{"id":390,"date":"2023-12-30T19:52:41","date_gmt":"2023-12-31T00:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arouseosu.wordpress.com\/?p=390"},"modified":"2024-07-14T23:43:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-14T23:43:33","slug":"arouses-top-20-albums-of-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/2023\/12\/30\/arouses-top-20-albums-of-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"AROUSE’s Top 20 Albums of 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even in 2023, albums never go out of style. From diverse, globetrotting trips across genres to homogenous artistic statements, we enjoyed a multitude of song collections this year while waiting for our studio to be ready for broadcasting. Here are our picks for the year\u2019s best:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20. This is Why – Paramore<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After a five-year hiatus, Paramore returned in February 2023 with This Is Why.\u00a0 <\/em>Formed in 2004, when lead singer Hayley Williams was only sixteen, it\u2019s no surprise that Paramore\u2019s sound has transformed and grown over the nearly twenty years that have passed since its inception.\u00a0 After the angst fueled pop-punk of Riot!<\/em>, the electric guitar driven rock of Brand New Eyes<\/em>, and the bubbly, new-wave inspired synth-pop of After Laughter<\/em>, Paramore\u2019s sixth studio album, This is Why, <\/em>once again takes the band in a new direction.\u00a0 Inspired by the electronic sounds of The Rapture <\/em>and the post-punk of Bloc Party, This Is Why <\/em>cannot be defined by a single genre, but rather is a triumphant blend of styles, sounds, and voices. Throughout This Is Why, <\/em>Paramore explores the anxiety and paranoia that have become a normalized byproduct of life in 2023.\u00a0 \u201cThis is why I don\u2019t leave the house\u201d Williams sings in the titular song over an explosive chorus filled with percussive flair.\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cRunning Out of Time\u201d <\/em>focuses on distress on a personal level, while \u201cThe News\u201d <\/em>takes Williams\u2019 anxiety to a global scale, embodying the distress and helplessness felt as a result of global crisis: \u201cBut I worry and I give money and I feel useless behind this computer.\u201d\u00a0 The final song, \u201cThick Skull,\u201d opens slowly, but erupts into chaos in a way that\u2019s reminiscent of a younger Paramore, but one with more control and craft than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Carly Christy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chappell Roan\u2019s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess<\/em>, is flashy, fun, and deeply introspective. After being dropped by her label in 2020, Roan came back stronger than ever in 2023. Both working with Dan Nigro, Chappell and Olivia Rodrigo share a penchant for chanting and cheering in their recent albums. Citing drag queens and midwestern teens at prom as major artistic inspirations, Chappell\u2019s music is dramatic, emotional, and perfect for dancing. The album explores the growth of one\u2019s late teens and early twenties, coming into her sexuality in \u201cNaked in Manhattan\u201d and realizing she deserves more in her relationships in songs like \u201cFemininomenon\u201d and \u201cCasual.\u201d A Midwesterner at heart, she finds community in LA gay clubs in \u201cPink Pony Club\u201d but longs for home in Missouri in \u201cCalifornia.\u201d Her lyrics are witty and tongue-in-cheek, building a world with glittery vocals and visuals. Theatrical and beautiful, Chappell Roan\u2019s debut album is a camp masterpiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Abby Almaguer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. Live at Bush Hall – Black Country, New Road<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Immediately preceding the release of AROUSE\u2019s #1 album of 2022, Ants From Up There<\/em>, Black Country, New Road\u2019s future was thrown into a state of uncertainty when band frontman Isaac Wood announced his departure from the band for mental health reasons. The band would ultimately regroup and decide to carry on, but many had doubts on whether the band would be able to maintain their appeal without the emotional lyrics and dramatic skeletons of songs which Wood provided. Live at Bush Hall<\/em> supplies fans with a collective sigh of relief, with songs just as genuine and grandiose as we\u2019ve come to expect from BCNR. \u201cUp Song\u201d can be read as an upbeat tribute to Wood, with tongue in cheek lyrics like \u201cLook at what we did together, BCNR friends forever.