By Featured Writers for Epigram Music, curated by Susie Long, Music Subeditor
As another year comes to an end, the Epigram Music team have been contemplating the songs that, for us, have defined this year. With the first 90 songs in no particular order, followed by our select, ranked top 10 tracks, this is our soundtrack to 2023 (all bundled up in a lovely little Spotify playlist at the end of the article for you!).
100. Feist - Love Who We Are Meant To
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor
This song is about heartbreak and fate; being helpless at not being able to fall in love with who we want to and instead watching them at arm's length. Does it make you want to cry? Absolutely it does - Feist has been doing that for twenty years. She hasn’t been so paired down to just guitar and voice since ‘Gatekeeper’ and, as part of the Multitudes album, it feels that this song is a palimpsest for Feist’s endless wanderings between lovers. When we settle and when we go in this track seems to be the sole preoccupation of life, and it’s done just beautifully.
99. Undergrowth - Squid
By Louis Amor, Third Year Zoology
Sonically, there are very few as impressive as Squid in music currently, and this track feels like the peak of the odd yet ingenious experimental sound they have crafted over the past few years. The psychedelic flow of this track is mesmerising, it feels like an impromptu jam session being glued together with tight drumming from Ollie Judge, who also serves as the vocalist, exploring the confusing concepts of reincarnation and the afterlife.
98. Rice - Young Fathers
By Dylan McNally, Music Co-Deputy Editor
Heavy, Heavy must surely be the album of the year, right? Unfortunately, for my sake, most of its singles were released last year. So, there’ll be no ‘Geronimo’ or ‘I Saw’ on this list. Fortunately for me, however, ‘Rice’ was released this year. Filled with defiant optimism and constant energy, it’s a true joy of a track. Propelled by sliding basslines and heavy percussion, you can’t help but be swept up in it all. I imagine it’s what it must feel like to stand in the eye of the storm: the calm and the chaos, the beauty and the madness. This is Young Fathers at their absolute peak, and you’d be a fool to miss it.
97. Kakistocracy - Maruja
By Benjamin Smith, Third Year History
There might not be a band right now more adept at playing with tension and release than Maruja, and there’s no better example of this in their discography than ‘Kakistocracy’. A constant strumming of guitar provides the basis for a long, slow escalation, as it’s joined by sparse bass and punches of noise, before the insistent drums pick up the pace. Vocalist and guitarist Harry Wilkinson’s cyclical, repeating lyrics grow in urgency as he practically begs the listener to bear witness to his frustrations as the song reaches an almost unbearable level of pressure - burst by the entry of a lone, spacious, saxophone line, offering a moment's respite before the triumphant instrumental climax.
96. Let Me Go - Daniel Caesar
By Cara Hene, Music Digital Editor
Beautifully sad, ‘Let Me Go’ stands out by a mile on the 2023 album NEVER ENOUGH. The four-chord piano backdrop is simple, yet effective. The chorus builds suddenly with a powerful, heart-wrenching melody that could make even the most hardened shed a tear. Caesar’s breathy voice is the perfect medium for the heartfelt lyrics that make this song so striking: “I’m trying to leave, why won’t you let me? I’m trying to leave, please just forget me.” Another one for your trusty sad playlist on Spotify.
95. The Snitching Hour - DEADLETTER
By Kate Jeffrie, Third Year English
2023 has been the year of the brass instrument, and DEADLETTER have been at the forefront of the trend, if not the progenitors of the swing itself. ‘The Snitching Hour’ feels sly and anthemic; Zac Lawrence’s call to arms taps the same vein as Gang of Four or The Fall. Brash, bold, and Billy Bragg’s darlings, DEADLETTER have spun onto the scene with a fervour that feels almost feverish. Having debuted in Bristol this year at Dareshack, they’re already beloved by our city, but they’re only moving up. Make sure to catch their coattails before their train leaves the station.
94. You're Gonna Go Far - Noah Kahan
By Susie Long, Music Subeditor
I’m constantly found rambling on about how wonderful Noah Kahan’s music is, but this one is something really special. Released as part of his extended deluxe album Stick Season: We’ll All Be Here Forever, ‘You’re Gonna Go Far’ is a perfect example of all that Kahan does best. A slow crescendo of folky guitars and Kahan’s powerful vocals, listening to this song feels like gaining closure, moving on, growing up. Not only is it a great song for those who have moved away from home or outgrown their childhood existence, but Kahan gives a beautiful insight into the bittersweet emotional complexities of being the one left behind. This song is simultaneously painful and deeply reassuring - definitely one for those of us who moved away from our small town childhoods!
93. Rebel Child - Dylan
By Grace Whillis, Second Year Music
The influence Dylan draws from her more rock inspirations (citing Guns N’ Roses in particular) are clear and really pay off, with ‘Rebel Child’ being one of her most electrifying singles yet. This track really shows that Dylan has nailed the pop and rock balance, with soaring guitar lines and catchy vocal riffs, culminating in the final chorus displaying her full vocal prowess. The subtle build in this song is very effective, with an artistic confidence that makes it clear Dylan has really found her sound, and it’s one to listen out for.
92. Now That We Don't Talk - Taylor Swift
By Emily Jordan, Third Year Marketing
Pop legend Taylor Swift’s re-release of 1989 (TV) came with a host of previously unheard vault tracks. ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ is full of rumination, heartache, and a tinge of humour. As always, it’s enchanting to see the powerhouse doing what she does best – glossy yet painfully vulnerable pop music.
91. Go Dig My Grave - Lankum
By Bruno Bridger, Second Year English and Philosophy
Perhaps the closest thing to a typical standalone hit from the explicitly experimental drone-folk of Lankum’s Mercury Prize nominated album False Lankum, which, while drawing upon Irish Folk traditions throughout, finds itself sidestepping the conventionality of modern folk at every given chance. ‘Go Dig My Grave’, itself based upon an 18th century death ballad, can be seen as a centrepiece to the musical approach of the album. While drawing upon traditional lyric forms, the track is infused with off-kilter drones and unsettlingly slow tempos. A haunting piece of contemporary folk.
90. DOGTOOTH - Tyler, The Creator
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor
A rich flex delivered with a middle finger, Tyler’s attitude on this track is invincible. Selfless (“She can ride my face I don’t want nothing in return”), Fulfilled (“Got hobbies, got purpose / Got thumpers, I’m perfect”), Selfish (“The plane fly better when it’s just me and the pilot”), this track is all about maxing things out and putting yourself first. It’s the epitome of where one of the most talented artists of our generation sits in the world, and I’m just glad to be along for the ride.
89. Weak In You Light - Nation of Language
By Dylan McNally, Music Co-Deputy Editor
‘Weak In Your Light’ might seem to be a love song, but it isn’t one. Not really. Even with its refrain of “just a reminder, I’m in love”, it still isn’t. What it is instead, is the perfect encapsulation of what it feels like to be completely and utterly obsessed with another person. The awe, the reverence – it’s all there. ‘Weak In Your Light’ gets it like few others do.
88. Up and Comer - SPRINTS
By George Dean, Proofreader
Raw and advisedly brash in a similar manner to Dogrel-era Fontaines D.C., SPRINTS put forth tense, tantalisingly unnerving high-pitched guitar instrumentals, to accompany the unapologetic ‘sprechgesang’ of lead singer Karla Chubb. ‘Up and Comer’ is based on Chubb’s “innate fear that maybe I would always be ‘good for a girl’, but would I ever actually be great?” Chubb’s sense of imposter syndrome is visible in the track’s lyricism: “I swim between the seas between paranoia and disbelief”. Chubb’s response to patriarchal alienation in music is to “break free of the expected, embrace the anger and let it rip”. This is breathtakingly achieved in ‘Up and Comer’, which celebrates female rage as an effective cathartic release from the expectations and limitations of patriarchal society: “Wear a smile like it’s a runner, your despise like a badge of honour”. Chubb reclaims punk as a contemporary feminist medium, kicking back at those who would doubt her.
