. From French sigh girls and Serge Gainsbourg, thus the Air style bass sound to Moss and Amber Arcades well into this century. Elements of it all comes by. Alternative enough to be credible, electronic enough to be modern and pop enough to find a song on the radio, I hope. A star ought to be born, is my opinion

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/03/honeycomb-shades-robin-kester.html

14. Save Yourself. traumahelikopter 

Somewhere in the recent past years I started to assume that traumahelikopter was no more (and maybe it wasn't for a while). In the fall of 2022 the world was made a little better with the release of a new single that met with a favourable reception on this blog. It led to some high expectations as well. The trio, drums and two guitars, delivers the goods.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/01/save-yourself-traumahelikopter.html

13. Info Rock. Fake Indians

There's no need for more words here. Info Rock is so full of excitement and energy, that it tells its own tale. Fake Indians is a band that lovers of all sorts of rock should find their way to. Who said that rock was dead? Jim Morrison? Well, he was proven wrong, once again.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/09/info-rock-fake-indians.html

12. Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Lana Del Rey 

Where her singing is concerned, she is moving towards French sigh girls of the 60s, and the Gainsbourg-Doillon dynasty today, more and more, while also hinting at some kind of trash-chique in her phrasing. Moving in and out by the line. It all adds to the mystery that surrounds Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd and Lana Del Rey herself.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/06/did-you-know-that-theres-tunnel-under.html

11. Lonely Citizen. Indian Askin

Overseeing the whole album and the previous output, it is clear that without the band Ayala has allowed other accents to enter his work. Although it is impossible for me to know what Lonely Citizen would have sounded like in the old context, what I'm hearing today gives the impression that Nelson Ayala is freed from constraints. The sound and songs are more varied and different.

http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2023/11/lonely-citizen-indian-askin.html

More tomorrow

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