\u201d May Kershaw provides vocals for \u201cThe Boy\u201d, singing an abstract, fable-ish narrative and making the song stand out in the BCNR discography as distinctly light and beautiful. \u201cI Won\u2019t Always Love You\u201d and \u201cDancers\u201d both exhibit Tyler Hyde\u2019s talent as a lyricist and vocalist. However, I believe the crown jewel of the album is \u201cTurbines\/Pigs\u201d, with vocals from Kershaw, a 9:45 runtime, and an emotional instrumental peak that only BCNR could produce. It should be noted that members are reluctant to acknowledge the recording as a true album, stating that it was released mostly to allow them to keep touring whilst making their next true album. In the meantime however, Live at Bush Hall<\/em> reignites the excitement around the band\u2019s future, and has me giddy for the band\u2019s next release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Brady Virtue<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17. Never Enough – Daniel Caesar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For the past few years, a dusty power vacuum has mushroomed within R&B in the absence of a particular colorful iconoclast and only reverberated after his infamous Coachella set. Rising stars like Brent Faiyaz have gone back to the genre\u2019s basics with mixtapes like Larger Than Life<\/em> while others have relied on trap influences for relevance. Daniel Caesar is one of the only stars left unafraid to just give audiences an authentic contemporary R&B album. Opener \u201cOchos Rios\u201d <\/em>immediately sets the stage, tenderly acclimating the listener to the album\u2019s soundscape. Of course, before immediately subverting that with the nocturnal digitality of the homewrecking \u201cValentina.<\/em>\u201d The rest of the album, barring the Kill Bill-<\/em>tinged \u201cShot My Baby,\u201d <\/em>enjoys more acoustic instrumentation — peaking with \u201cLet Me Go\u201d <\/em>and \u201cAlways.\u201d <\/em>Ambulatory duet \u201cDisillusioned\u201d <\/em>boasts vocals from serpentwithfeet as a luminous commiseratory coming of age track. The project is a refreshing moonlit walk by the beach with hopes to reconnect with the waters and — by extension — life. Through the languid waves, the light greets you, imparting the clarity of its reflection upon you. I don\u2019t know about you, but I personally can never get enough of this album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Ike Nnabuife<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. Lahai – Sampha<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A lot has changed since Sampha\u2019s last appearance. The angelic singer has made his fair share of cameos\u00a0 — from crooning over samples on Everything is Recorded\u2019s \u201cClose But Not Quite\u201d <\/em>to uplifting Kendrick Lamar\u2019s bell hooks-tinged \u201cFather Time\u201d — <\/em>but <\/em>Sampha Sisay has finally completed his own introspective hiatus from the spotlight and returned with Lahai<\/em>, a cerebral project soaring through the different altitudes of his identity crisis. Single \u201cOnly\u201d leaves the listener feeling like Spider-Man, doing leaps of faith grappling closer to their personal \u201csun\u201d — whether it be God, knowledge, or whatever their world revolves around. \u201cSuspended\u201d serves as a tacit spiritual successor to 2017\u2019s \u201cBlood on Me,\u201d this time freeze-framing the anxiety of amatory vulnerability and sensations of undeservingness. Ascending from the moment of morose turbulence on \u201cDancing Circles,\u201d <\/em>the luminous \u201cJonathan L. Seagull\u201d is a choral thesis proving the healing power of creativity and empathy. With this sophomore release, Sampha joins the likes of other urban self-care shamans like Bilal, Erykah Badu, and Solange. On Lahai<\/em>, Sisay takes flight, and it\u2019s unsure if he\u2019ll ever return again from his migration, but we, as the rest of the flock, are able to see him flourish, and his story has brought us closer to the heavens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Ike Nnabuife<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply Hot Between Worlds) – Yves Tumor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yves Tumor continues to impress and establish themself as the face for truly unique art rock records. This record utilizes a more pop and electronic style, as seen in \u201cIn Spite of War\u201d and \u201cHeaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood,\u201d to mask the themes of unrequited love and obsession, while the majority of the second half switches to a more angsty and punk style to mask feelings of anxiety and obsession, marked by rough bass riffs and choruses that come off as desperate and claustrophobic, as seen in \u201cOperator\u201d and \u201cEcholalia.