87. Damage Pattern - Miya Lowe, Dvstrr
By Ifan Davies, Second Year English and Philosophy
The collaboration of underground legends Dvstrr and Miya Lowe resulted in one of the most dark and menacing tracks of the year. Dvstrr’s intense drums and droning pads create a wonderfully abrasive atmosphere that puts a new spin on trap music. Miya Lowe’s relaxed vocals could almost be seen as out of place on such a high energy track, but rather than steal the performance, allow the atmosphere of the track to take over.
86. Tortoise of Independency- King Krule
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
Taking a break from the outer-space atmosphere of King Krule's sonics in Space Heavy, the ballad ‘Tortoise of Independency; captures perfectly the feeling of a longing for more in the fleeting moments of human vulnerability and connection, as Archie begs for the listener to let them last forever. Rather than inhabit the open sound of the record with his typical rock and jazz instrumentation that features heavily on the record, Marshall displays his versatility by stripping back his sound to just guitar alongside soft horn overdubs, honing in on the tragic lyricism that permeates the record.
85. Overcome - Nothing But Thieves
By Susie Long, Music Subeditor
If you were to come into my house at any point during May or June this year, this song would have been playing from one or more of our rooms. Released alongside ‘Welcome to the DCC’ as initial singles for Nothing But Thieves’ latest album Dead Club City, ‘Overcome’ is the perfect on-the-move track - the band describe it best, as a “throw your stuff in a bag and get away song”. Although initially it divided opinions for many due to its slightly more pop, 80s feel compared to a lot of NBT’s tracks, I love this song and the energy that it brings with its synths, punchy drums and soaring guitar solo - I use it as my motivation to walk up St Michael’s Hill in the mornings!
84. Younger and Dumber - Indigo de Souza
By Phoebe Caine, Arts Digital Editor
This song digs a hole in your chest. In that hole you can see into yourself, but whatever you scoop out with your hands isn’t what used to be there. The lone piano and guitar call back to Indigo as she aches for something bigger than her destructive nostalgia that can enclose her. She doesn’t want to “fill the space around” her, she wants to fill up inside and only consequently spill over. Because she sings as if you’re standing opposite her, searching her eyes as much as her lyrics, the simplicity of her statements come across as less a cliché and more a confession that you’re actually willing to listen to.
83. Vampire Empire - Big Thief
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
In a hidden part of the idyllic countryside, you can imagine Big Thief performing their songs. Their music is much like a pastoral getaway, full of the imagined sounds of a tranquil forest - a place to shelter from everyday life in musical shrubbery. Adrianne Lenker pleads hoarsely and vulnerably as a child, on her knees with the listener through her tortured vocal delivery. From wavering screeches to soft crooning her delivery is spellbinding in its range, culminating with imploding growls at the song's climax. Occupying an ambiguous zone of musical anti-matter between Country and Folk, Big Thief continue to challenge the genre and has been a safe place of cathartic pastoral for many a lost lover this year.
82. Deep In It - berlioz, Ted Jasper
By Cara Hene, Music Digital Editor
I won’t pretend that I didn’t first hear ‘deep in it’ on TikTok, but it does not disappoint. berlioz, self-described as ‘If Mattisse made house music’, starts the track with a smooth-as-butter saxophone riff that instantly pulled me in. The saxophone speaks to you out of the song, while the soft synth makes for excellent headphone listening. berlioz’s jazz influence is clear, with a double bass can be glimpsed among the groovy, syncopated drums. berlioz represents a great contemporary addition to the genre, and with their album ‘jazz is for ordinary people’, you can point that mate of yours that groans at the word ‘jazz’ in their direction.
81. There's a World - Sufjan Stevens
By Will Buckley, First Year Politics and International Relations
You wouldn’t expect the emotional high point on a Sufjan Stevens record to be a cover. Stevens’s self penned work could draw tears from a stone, but there’s just something about the closer to Javelin that packs a punch as gut wrenching as the most emotional songs on Illinois or Carrie & Lowell. ‘There’s A World’ seems like a typical Sufjan original, packed with vaguely religious lyrics and a sweet, gentle guitar part (I thought he wrote it for like a month, to be honest).
80. C'est Si Bon - Say She She
By Ella Wilson Coates, Third Year English and Philosophy
‘C’est Si Bon’, as the name suggests, truly is “so good!” This single from Say She She’s second album Silver is a ‘carpe diem’ anthem. With a killer bassline and electric harmonies, the song calls us in on the fun, asking us to leave our troubles behind, find joy in the little things and make our mark – which Say She She certainly does with this track. So, if you are in the mood for a camp old time, ‘C’est Si Bon’ is calling your name, as who doesn’t want to sing about how fabulous everything is in French?
79. Polacrilex Kid - Protomartyr
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
Protomartyr is back, and if there was a song which declared that best on their latest record, it would be ‘Polacrilex Kid’. From its opening the song beckons a hauntingly gothic mood, melding aggressive guitar lines with softer and reverberated passages. ‘Polacrilex Kid’ showcases the band's darker side with its cinematic tendencies that guitarist Greg Ahee has discovered in his work as a solo composer: bringing the new instrument of lap steel to the record and with it a meticulously detailed craft that dominates the song. Lead singer Joe Casey pairs this uncharted territory of sound with his hopeful poetry: unpicking themes of addiction, self worth and love to demand the attention of the listener who is absorbed into an unknown world of chaotic beauty.
78. kisses - Slowdive
By Matilda Sunnercrantz Carter, Third Year Music
90s Shoegaze sensations Slowdive blessed us with a brilliant new album this year, everything is alive. The song ‘kisses’ immediately caught my attention. The echoing guitars and low vocals are reminiscent of their signature sound, sultry and melancholic. The lyrics are truly beautiful, giving us that sense of escapism. By gaining a lot of recognition from the younger generation over the past few years, their sound never grows old. Their songs truly are a testament to the youth, the bittersweetness of coming of age. 30 years on, they are keeping the beautiful short-lived shoegaze subgenre alive. The music video is filled with alluring frames of streetlights and moped rides, perfectly capturing the essence of the track. It is definitely worth a watch. Thank you Slowdive for yet another stunning album, you never fail to amaze me.
77. Shivers - Julia Jacklin
By Dylan McNally, Music Co-Deputy Editor
With her version of The Strokes’ ‘Someday’, Julia Jacklin proved she knew exactly how to perfect a cover. And now she’s done it again. This time she’s turned her attention to an Aussie cult classic. Originally written by Rowland S. Howard (of The Birthday Party fame), Jacklin adds pop sensibilities and her incredible vocals to give this post-punk ballad an extra layer of shimmer. What’s so special, and where many previous cover attempts have failed, is in Jacklin’s ability to retain the raw emotion of the original whilst simultaneously turning it into a track that is unmistakably her own.
76. That! Feels Good! - Jessie Ware
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor
Oh you wanted 2023 to be a little more seductive than it was? Luckily Jessie Ware has the goddamn funkiest track to get you chanting “pleasure is a right!” all night long. The title-track off of her Mercury Prize nominated record, Jessie pleads with you to feel yourself over an irresistible bass line and dance floor ready strings. An easy way to shake off the winter blues.
75. Margin for Error - Sprain
By Louis Amor, Third Year Zoology
This is not a typical “break-up song”. Sprain use their eerie sound to back an increasingly frantic vocal performance from frontman Alex Kent, who explores emotional and physical power dynamics in a deteriorating relationship. A swaying organ-like synth, and sporadic drum fills closely follow the tight energy of Kent creating a claustrophobic experience for the listener. Eventually, tension breaks into a powerful, expansive and relentless instrumental second half. The noise of an orchestra created by only four people.
74. Francesca - Hozier
By Susie Long, Music Subeditor
As both an avid Hozier and Dante fan, I couldn’t help but feel that this song was made for me when I first heard it. Chronicling the story of two lovers who would happily suffer eternity in hell just as long as they were together, ‘Francesca’ serves as a powerful, provoking ballad of the amount of pain is willing to go for love: “if I could hold you for a minute, darling, I’d go through it again.” Not only is this track lyrically fantastic, but the instrumentation is, frankly, insane. With a heavy bass drum, reverb-heavy electric guitar and pseudo-choral harmonies, Hozier captures the anger and turmoil of love alongside its beauty - brilliantly evoking the experiences of the lovers in Dante’s original poem.
73. Now and Then - The Beatles
By Alannah Mylechreest, Second Year English and German
A new Beatles song over 50 years after their break-up may not have been on everyone’s bingo card for 2023, but ‘Now and Then’ certainly did not disappoint. The soft rock ballad is taken from a demo by John Lennon before his death, and is transformed using modern technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, into the kind of timeless style of music that the Beatles are known for, with a catchy melody and simple yet emotional lyrics. Amongst fears of AI permeating the creative industries, this memorable track is proof that these technologies can nonetheless be used for good.
72. Original Sin - The New Eves
By Benjamin Smith, Third Year History
Crunchy seventies-inspired guitars, a string section, and lyrics that speak of temptation and religion, delivered in a truly unique vocal style courtesy of Nina Winder-Lind, unexpectedly combine to form a timeless masterpiece on ‘Original Sin’. The New Eves marry folk and punk in a new way - less indebted to classical folk tunes, opting instead for a rougher, heavier sound. While the lyrics themselves are an aesthetic declaration. “The sinners are sacred, from a different point of view”, a proclamation that The New Eves aim to redefine the classical and biblical moralities present in their lyrics.
71. Under Tongues - James Ivy
By Emily Jordan, Third Year Marketing
Tasting of bittersweet nostalgia, James Ivy’s first release of the year grapples with ideas of uncertainty and personal growth. Layered with sharp guitar riffs & a contrastingly soothing drumbeat ‘Under Tongues’ muses “are you loving me for me / or just loving the idea of it?” The track is one to listen to for fans of The 1975 and The Japanese House.
70. One For Sorrow, Two for Joni Jones - The Japanese House
By Flo Holland, Third Year Psychology
‘One for Sorrow, Two for Joni Jones’ is the perfect song to soundtrack a good sobbing session. Described by the artist as being reminiscent of the scene in Love, Actually where Emma Thomspon cries to Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’, it quietly reflects on learning to accept the breakdown of a relationship, the changes that come with moving on in life and the unconditional love of one’s dog - concluding that "no one’s ever gonna love me, like this dog lying in my lap". This song really hit home with me, perfectly encapsulating a lot of those messy, vulnerable and lonely feelings that come with adult life and relationships, and when I reach the lines about Bain’s dog, reminds me to appreciate some small lovely things in life, like the unwavering love of one’s pet - this is a song I’ll definitely be coming back to for years and years.
69. Salt Throwers off a Truck - Grian Chatten
By Kate Jeffrie, Third Year English
The remarkable endeavour of post-punk darling and Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten, ‘Salt Throwers off a Truck’ spins a Joycean tale of a lilting, little life. As one of his generation’s best storytellers, Chatten comes into his own with a folksy epic reliant on the laymen’s written word. MacGowan-esque in its focus on the small town and the Irishman’s experience, Chatten proves his wide eye for finding the marvellous in the mundane as he squints across a plane of ice and finds a rink on which to dance.
68. Vines - iokera
By Ifan Davies, Second Year English and Philosophy
Jedwill’s raw delivery and emotional lyrics are a punch to the gut of pure sadness, but iokera’s production is the true showstopper on this track. A fusion of ambient and trap, this production is some of the most inventive of recent years. A blend of both hard hitting and soft drums burst through a wall of melancholy pads and devastating piano to create an intense emotional atmosphere that is both raw and refined, abrasive yet calming. A devastating final release, this song encapsulates the genius and innovation that iokera will be remembered for. Rest in peace.
67. Rush - Troye Sivan
By Will Buckley, First Year Politics and International Relations
As if naming a song after a poppers brand wasn’t iconic enough, Sivan’s song in question is arguably the pop banger of the year. There is no lyrical complexity here, no features one could discover on a relisten. It’s a short, simple, perfectly executed dance pop track, one that serves as a breath of fresh air in a popular music scene slowly being taken over by indie sad girls/boys. The refrain “I feel the rush/addicted to your touch” was made to be screamed in clubs, and it will be for years to come. BANGER.
66. Pedestal - Lime Cordiale
By Susie Long, Music Subeditor
If I’m ever in need of an upbeat, beachy tune, Lime Cordiale is the first band I turn to - and they really did not disappoint with their latest single ‘Pedestal’. This song, disguised behind Lime Cordiale’s iconic pop rock, synth-heavy instrumentation, is the epitome of a delusional anthem: a love song to the women who “walk all over [us].” Paired with a stop motion, comic book-esque music video, ‘Pedestal’ just radiates fun, and is definitely the vibe that I want to carry forward into 2024.
65. Fingers of Steel - shame
By Phoebe Caine, Arts Digital Editor
Get out! Onto the blustery street! Away from the condensation on the windows and the conversations hanging up to dry in the doorways! After a bad party, where everyone’s parading their affectations and you’re ever so disaffected, this is your storming home song. The track is assembled in a knockabout way, as if the brains of shame were swinging like a metronome back and forth from two points of no return. Except we do hope shame returns again for another album as we’ve so thoroughly enjoyed their vehemence.
64. Dylan - Prima Queen
By Dylan McNally, Music Co-Deputy Editor
I promise I’m not including this because ‘Dylan’ has got my name in the title. It would be a pretty bad reflection on me if I thought being compared to this Dylan was a compliment. “A megalomaniac under your skin” isn’t exactly a glowing reflection on my namesake. If anything, hearing your name repeated so often (I’ve counted 17 times) in one song is actually very disconcerting. And yet, in spite of all this I’ve kept coming back to it since its release. The guitars start jangly and the vocals direct, but with its call and response nature, it’s all one hypnotic blur by the end and I defy anyone to not be captivated by it all.
63. Cold Reactor - Everything Everything
By Ella Wilson Coates, Third Year English and Philosophy
In typical Everything Everything style, ‘Cold Reactor’ will somehow get you singing along to your own demise. The song focuses on several different themes, from capitalism to religion. However, it ultimately centres around how the influx of new technologies keeps people subdued and adrift from critical reflection. So, when the singer calls out for answers, no one is there to hear his pleas, and he can only communicate his loneliness by sending “a little yellow face.” As the lead single from their part concept album Mountainhead, Everything Everything invites us into a world eerily similar to our own.
62. Dance of the Crab - Barry Can't Swim
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
A lot of my friends criticise my listening habits as being full of music which is "too sad," and maybe that's true. If there was one artist I listened to this year which challenged that trend this year though, it would be Barry Can't Swim. A hurricane of drums, percussion and chants fill ‘Dance of the Crab’ to imbue it with a pounding danceability, though its electronic production elevates this to the next level of ecstatic sonic bliss. Soaring synthesisers are complemented by heavy bass counterparts which hold down this heavenly fiesta of sound, carried by a repeating hook that fills the track. The song is a fearless celebration of feeling on top of the world immersed in its own palpable setting of dance, colour and stomping melodies.