\u201d The end of the record ties the themes of toxic relationships and unrequited love via gospel-like horns and bright synths to remind us that no matter the transcendental feeling toxic love may bring you, you must overcome the paralysis and blinding feeling to truly become free and fulfilled, or risk falling into the same cycle of desperation at your own expense. Truly one of the most uniquely produced and thoughtfully written records of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Alex Lopez<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Dsx.fm – Dazegxd & Quinn<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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dSX.fm<\/em>, the collaborative album by Dazegxd and quinn, is interwoven with immersive drum and bass elements and heavily influenced by the jungle scene. The album resonates with seamless transitions evident from the start, where the track “dSX.fm Intro” effortlessly flows into the beat of “Say So.” Demonstrating a masterful fusion of digicore, the artists skillfully balance this dynamic with lyrics exuding unwavering self-assurance. One standout track, “wait here” featuring Af1Shawty and MON, serves as a testament to the duo’s confidence and unapologetic attitude, delivering a powerful sonic narrative. Dazegxd, a talented black electronic artist hailing from Brooklyn, collaborates seamlessly with quinn, a 19-year-old originating from Baltimore, forming a diverse and complementary musical alliance. Throughout the album, Dazegxd and quinn not only showcase their adeptness in genre-blending but also their ability to craft a cohesive yet diverse sound. Their collaborative efforts encapsulate a sense of innovation, bringing fresh perspectives to the electronic music scene while celebrating individuality and skillful production. dSX.fm<\/em> stands as a testament to the artists’ prowess and promises an exhilarating auditory journey for enthusiasts of electronic music and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Izzy Furl<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Red Moon in Venus – Kali Uchis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Upon first listen, you are instantly taken aback by the sensual, groovy, and psychedelic production. Kali Uchis\u2019 Red Moon in Venus<\/em> is an emotion-packed album that is as beautiful as it sounds. Even if you don\u2019t understand the Spanish lyrics on \u201cComo Te Quiero Yo\u201d and \u201cHasta Cuando,\u201d Kali\u2019s smooth delivery perfectly conveys the theme of love and leaving a bitter ex behind on each track respectively that any listener can understand. Red Moon in Venus<\/em> is a true blue R&B album that deals with themes of toxic relationships, honesty, moving on, and love that deserves recognition as one of the best albums of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Alex Lopez<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Burning Desire – Mike<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s rare that you get to see a coming of age story from the beginning like we have with MIKE. The 25 year old NYC-via-London-via-Jersey rapper has been dropping projects since he was 16, and has kept attention on him through the formation of his collective sLUms alongside a relentless discography of mixtapes and 7 studio albums. His latest, Burning Desire<\/em>, adds a new layer to the hero\u2019s journey – hope. After years of chronicling his struggles with alienation, blackness in America, and the border separation and eventual loss of his mother, MIKE spends the 51 minutes of Desire<\/em> talking about the shine after the storm, literally. As a spoken interlude from friend and collaborator TAKA explains, the album was named Burning Desire<\/em> after the first song that played after a rain delay at MIKE\u2019s Young World festival earlier this year. Cuts like \u201cDambe\u201d and \u201cPlz Don\u2019t Cut My Wings\u201d bring back MIKE\u2019s signature monotone drawl and downtrodden lyrical focus, but elsewhere on the album, upbeat hits like \u201cZap!\u201d and \u201cSixteens\u201d make you feel like you\u2019ve achieved the sense of contentedness that MIKE\u2019s preaching. Almost entirely self produced, and with only a few (standout) features from the likes of Earl Sweatshirt and newcomers El Cousteau and Niontay, the focus is kept squarely on MIKE and the viewpoint he\u2019s taken nearly a decade to craft. He\u2019s always been MIKE, but it finally feels like we\u2019re on a first name basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Rohan Rindani<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You – Caroline Polachek<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Welcome to Caroline Polachek\u2019s island. You\u2019re in for an adventure. Ever a gracious host, she\u2019ll greet you with a two-octave-spanning vocal exercise then summarily knock out an \u201880s-informed but futuristic synthpop jam. The island\u2019s national anthem is probably \u201cBunny is a Rider.