61. Motor Spirit - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
By Louis Amor, Third Year Zoology
In typical KGLW fashion, epic mythology and fantasy is used to explore the real-life deterioration of humanity and our treatment of Earth. Here, our dependency on fossil fuels is represented as a crazed cult, who drain the Earth of its resources, resulting in the summoning of a Dragon who will eventually destroy the planet. The mythical style of writing is brought to life through an evermoving metal instrumentation, gripping the listener into both the sound and lore of this record.
60. orange over - Lil Ugly Mane
By Jacob Rozenberg, Third Year English
An underground hip-hop artist who took one of the sharpest (and exciting) left-turns of recent years with his 2021 hypnagogic indie pop/rock album Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern, has returned with two new tracks. The first of these, ‘orange over’, features Lil Ugly Mane’s muffled vocals carried through a haze of drum machines, audio samples and simple acoustic guitar melodies. The end result is a beautiful hazy track which sounds like alternative hip-hop’s response to Beck’s Sea Change. I’m not exactly sure where Lil Ugly Mane’s left-turn has come from - though I hope the music he’s producing is here to stay.
59. Pegasus - Arlo Parks ft. Phoebe Bridgers
By George Dean, Proofreader
The title of Arlo Parks’ most recent album My Soft Machine is indicative of the aesthetic and textual softness of her tracks, which cushion against their frequently solemn subject matters; yet, in ‘Pegasus’, Parks creates an elated, celestial space, as a means to celebrate romantic joy. ‘Pegasus’ is about finding comfort and safety in someone: “Never felt luckier than I do right now / Under the stars you trust in me”. Arlo alludes to past heartbreak, vulnerably consoling her listeners: “I’ll tell you the truth / Being with someone always made me feel used”. Whilst the verses of ‘Pegasus’ depict Parks’ tender whispers to her lover, the chorus is an outward, public declaration of adoration to the world: “I spun round and screamed, ‘I feel elated when you hold me’”. With the backing vocals of Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Pegasus’ consolidates the influential space which Parks holds in the realm of sapphic sad-girl indie-pop.
58. Seaforth - King Krule
By Flo Holland, Third Year Psychology
Hearing ‘Seaforth’ immediately transports me to a dreamlike seaside small town life, peaceful and unconcerned with the outside world: “up here I’m freer than the birds, we soar above the broken Earth”. The song appears to be filled with a generally content and hopeful feeling about life, as King Krule sings “this faith is all I have”, that I wish I found in more music. The whole song: the lyrics, the sound, the imagery is just simply beautiful and peaceful, and is one of my favourite songs to listen to when I’m relaxing in my bedroom or on the long coach home back to my small hometown.
57. Bécane - A COLORS SHOW - Yamê
By Cara Hene, Music Digital Editor
The Franco-Cameroonian artist Yamê only launched his solo career 3 years ago but has reached real success with ‘Bécane’. It is fair to say this is probably his breakthrough hit, being able to reach a huge audience through the A COLORS SHOW platform. There is something uniquely hard to describe about Yamê’s voice, especially towards his lower range - it is strange but at the same time captivating. I think this is why ‘Bécane’ has propelled him to fame, showcasing this element of his voice just before each chorus with the common French phrase “bah ouias… bah ouais”.
56. all-american bitch - Olivia Rodrigo
By Yasmin Attwood, Third Year English
Olivia Rodrigo's second album Guts keeps up the infectious energy of her debut album. The first track 'all-american bitch' begins with softly sung verses, before descending into angry rock choruses that unleash her anger. This catchy hit perfectly satirises the way society expects people, teenage girls in particular, to be calm, “grateful all the time” and “pretty when [they] cry”, and the rage that instils within us. “I scream inside to deal with it”, she chants in the bridge before screaming at the crescendo of this song.
55. My Sister in Jesus Christ - Slaughter Beach Dog
By Will Buckley, First Year Politics and International Relations
When picking my favourite songs of the year I realised I’m a sucker for a good one-off lyric, and in 2023 there may have been none better than this song’s second verse opener: “I got a girlfriend / she’s got a snakeskin purse / and a walk-in closet, chock full of My Chemical Romance shirts”. ‘My Sister in Jesus Christ’ is, to me, a severely underrated track from Slaughter Beach Dog’s new album Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling. It’s a song that encapsulates everything we’ve come to love about SBD: the humorous and painfully relatable lyrics, the quietly brilliant guitar work, and hooks that live in your head for weeks. You’d be hard pressed to find better indie music from 2023.
54. Enjoy Your Life - Romy
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor
Her first solo project outside of The xx, Romy’s debut album was all about the guilty club pleasures that anyone could dance to. This track is probably the epitome of the record, blending house and disco elements to form a radio play magnet that places pleasure above everything else. Putting aside anxiety and bad habits, Romy urges you to listen to your mum; and enjoy your life.
53. Tuesday - Mary in the Junkyard
By Dylan McNally, Music Co-Deputy Editor
A Windmill band? Not another one! Over the last few years there’s been a seemingly never-ending stream of “the next big thing” to come out of that now-hallowed Brixton venue, albeit with varying degrees of success. With Mary in The Junkyard however, those predictions might just be true. ‘Tuesday’ shares many of the band’s live tendencies, the very same tendencies which built that initial buzz. Careering from sparse, fragile moments of space to a frenzied chaos; it’s a sprawling, frenetic record that packs a lot more than you would ever think possible into its five-minute runtime. If ‘Tuesday’ is anything to go by (and it is) It might just be time to believe the hype.
52. Just Cool - Obongjayar
By Susie Long, Music Subeditor
I had to have at least one song in here to prove that I don’t just listen to depressing indie folk music! ‘Just Cool’ was my song of the summer: sunny evenings, lukewarm beers on the harbourside, festivals on the Downs; this song is definitely a flashback to happy, warmer times! With aspects of hip-hop, funk, pop, and afrobeat, Obongjayar has produced a track that I think it’s impossible (and would be very wrong) to not dance along to. It’s a catchy anthem that preaches doing “what you want” and living a judgement and care-free life, whilst maintaining an undertone of criticism for the government and structures of our society - I’m a big fan.
51. Veronica Mars - Blondshell
By Kate Jeffrie, Third Year English
Paced by flickering guitars, and traced with the promise of a new city in the first decade of the new millennium, Blondshell’s pop-rock promise is fully realised on ‘Veronica Mars’. Although the song is based on the premise of a TV show, it shrugs off its own eponymy, grazing its audience’s crowns with a coming-of-age touchstone for the early-twenties.
50. Soft Landing - billy woods, Kenny Segal
By Bruno Bridger, Second Year English and Philosophy
In my opinion, 2023’s best album, billy woods' and Kenny Segal’s Maps, is filled with musical highlights. ‘Soft Landing’, which served as one of the album’s initial singles, is a brilliant introduction to both the abstract political lyricism of woods, as well as Segal’s warped IDM influenced production. The track serves as a primer to the themes of displacement and the mental strain that comes with touring, which pervade the album. Before catching his flight, woods reckons with everything from William S. Burrough’s to the 2nd Amendment in the space of 2 bars, as Segal’s subtle sampling of Nina Simone drifts in and out of the consciousness of the track. Both woods and Segal can be seen as a musical pairing akin to that of Madlib and MF DOOM, a highly literate lyricist at the top of his game, whose bars meld effortlessly with a producer drawing upon inspirations from across the musical spectrum.
49. A&W - Lana Del Rey
By Will Buckley, First Year Politics and International Relations
After years of derision for supposed inauthenticity, Lana Del Rey lashed out in March with Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, her most mature and accomplished album yet, a maximalist statement on who Lana Del Rey is in 2023. The stand-out-track was ‘A&W’, (a play on a brand of Root Beer, also meaning American Whore) a sprawling 7-minute epic that sees Del Rey confidently and fluently jumping between folk and trap, a combination that only an artist of Grant’s calibre could pull off. The highest compliment I can give ‘A&W’ is that it's Radiohead’s ‘Paranoid Android’ for hot girls, and it rocks.
48. Favourite Person - Peach PRC
By Emily Jordan, Third Year Marketing
One of Australia’s newest sensations, Peach PRC, burst onto the scene with her fantastical bubble-gum melodies that hide profoundly heavy lyricism. Her debut EP, Manic Dream Pixie, balances addiction, queer relationships, and loss. ‘Favourite Person’ details the singer’s struggles with her mental health and its connection to her relationships. This deep cut faces the regrets of a failed relationship and the pressing fear of abandonment, making this one of her hardest hitting releases to date.
47. The World's Biggest Paving Slab - English Teacher
By Benjamin Smith, Third Year History
‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ was technically first released in 2020, one of English Teacher’s first releases, however it has been revamped, reworked, and re-released in 2023, encompassing a wider array of influences and better reflecting English Teacher’s current musical direction - as difficult as that can be to pin down. A whirling bassline drives the song along shifting rhythms and choppy guitar riffs, as frontwoman Lily Fontaine’s abstract lyricism pays tribute to the North, and small hometowns everywhere. The chorus shows a sweeter and more maximalist side to the band, as synths and effects-laden guitars envelop Fontaine’s more melodic vocals, leading to a climax that not many bands can match.
46. alife - Slowdive
By George Dean, Proofreader
‘alife’ epitomises the achievement of Slowdive’s most recent album Everything is Alive (2023): through hypnotic, trance-y experimentations, the track signals an expansive progression of the bounds of Slowdive’s soundscape and the possibilities of shoegaze. ‘alife’ is typical of Slowdive’s appeal, in that it manages to evoke profound, far-reaching emotion without lyrical breadth. However, the music video for this track is curiously revealing of the album’s concerns: a flower blossoms to expose cogs and gears, from which a hooded sorcerer crafts a machine. ‘alife’ shimmers with life and nature, whilst exploring anxieties surrounding technology and the passage of time: “Time made fools of us all / We look but we don’t understand / We try but we don’t look around”. Tinged with childlike wonderment and nostalgia, Neil Halstead murmurs: “Down where the river runs through / The town, there’s a memory of you”, most likely in reference to the band’s upbringing in the Thames Valley. We are thus returned, for a moment, to Slowdive’s golden age during the 90s.
45. She Dreams - Joanna Sternberg
By Phoebe Caine, Arts Digital Editor
Straight into my ‘wow this could totally work in one of those arthouse films that change my life’ mental list. Sternberg is such an exciting find. Their whole discography is a current incarnation of the highly personalised, drifting consciousness of 60s/70s folk styles. Hear their voice once and you’ll instantly recognise it again and again. This whole album is stacked with bangers. Refer to ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ for something that kills me with its small similarity to Janis Ian’s ‘At Seventeen’, yet kills me more because it is so obviously something new and I’ve been waiting for it like clouds to clear on a Saturday in May.
44. Eat Your Young - Hozier
By Ella Wilson Coates, Third Year English and Philosophy
'Eat Your Young' is quintessential Hozier: political with a touch of lust. The song takes inspiration from Johnathan Swift’s satirical essay ‘A Modest Proposal’, where Swift mockingly offers that the wealth disparity in Ireland might be fixed should the poor sell their children to the rich to feast upon. Hozier takes on this rich cannibalistic character lusting over money and finery at the expense – no delight – of watching the rest of the world burn around him. Hozier’s more sensual lyrics only work to further highlight the perversity of the insatiable character all too common under capitalism.
43. The Beggar Lover (Three) - Swans
By Louis Amor, Third Year Zoology
In this almost 44-minute mammoth of a track, Swans create a complex, dark and expansive soundscape out of old material from their legendary career. This is strung together by newly recorded sounds which reflect more closely where Michael Gira, frontman and mastermind behind the band, is in his life now. This is not only a reflection on a celebrated career in experimental music, but a beautiful exploration of the life of Gira in what is possibly the last Swans album.
42. The Garden - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor
Oh you wanted a psych riff? Have a hundred. Unknown Mortal Orchestra touched down with their fifth record this year and it was a treat for those of us looking for a hazy summer soundtrack of lounging around in the heat. Track one from the album, ‘The Garden’, is all about unknowns: “Hold on tight / ‘Cause it’s violent after dark in the garden”, Ruben sings. It's a fast-paced looping track that appears out of the mist and pulls you in.
41. Shit Talk - Sufjan Stevens
By Flo Holland, Third Year Psychology
I’ve always found Sufjan Stevens’ music to be thoroughly enchanting, with every release being beautifully crafted, heart wrenching and filled to the brim with emotion. But his latest album, Javelin, dedicated to his late partner of 14 years absolutely tops the rest for me, chronicling a tale of immense love, loss and conflict. ‘Shit Talk’ reflects on the complexities of love, exploring feelings of disdain for one’s partner alongside unfaltering love: “I will always love you, but I cannot look at you”. The song’s eight and a half minutes build to the devastatingly beautiful refrain of “I don’t want to fight at all”, the perfect ending to a song that wholly captures the tumultuous nature of relationships. I absolutely adore this song and I think it’s one of the most beautiful songs to come out of 2023.
40. Prescribed - Borough Council
By Dylan McNally, Music Co-Deputy Editor
‘Prescribed’ is the sound of the sea, but not in any conventional sense. It’s the sound of seaside towns at night; the eeriness of empty promenades and piers. Dark, heavy, churning, it’s the sound of a storm brewing and the waves crashing in. Really though, it’s the sound of the tension underneath it all. Built on droning guitars and encompassing elements of post-punk and darkwave, there’s a constant sense of something else that you can’t quite put your finger on, lingering just below the surface.
39. Niggardly (Blocked Call) - Armand Hammer
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
billy woods has been doing the rounds this year: standing out with his two collaborative projects alongside producer Kenny Segal in the high-flying Maps as well as Elucid in the more recent We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. This track, my favourite off the record, creates an eerie audio-space by utilising some left-field sampling. Elucid's attention to detail and dynamism throughout the production on the track is nothing short of staggering: each sound merges to construct a smokescreen of hazy ambiance held down by a soft breakbeat, glittering chimes and of course Woods' challenging flow which encapsulates a deeply personal struggle.
38. Desire - Grandma's House
By Kate Jeffrie, Third Year English
Bristol-based trio Grandma's House are some of the city’s post-punk forerunners; having only begun performing in 2020, this year’s release of ‘Desire’ on their sophomore EP Who Am I brings their howling, throaty sound to a whole new crowd. ‘Desire’ makes for a love song that seems to occur on an atomic level, drawing the kinds of associations that Amyl and the Sniffers riffed on in ‘Maggots’; it’s a love that goes so deep it starts to taste like decay. You can feel it deep in your bones, if they aren’t shaken too roughly by the sound itself.