\u201d The track is lyrically ambiguous, yet its overarching narrative \u2014\u00a0 of a woman who goes off the grid to chart her own path \u2014 comes through loud and clear, backed by an eerie whistle and a dancefloor-ready beat. Bj\u00f6rk and Kate Bush\u2019s faces probably appear on her Mt. Rushmore, but so sonically diverse is her palette that her influences could fill a \u201cGuess Who?\u201d board. The theatrical strings and keys of \u201cI Believe\u201d evoke Very<\/em>-era Pet Shop Boys, while she tips a cowboy hat to Ennio Morricone<\/a> on the Latin-infused, spaghetti Western-core \u201cSunset.\u201d The island\u2019s dialect skews oblique (\u201cLying at the foot of a linden\/In a navel ring inventing June,\u201d from the bagpipe-sporting \u201cBlood and Butter\u201d), with a sprinkling of \u201cda-da-da\u201ds and \u201cla-la-la\u201ds that speak volumes. Polachek\u2019s siren song is so good, not even Odysseus would be able to keep away from her shores.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Nigel Becker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips – Armand Hammer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I caught Armand Hammer on a sticky summer day in August, playing a free pop-up at Brooklyn\u2019s Public Records, previewing some songs from their forthcoming LP, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips<\/em>. The scene felt like a block party: weed smoke filled the air; Backwoodz Studioz compatriots Fatboi Sharif, Cavalier, and DJ Haram mingled with the crowd; and the duo of billy woods and ELUCID were welcomed as hometown heroes. Their album, titled after the signs around the city\u2019s outer boroughs, is their most communal project yet. Formed from jam sessions in Brooklyn with musicians like Shabaka Hutchins and Max Heath \u2014 not to mention beats from Haram, JPEGMAFIA, Preservation, EL-P, Kenny Segal (whose jet-setting, kaleidoscopic collaborative album with woods, Maps<\/em>, deserved to be on this list), among others \u2014 the music is often bracing, clangorous, and warped. Finding the grooves in the album\u2019s polyphony of glitch, industrial texture, and fractured jazz, woods and ELUCID are firmly in pocket, piling picturesque, mealy-mouthed raps into elliptical passages. On a record filled with ephemera, the duo and their guests (from adjunct NYU prof. Junglepussy to Moneynicca of Philly punk outfit Soul Glo) convey a piercing clarity \u2014 weary and bleak, but staggeringly vivid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Raghav Raj<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Girl With Fish – Feeble Little Horse<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Girl with Fish<\/em>, the second full-length effort from Pittsburgh\u2019s noise-laden shoegaze outfit feeble little horse, is not exactly an easy listen. It\u2019s an exercise in musical whiplash, pinwheeling deftly from its densest moments, thick with distortion, to its more tender territories in the span of a single track. The opening track, \u201cFreak\u201d, begins with a generous bout of amplifier noise before descending into a cacophonous crash of cymbals, fuzzed out guitars and pleasantly muffled vocals. Three tracks later, \u201cHeaven\u201d begins as an apparent nod to the slowcore tradition established by bands like Carissa\u2019s Weird or Tacoma Radar before quickly reaching a fever pitch of buzzing crunch. Where other shoegaze albums descend into mud, however, the vocal takes on Girl with Fish<\/em> continuously shine, drifting dreamily atop each instrumental. Far from a one trick pony, this album is a lovely exploration into the creative fringes of genres that, while easy to replicate, are difficult to innovate within. Girl with Fish<\/em> goes down like a can of flavored sparkling water \u2014 it\u2019s abrasive, but refreshing. And within every sharp swallow, just for a moment, you\u2019ll get a taste of genius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– William Engle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Bewitched – Laufey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jazz is so back, baby! On her second studio album, Bewitched<\/em>, Laufey delivers rich vocals over self-written songs about love and