37. Angel - NewDad
By George Dean, Proofreader
This song’s title is perhaps misleading, for ‘Angel’ paints an alluringly demonic landscape, representing NewDad’s shift from folk-tinged indie-pop to neo goth-rock. ‘Angel’ is hauntingly catchy, informed by lead singer Julie Dawson’s breathy, translucent lyrical delivery, alongside the track’s pervasive bassline, throbbing and grumbling. Dawson’s mysteriously sadistic lyricism portrays a romantic desire infected with lust and self-loathing: “You’re an angel / I’m just trying to be like you / Even if it’s painful”. Through evoking a grand conflict between demonic and angelic forces, ‘Angel’ illustrates the torturous instability of romantic yearning: “And I’m so high, but still so low / I’m losing my mind”. NewDad’s gothic re-branding has been reinforced by their recent NME cover shoot where Dawson appears to channel Persephone. Through combining the band’s earlier rural-folklore imagery with her descent into the underworld, a thematic shift is flauntingly epitomised in ‘Angel’.
36. Mission Impossible III - HeadAche
By Ifan Davies, Second Year English and Philosophy
For me, this is the top song on We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. The enigmatic, pensive lyrics of Elucid and billy woods pair with a production masterclass from Sebb Bash. The IDM reminiscent intro transitions to a gritty hip-hop beat as the duo effortlessly deliver some of the year’s best lyricism, creating one of the most memorable and profound tracks of the year.
35. Elevator Eyes - Tove Lo
By Cara Hene, Music Digital Editor
Without having to mention any particular song, the sheer volume of music that the Swedish cult classic Tove Lo pumps out is a feat in itself. There is no other way to describe the singer’s style but as pop. Even so, this is perhaps her grooviest number. As usual, the track’s themes are incredibly sultry (if you’ve heard ‘Talking Body’ this won’t surprise you) - the name ‘Elevator Eyes’ comes from the way a hook-up looks slowly up and down her body.
34. Ruined - Adrianne Lenker
By Flo Holland, Third Year Psychology
No one can quite rival Adrianne Lenker’s soul crushingly beautiful songwriting, and her latest release ‘Ruined’ only serves as a testament to this. ‘Ruined’ takes a step back from Lenker’s career within indie-folk megaband Big Thief to softly ruminate on romance in a raw and incredibly vulnerable manner. Lenker describes an anxiousness that often comes hand-in-hand with romance: “Until I'm brave enough to call you, I just fall through every time”, and poetically describes the destructive and vulnerable nature of loving someone: “so much coming through, every hour too, can’t get enough of you, you come around I’m ruined”. Lenker’s voice, as always, is breathtaking in this record, and at times sounds on the verge of tears, making this song all the more emotionally charged and vulnerable.
33. Bending Hectic - The Smile
By Phoebe Caine, Arts Digital Editor
Yorke confessed he wrote these lyrics half an hour before taking to the Montreux Jazz Festival stage. It’s fitting, really, because this track plays out like the anticipatory minutes before stepping into a situation you’re afraid of improvising in. Unfortunately you fail to find the right words as you shift your gears closer to the place you’re propelling yourself to, and you feel yourself buckle in the hot pressure of meeting someone past the edge you got to know so well. Looking on from afar for a while gets comfortable, but what are you gonna do when you’re pressed up next to the thing you’ve been watching? Hopefully whatever scares you, or whatever has you obsessed, isn’t going to turn into a car crash like that this track alludes to. One thing’s for sure, a car crash is a wholly unsuitable metaphor for the track itself.
32. So Right - Carly Rae Jepsen
By Will Buckley, First Year Politics and International Relations
Jepsies, rejoice. Having to constantly champion her as more-than-the-Call Me Maybe-girl is difficult enough, and after 2022’s frankly underwhelming The Loneliest Time, this year Jepsen bounced back with a hell of a return to form, the B-Side, The Loveliest Time. The album is a return to familiar ground and a return to form, packed with well crafted emotional pop classics. There are plenty of highlights, but the synth-laden ‘So Right’ firmly stands out. The punchy bassline pairs perfectly with the synth arrangement, and Jepsen’s typically perfect vocal performance ties the whole thing together. 2023 seemed like a year where musicians were constantly pushing boundaries, but this year-highlight shows that playing it safe isn’t always a bad thing.
31. Flames shards goo - ML Buch
By Ella Wilson Coates, Third Year English and Philosophy
‘Flames shards goo’ feels like a lullaby for the grown-up child. There is something strangely comforting in the absurd images that ML Buch’s soothing vocals paint of skulls opening and rabbits unfreezing in this space beyond the temporal. The distorted electric guitar transports you underwater with Buch’s images drifting around you, their edges wavering in the current. There is a distinct acceptance of the absurdity in this song from Buch who seems content to not question the strange happenings around her. Buch offers comfort in this ability to simply exist amongst the oddities for a while in our “temporary bodies.”
30. Hahaha - Stevie Bill
By Susie Long, Music Subeditor
Moving on, losing feelings, waking up from delusion? This is a song for you. I’m not ashamed to admit that I discovered this track on TikTok - I’m so glad I did! With lyrics reading like a cruel awakening, and an upbeat, motivational sound, this song is the break up anthem. Released both as a standard single, and the ‘Sped Up’, TikTok-famous version, ‘Hahaha’ is definitely the perfect song to add to your 2024 girlboss playlists. Of course, you don’t need to limit yourself to breakup angst - the soft, whimsical vocals of Stevie Bill and her classically indie-rock guitar make this a great song for any occasion.
29. Circling the Drain - Tummyache
By Dylan McNally, Music Co-Deputy Editor
‘Circling the Drain’ opens with an admission: “I’m finally in the sun, I finally got what I wanted”. But this isn’t the victorious gloating that it could’ve been from Tummyache. Instead ‘Circling the Drain’ feels more like the story of the endless grey skies, the wind, the rain and the aftermath in the wake of those rays of light. Moody and gripping, it evokes the harsher side of Big Thief and early PJ Harvey, amongst others. That’s not bad company. It also happens to be a breakup song, but that almost feels secondary – ‘Circling the Drain’ is about atmosphere as much as it is about substance. But it’s one hell of an atmosphere.
28. Truisms 4 Dummies - HeadAche
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
Critics will no doubt look back at The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth as one of the first cases of AI generated musical tools benefitting a project more so than harming its artistic integrity. As 2023 has shown us, AI is (whether we like it or not) going to be more and more a part of our lives - and that includes the way we create music. Alongside electronic artists like Oneohtrix Point Never, Vegyn has embraced the absurdity of the AI revolution by implementing perplexingly life-like computer generated vocals on his work. He's probably not the first artist to do this, after all electronic vocals have been used before, but it's Vegyn's ability to really make the listener question whether what is being said is coming from a human that stands out to me: and what better a subject matter to discern this with than a fully articulated existential crisis, ending with a decision concerning the narrator’s favourite type of onion?
27. Raisins Under the Sun - Yussef Dayes, Shabaka Hutchings
By Bruno Bridger, Second Year English and Philosophy
From Yussef Dayes' critically acclaimed Black Classical Music, a track featuring the ever-burgeoning London Jazz scene’s most acclaimed percussionist alongside one of the 21st century greats of the saxophone, is a musical highlight that cannot be missed. This time contributing on clarinet, Hutchings and Dayes provide a bright melodic offering filled with breakbeats and Soundsystem influenced production, showcasing the multifaceted and dynamic grounding of the modern UK jazz scene. The magic of the track is elevated further when considering this is Hutchings’ last year playing the saxophone before a prolonged hiatus, whereby he plans to focus on his talents on flute, so the feature on clarinet can be seen as a rare and beautiful parting gift.