heartbreak. Laufey\u2019s personality shines through her charming lyricism and expressive affectation, and she expertly meshes her contemporary jazz sound with more familiar pop inspirations. Laufey grew her majorly Gen-Z audience on TikTok preceding her first album release last year, gaining popularity through her covers of standards and pop songs, citing Chet Baker and Taylor Swift as her inspirations. She continues to connect her adoring young audience to her classic sound with modern themes of dating and coming-of-age, and has amassed almost 22 million listeners on Spotify. Standout tracks include the lush and longing \u201cCalifornia and Me,\u201d which features the Philharmonia Orchestra, and \u201cFrom the Start,\u201d a bossa-nova inspired track detailing the pains of an unrequited crush. Included in the albums 14 track run are one standard, \u201cMisty,\u201d and an instrumental piece entitled \u201cNocturne (Interlude).\u201d This piano arrangement features themes from the entirety of Bewitched<\/em>, an addition that the artist holds dear to heart. Laufey performs this piece live at her sold-out shows, highlighting her skills as an instrumentalist as well as a vocalist. Bewitched<\/em> beautifully displays Laufey\u2019s knack for writing gut-wrenchingly reflective songs and wide musical talents, making it very clear that she is just getting started. AROUSE can\u2019t wait to see what she does next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Mary Polemeni-McGovern<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Ooh I Rap Ya – George Clanton<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ooh Rap I Ya <\/em>is simply a \u201cfeel good\u201d album. George Clanton\u2019s unique vocals, warm synths, and punchy drum beats create a beautifully dreamy summer album that simply strives to make you feel carefree and happy. The most popular track, \u201cI Been Young,<\/em>\u201d <\/em>simply reminisces about the past and makes the listener nostalgic through its unreal production and an epic chorus. Clanton recently played at Skully\u2019s Music Diner for Ooh Rap I Ya<\/em>\u2019s tour and brought some of the most incredible concert vibes I have ever witnessed. The crowd went feral during every song and Clanton\u2019s personality made the show so much more frantic. He often joined the crowd, poured water bottles on people, and let some people play with his hair. Ooh Rap I Ya <\/em>brings back the cheery and bright times in your life when you were still young and happy and embraces it with its hazy, chill atmosphere. With this release, Clanton has seemingly mastered production and stage presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Darren Baskiewicz<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Javelin – Sufjan Stevens<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the faces on the Javelin<\/em> cover, logic runs, has already died. Athletes look to the sky. Celebrities pose. A baby is born, puts on sunglasses, takes a class photo. The impression given is that of a life. Just out of frame, there is some invisible soul tying all these moments together. \u201cJesus, lift me up to a higher plane\u201d. Javelin<\/em> is shot through with elegy: the soul is dead. We are mourners following the hearse. The cut \u201cGoodbye, Evergreen\u201d states \u201cEverything heaven sent\/Must burn out in the end\u201d.\u00a0 The tracks cut as good as anything off Illinois<\/em>, soft folk piano and uber-acoustic guitar. His voice carries the same autumnal fleece. Yet here it is undercut with jarring electronic instrumentals, amplified drumbeats leering out of the dark, the potatoes to the meat. These digital scars mediate Javelin<\/em>. Three years ago for Sufjan was Convocations<\/em>, another project of grief, two-and-a-half hours of lonely electronic nowheres. First his father, now his partner. Now his pain has a voice. It carries more than sorrow: embedded are reflections on love, faith, kisses.\u00a0 Hemingway once said that all stories, if continued far enough, end in death. Javelin<\/em> carries this principle to its logical end. All stories are love stories, all stories end in death, all love ends in death. Sufjan muses: isn\u2019t that wonderful? We are blessed (jee-sus!) to tell them at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Julian McLaughlin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We – Mitski<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mitski\u2019s seventh studio album, The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We<\/em>, features Mitski\u2019s renowned raw lyricism with a stripped down, Americana sound. This record, like all of Mitski’s, has a perpetual sense of loneliness, but this time it is accompanied by softness. Mitski explores this loneliness in contrast with human connection. In \u201cI Don\u2019t Like My Mind,\u201d she sings, \u201chere\u2019s another memory that gets stuck\/Inside the walls of my skull\u2026 waiting still\/For me to be left alone in a room full of things that I\u2019ve done\u201d as she hauntingly shares about the pains of being alone. This pairs well with \u201cStar,\u201d when she says, \u201cYou know I\u2019d always been alone\/\u2018Till you taught me\/To live for somebody.