26. Die For You - Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Tatum Langley
By Cara Hene, Music Digital Editor
If you haven’t checked out Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, this is your sign to do so. Their Bond themed cover of The Weeknd’s pop infused ‘Die for You’ is extremely ambitious, but it worked a treat. Through the classic chromatic motif, strings and some important Bond-esque reverb, The Weeknd’s version is not quite unrecognisable, but absolutely transformed. Tatum Langley’s vocals and emotive delivery particularly enthralled me. The music video is also worth watching, if not just to see the saxophonist creep deftly into the frame, deliver a fantastic solo, then sneak out again. In short, this cover just works.
25. Canon - Brandon Nembhard
By George Dean, Proofreader
Brandon Nembhard represents a new wave of UK rap, self-proclaimed as “neo-grime”. His project is defined by, above all, eclecticism. In a similar vein to Knucks, Nembhard’s sound palette combines the influences of different traditions of rap, closing the gap between the traditional vanguard of US hip-hop and contemporary UK drill. This is complemented by lyricism akin to Kofi Stone and Loyle Carner – perceptive, introspective, reflective. ‘Canon’ references a wide range of cultural touchpoints, from Kano’s vintage grime banger ‘P’s and Q’s’ to the quantum mechanical theory of Schrödinger’s Cat, but underlying Nembhard’s lyrical trickery is a sincere and solemn central message. “But the pain was a canon event / Although it spoke in the past tense / The heart might slam in your chest / It’s either that or you’re dead”: Nembhard alludes to how his pain has marked him, yet he has emerged from it a stronger and wiser person.
24. Switchboard - Armand Hammer
By Ifan Davies, Second Year English and Philosophy
For me, this is the top song on We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. The enigmatic, pensive lyrics of Elucid and billy woods pair with a production masterclass from Sebb Bash. The IDM reminiscent intro transitions to a gritty hip-hop beat as the duo effortlessly deliver some of the year’s best lyricism, creating one of the most memorable and profound tracks of the year.
23. Eisenhower - The Long Faces
By Benjamin Smith, Third Year History
Violin riffs, classically attuned and theatrical vocals, and impenetrable lyrics that evoke pastoral themes while referencing ketchup, the Romans and Nazis. On the surface this makes for a potentially jarring musical amalgamation - but The Long Faces pull these disparate ideas together into a seamless package, violins and pianos chopping underneath as ‘Eisenhower’ develops into a folky, progressive song that feels like it packs far more musical ideas than its sub-four minute runtime would seem to allow.
22. Laughing Song - Black Country, New Road
By Phoebe Caine, Arts Digital Editor
I’m calling it, BCNR are the best band right now, and they seem to promise to continue being at the forefront of the artists committing themselves to stunning avant-gardism and genre-b(l)ending. Listening to ‘Laughing Song’ is like standing under the hard lights of an aisle in a supermarket close to close, emplaced in this spot at the canned produce by your wandering attention. The basket you’re holding drops, metal grids clanging onto polished concrete. There are dents in your palms and fingers. It makes you feel equal parts weak and brilliant to see an immediate image confirming that the things we clutch onto mark us when they’re gone. This ‘song’ is exhausting and also inexhaustible. Drop everything: symbols, song names, questions, truths, pitches, hopes, tempo. Then get on your knees, look at how disparate, empty and quiet it all is and then pick it all up and hold it and yourself together.
21. Virgin Mary - Wych Elm
By Kate Jeffrie, Third Year English
Bristol-based Wych Elm have spent years honing the craft of their blaspheming brand of rock, but it’s on Field Crow, their latest album release, that the efforts of their spoils turn up tenfold. Riffing on the same imagery that brought Ethel Cain immortality, Wych Elm subverts expectation and aesthetic to make the saintly seem sinful, the youth feel toothless. ‘Virgin Mary’ is a feminist cry, a shot in the dark, and a promise that the band’s only shrine is sedition.
20. GO GO GO - Jorja Smith
By Cara Hene, Music Digital Editor
Jorja Smith’s new album Falling or Flying has received an amazing reception – if you’re on TikTok you’ll surely know its star track ‘Little Things’. ‘GO GO GO’ stood out on the album to me thanks to its transcendence of Smith’s usual style; while the rest of the tracks are more R&B influenced, this number is probably best described as ‘pop-rock’. The punchy, indie-punk guitar chords uplift Smith’s rich voice, while the bass drives it forward – this song is both catchy and exciting. I’ll be listening to it well into 2024.
19. Cool About It - boygenius
By Susie Long, Music Subeditor
The ultimate sad girl anthem, boygenius has beautifully encapsulated the feeling of life after love. ‘Cool About It’ pairs soft acoustic guitar and banjo instrumentation with seamlessly blended harmonies from Bridgers, Dacus and Baker, creating a thought-provoking and heartbreakingly lovely song. It feels vulnerable, and genuine, in a way that I think many of us can relate to. It’s no secret that I love a song that feels like it’s from the soundtrack to a romanticised (albeit slightly depressing) movie, and this song is perfect for that.
18. Freedom 2 - Kwengface, Joy Orbison, Overmono
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
‘Freedom 2’ is the perfect definition of an earworm. The track is a collaborative fix-up of Kwengface's Drill tune ‘Freedom’, by rising electronic artists Overmono and Joy Orbison. The original captures the listener with the thumping basslines and 808's to be expected of a grime classic, but its remix is doubled with a squelchy glitchiness that bounces around the track. You'll notice something new each time you listen to it: distorted samples and edited ad-lib vocals result in a classic of the year which is only as meticulously produced as it is addictingly catchy in its replayability.
17. Sunshine Baby - The Japanese House
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor
Carefree indie pop from one of our fave queer artists working right now, ‘Sunshine Baby’ is an ode to sitting in the back seat on a road trip with your partner driving towards the sun in the summertime. It’s suspended from hardship and monotony, placed in a liminal space of near euphoria where anxiety is put to one side: “I don’t know what’s right anymore / I don’t wanna fight anymore / Sitting in the back seat driving with my sunshine baby”, Amber sings. Letting go and floating round to a happier place is essential. Oh and Matty Healy has a verse, too.
16. The Wheel - Ugly
By Benjamin Smith, Third Year History
Released in May, ‘The Wheel’ is the third song released by the current incarnation of Ugly, maybe the best live band I saw all year. Over its seven minute runtime ‘The Wheel’ passes through multiple genres, not treating them as separate objects but melding them seamlessly - beginning with a choral, acapella section which gives way to a post-rock build, before descending into a noisy, cacophonous climax. This tension is in turn cut by a bassline which effortlessly grooves as the band returns for a final danceable flourish. With lyrics that flit between folk inspired depictions of nature and incomprehension, this a reflection of the enormous range Ugly are capable of - and the immense emotional punch that these unexpected combinations can pack.
15. Across the Pond Friend - Black Country, New Road
By Jacob Rozenberg, Third Year English
After lead singer Isaac Wood’s departure from the band in early 2022, the choice for vocal responsibilities to be shared amongst the remaining members of the band has had a bit of (quietly-voiced, well-intentioned) dissent from pockets of their fanbase. Safe to say, I am NOT one of those people and fully believe the prioritisation of raw feeling over 100% technical ability in choosing Lewis to perform this song works wonders here. He totally sells a track that returns to old thematic ground for the band (long distance relationships, journeys) while making it entirely his own.
14. Carrossel Do Tempo - Polo & Pan, Abrão
By Cara Hene, Music Digital Editor
The impressive instrumental production on this number sees it led with a regal trumpet chorus, inviting you into this cinematic song. The Parisian duo’s track has an electronic feel, making you want to get up and dance throughout the verses. At the same time this feels like it could easily be the soundtrack to a Western-style Hollywood film – it seems to swell with drama at every chorus. Polo & Pan have surpassed themselves with this one.