\u201d These two songs, both so honest about their difficulties existing without codependency, contrast so completely with Mitski\u2019s \u201cMy Love is Mine All Mine\u201d, in which she sings about finding love within herself and how she is the only one who truly has her love. This album is an exploration of how we as people relate to others and deem where our love should be placed. Mitski\u2019s stripped back sound, backed for the first time with a full band who she said needed to have an \u201cAmericana ” sound, makes this album feel like a journey through both life\u2019s loneliness and pleasures. Many of these songs,\u00a0 such as \u201cI Love Me After You\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m Your Man\u201d dive into the pain and ease that comes from codependent relationships and how they still bring an unexpected loneliness with them, much like the overall experience of this album.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Kat Gallaugher\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Unreal Unearth – Hozier<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ain\u2019t no one doing it like he is. Hozier\u2019s third studio album, Unreal Unearth<\/em>, released in August, is similar to his previous albums in that the songs are lyrically intricate and the soundscapes are crafted beautifully, but it also stands out due to the inspiration it pulls from Dante\u2019s Inferno<\/em>, with each song on the album relates to a circle of hell. Hozier has said that he wrote these songs with inspiration from the poem, but he also wanted to make them \u201cuniversal\u201d so listeners could relate to them and the songs wouldn\u2019t feel like a lesson about religious philosophy. Hozier also includes many references to his home country of Ireland, through mentions of myths and history, as well as the language itself, which helps make Unreal Unearth<\/em> such a unique experience. The album was also influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, and as someone who would rather forget all that happened with the pandemic instead of seeing reminders in art, music, and in the world in general, I was very impressed with how Hozier included it in this album. In \u201cFirst Time,\u201d he describes how he owes his life \u201cto flowers that were left here by my mother\u201d during the days of quarantine. If you want an example of Hozier\u2019s musical poetry, this song is it. He spends two verses describing a flower\u2019s life using brutal imagery: being \u201cripped out by the stem\u201d and then \u201cblooming forth its every color in the moments it has left.\u201d He expresses the comforting yet complex feeling \u201cto share the space with simple living things, infinitely suffering, but fighting off like all creation, the absence of itself.\u201d Perhaps this is why Hozier (and all artists) make art: creating to spite nonexistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Rosa Racevskis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard – Lana Del Rey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lana Del Rey\u2019s ninth studio album is preoccupied with the meeting of beauty and depth. Like Ocean Boulevard<\/em>\u2019s tunnel, Del Rey\u2019s legacy as America\u2019s alt-pop poet laureate is often masked by her aesthetically-driven surface, but as Lana walks the streets of Long Beach, she lets us know that she has things to say and anxieties to quell. The tracklist pierces through the Lana Del Rey character straight to the heart of Elizabeth Grant, as she mourns her uncle on opener \u201cThe Grants,\u201d worries about her potential as a mother on the confessional \u201cFingertips,\u201d wrestles with her public persona on the epic \u201cA&W,\u201d and celebrates close friend and producer Jack Antonoff\u2019s engagement on \u201cMargaret,\u201d a rare example of a Del Rey song that\u2019s sung with a smile. Alongside muted, intimate production, Lana is done making sweeping statements about the world, instead focusing squarely on small moments that capture her attention, whether it\u2019s a rainy trip to \u201cParis, Texas\u201d or the titular prayer of \u201cgrandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he\u2019s deep-sea fishing.