13. Unknown Summer - Burial
By Bruno Bridger, Second Year English and Philosophy
Released as part of a split 12” with HyperDub label boss Kode9, Burial’s standalone track of 2023 blends elements of minimal ambient and musique concrete with his trademark dub-inflicted two-step. It reveals Burial as an artist that remains equally capable of both drawing upon the bygone nostalgia’s of early 2000’s dance music while simultaneously never looking back: a suggestion of exciting things to come from one of the U.K’s most critically acclaimed producers.
12. Ooh I Rap Ya - George Clanton
By Ifan Davies, Second Year English and Philosophy
This is a song that is a perfect blend of energy and melancholy. The production is stellar- simultaneously huge yet ambient synths compliment a pounding drum beat resulting in a calming yet electric feeling to the song. Clanton seamlessly blends elements of electronic pop, trip hop and vaporwave to create an unmatched feeling and atmosphere on this track. His clean vocals are the perfect pairing with this instrumental- a pensive and emotional performance that is gradually swallowed up by the track's masses of reverb.
11. Three Drums - Four Tet
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor
In a year when Four Tet went from left-field alternative crate-digger to headlining Coachella with Fred Again.. and Skrillex, this track suggests that he has not forgotten his roots - despite the countless times he’s blasted out a remix of Taylor Swift’s ‘Love Story’. Blending trip-hop with heavenly synths, he crescendos up to an interweaving wall of irresistible sound before cascading down again. If there’s a Spotify playlist called ‘Mind Food’ this should certainly be on it.
And now, your reward for making it this far through the article: Epigram Music's top 10 songs of the year!
10. Infinity Repeating (2013 Demo) - Daft Punk
By Cara Hene, Music Digital Editor
Released for the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Random Access Memories, Daft Punk’s tracks are the gifts that keep on giving. Julian Casablanca’s nonchalant style of singing flits above a mixture of synths, syncopated drums and bass that blend together in the background. This particular layering creates a dream-like quality, reminiscent of Casablanca’s other feature on the album ‘Instant Crush’. The guitar solos peppered in between this mixture of sounds are recognisably Strokes-esque: piercing, harmonic and highly catchy.
9. Blackbox Life Recorder 21f - Aphex Twin
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
Returning this year for his first major release since 2018, Richard D James has blessed rabid fans with the sparse Blackbox Life Recorder 21f EP. The title track encapsulates everything I love about Aphex: marrying an army of various reverberated synthesisers and wobbly melodies with sporadic and surgically spliced breakbeats. The tune is simultaneously gigantic in its ambience, yet captured simply within a distinct and lively energy that moves the track from section to section like a musical Frankenstein sustained by Richard's otherworldly electronic sorcery.
8. Cowboy Nudes - Geese
By Jacob Rozenberg, Third Year English
There’s nothing too rock, or heartland ‘rawk’, about ‘Cowboy Nudes’ – rather the brilliance of the track is the ease of the way in which it swerves in and out of various different sounds and sections in under three minutes. Geese incorporate an opening intro riff which channels those of the acoustic Grateful Dead, with Cameron Winter’s vocals echoing the yelpyness of 00s post-punk revival, and the uptempo nature of the track, to my ears, sounds akin to pop-rock earworms of early Third Eye Blind. All this, while still sounding fresh as anything - Geese are certainly a band to watch.
7. Sinner - The Last Dinner Party
By Yasmin Attwood, Third Year English
'Sinner' is a glorious song by The Last Dinner Party. It is one of several great songs they have released this year, teasing the release of their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy which comes out in February next year. The quintet re-appropriate religious musical styles and harmonies, with a gothic rock twist and 'turn to the altar of lust' in this queer coming of age song. I have had it playing on a loop ever since it came out!
6. Turbines/Pigs - Black Country, New Road
By Louis Amor, Third Year Zoology
BCNR have a special ability in complimenting their beautiful storytelling with stunning instrumentals, and ‘Turbines/Pigs’ reflects this wonderfully. Vocalist and pianist May Kershaw gives a heart-wrenching performance, exploring her lack of self-confidence, desire for independence, and reluctance to accept help from others who act as “turbines” beneath her as she learns to fly. The band come together in one of the most beautiful instrumental passages of the year as our protagonist finally takes flight to close off the track.
5. Spirit 2.0 - Sampha
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor
After a six year wait for new music after the Mercury Prize winning Process, Sampha re-emerged in June with this lead single ahead of his new project LAHAI. He muses on fate and drifting through mental ill-health until being caught by love, life and waves. A safety net of sorts, Sampha pleads that there is always someone or something to fall back on, if you search for it for long enough. Yussef Dayes cracks out some killer drum fills and Sampha’s voice as ever could soothe a newborn child to find true peace.
4. Adderall - shame
By Dylan McNally, Music Co-Deputy Editor
On their latest album, Food For Worms, shame have grown up. On the punkier side of post-punk, as they always have been, their sound remains. But their attitudes and approaches have changed. Dealing with addiction and empathy, ‘Adderall’ is a more considered and vulnerable song than any of their previous releases. It still packs a punch, though. This new-found vulnerability coupled with their trademark ferocity gives it an emotional heft that we haven’t seen before. It is the sound of love, desperation, and their coalescing. The result is a darkly beautiful offering, and a prevailing sense of catharsis. This is a shame we haven’t seen before and, it seems, they needed this just as much as we did.
3. Not Strong Enough - boygenius
By Grace Whillis, Second Year Music
The ground-breaking supergroup Boygenius’ ‘Not Strong Enough’ from their first album, The Record, encapsulates everything that these three artists do best. The complex lyricism and absolutely gorgeous vocal harmonies partnered with the twangy guitar lines make for an altogether out of body experience that is truly unmatched. The instrumental development to the climax of the song, with chant-like lyrics “always an angel, never a god”, makes it the perfect song to cry to, or scream to, or both, depending on your mood.
2. I Been Young - George Clanton
By Benji Chapman, Music Co-Deputy Editor
You can take it up with the other editors: this is my song of the year. What song would be better for a student paper to pick as one of its top songs of the year, than a song which perfectly captures that feeling of aimless uncertainty that comes with being young, making mistakes, and subsequently learning to grow older. A lot of credit has to be given to George Clanton's ability to produce songs which perfectly capture and subsequently modernise the sound of dreamy 90's nostalgia, but this song also demonstrates how Clanton is a lyrical genius. Wisdom-filled and impactful lyrics shimmer like pearls among a psychedelic swirl of oozing instrumental vapours. There's so much to love on this track, and it gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. Stay young while you can.
1. My Love Mine All Mine - Mitski
By Susie Long, Music Subeditor
Here it is. The big one. I’ve always been a fan of Mitski and her magical songwriting, but ‘My Love Mine All Mine’ has taken that to the next level. Beautifully simple, stripped back and whimsical, this song somehow feels both nostalgic and totally new. Initially created whilst on a grocery run, ‘My Love Mine All Mine’ romanticises the mundane and analyses emotion on what feels like a micro scale, showing how small and temporary humans and our experiences are when compared to the permanence of the world around us. Whether this song makes you think about a certain individual, or just the process of being in love itself, Mitski has captured human emotion in a wonderfully unique, poignant way. Mitski explained that she wrote this song as a way to disassociate from reality, and I think that is clear in the track: you can completely escape with it. Concise, poetic, introspective and utterly lovely, ‘My Love Mine All Mine’ is a song that, I think, is a timeless classic.
Featured Image: Susie Long
(alongside 'Vines' by iokera available on Soundcloud)
What were your favourite songs of 2023?