\u201d The album is packed with features and collaborations, which fits with its overall theme of human connection. Del Rey\u2019s previous work is often characterized by despondent isolation, but Ocean Boulevard<\/em> proves that Lana is ready to recognize the love around her and let the light in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Connor Telford<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Scaring the Hoes – JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From the moment you hit play on Scaring the Hoes<\/em>, sensory overload dense enough to kill a Victorian child is impending as a chipmunk\u2019d sample of Ginuwine and Mario Winans squeals from the speakers. As soon as the beat drops on intro track \u201cLean Beef Patty,\u201d <\/em>the tape\u2019s anachronism is apparent as 2005-era Kanye West style sampling collides with 100 gecs percussion aesthetics. JPEGMAFIA verbally assaults the song\u2019s targets while Danny Brown raps, trapped deep within the mix. Brown presents himself as a rap veteran accompanying Peggy on his narrative coming of age as a peaking underground artist — going on unorthodox escapades together like Adventure Time<\/em>\u2019s Finn and Jake. The dynamic duo traverse the sonic cosmos in this retrofuturist blaxploitation epic, sacrilegiously concatenating vulgarity with religion. From the drug-infused bass of \u201cSteppa Pig\u201d to the breakbeat instability of \u201cJack Harlow Combo Meal\u201d, <\/em>the album\u2019s oddball tracklist shines as a culmination of mushrooming trends and abrasive themes in experimental hip hop over the past decade — all organized using an outdated Roland SP-404SX. As a gorgeous mess, Scaring the Hoes<\/em> is a celebration of the punk ethos of hip hop as a constantly evolving game, where competitors do the most despite their limitations and unapologetically showcase their irreverent selves at the altar, apathetic to commercial sensibilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Ike Nnabuife<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.<\/strong> The Record – Boygenius<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI want to hear your story, and be a part of it\u201d harmonize the iconic trio of Boygenius, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, at the beginning of The Record<\/em>. Opener \u201cWithout You Without Them\u201d is the perfect tonesetter for the beauty of their connection and the love they have for one another. The Record<\/em> may be Boygenius\u2019s first album, but it is preceded by their self-titled debut EP from 2018. The Boygenius<\/em> EP is important preparatory listening to The Record <\/em>because there are many clear references to their previous work. Examples of this include the motif of $20 in the songs \u201cSouvenir\u201d and \u201c$20,\u201d as well as in \u201cMe & My Dog\u201d and \u201cLetter To An Old Poet\u201d. These intricacies paint a beautiful story of how the trio’s lives intersect.\u00a0 The trio behind Boygenius are all successful artists individually, making Boygenius a supergroup. One of the great things about listening to The Record<\/em> is getting to hear all of Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus\u2019 independent sounds intermixing and becoming one. This can not only be seen instrumentally and through production but also through the group\u2019s beautiful songs about their friendship. \u201cTrue Blue,\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re in Love,\u201d and \u201cRevelation 0\u201d all describe the trio\u2019s shared love for one another and their music. The group has an incredible way of making introspection and moments of melancholy seem both beautiful and extremely heavy. It all overlaps in gorgeous harmonies and the deep love they share for one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Kat Gallaugher<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even in 2023, albums never go out of style. From diverse, globetrotting trips across genres to homogenous artistic statements, we enjoyed a multitude of song collections this year while waiting for our studio to be ready for broadcasting. Here are our picks for the year\u2019s best: 20. This is Why – Paramore After a five-year […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[21],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=390"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":554,"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390\/revisions\/554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/arouseosu.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}