OUR YEAR IN MUSIC: TEAM VG’S 2023 RECORD HIGHLIGHTS
Some of our esteemed writers pick their absolute must-listens from the last twelve months.
We’ve had the 2023 roundups and the top 10 rankings, but what is music if not personal? Here, some of team VG wax lyrical on the projects that they’ve kept coming back to this year. So get comfy, grab a leftover mince pie, and dive in.
a.s.o. - a.s.o.
Selected by Rebecca Kesteven
a.s.o.'s self-titled debut album – a joint project between Berlin-based Tornado Wallace (aka Lewie Day) and Alias Error (Alia Seror-O'Neill), – feels like the sonic equivalent to the dark recesses of a smoky nightclub. Seductive with downtempo beats, slinky guitars and Seror-O’Neill’s hushed vocals, the album is like a portal into a dark dreamscape. Encompassing the ethereal wistfulness of Cocteau Twins; the uneasy sounds of Bjork and Portishead (especially in ‘True’); and the trip-hop sensibilities of Massive Attack, it’s gentle and mellow, yet moody and sensual - and one that’s been on repeat since its release.
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
Selected by Sally Clegg
Caroline Polachek’s second solo album aptly landed on Valentine’s Day 2023, sending listeners fervently spiraling through a world of carnivorous longing. An inextinguishable flow, bringing together flamenco, bagpipes and breakbeats, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is a transformative piece of work that has cemented Polachek as a true innovator of pop artistry. Once the gates of this jangling and bounteous landscape (crafted alongside producer Danny L. Harle) are opened with Polachek’s breathy howling, the island will suck you in, blister you in suns of grief, and bathe you in vivifying waters of desire.
ĠENN - unum
Selected by Caitlin Chatterton
In October, the Brighton-via-Malta four-piece ĠENN, released their independently produced debut album unum. The record turns over the identity struggles that Covid finally gave the band time to address; the result is a considered, intricate take on selfhood, conformity and sexual awakenings grounded in French cinematic references and simmering sax notes. Its opener ‘Rohmeresse’ has a guitar riff that sticks in your ears long after the album’s played out, while ‘Calypso’ is the poster child for their jazz roots. unum is a debut as charming as its makers, and marked a cornerstone in ĠENN’s burgeoning career.
Heartworms - A Comforting Notion
Selected by Daisy Carter
Few artists in recent memory have made quite as bold an opening statement as Heartworms, the stage moniker of South London’s Jojo Orme. Having forged a cult reputation in the months following the release of her 2022 debut single ‘Consistent Dedication’, she cemented her status as this year’s post-punk poster girl with March EP A Comforting Notion. From her military garb to her soul-searching stare, it was clear from the off that Heartworms had a vision - and amongst those listening, there was no doubting its unequivocal execution. Almost single-handedly breathing life into the decidedly tired sprechgesang sphere, this project is one which only reveals more of itself with each listen.
King Krule - Space Heavy
Selected by Ife Lawrence
When King Krule dropped his fourth album Space Heavy this summer, I was hooked. It still retains King Krule’s trademark melancholic, jazz and blues-infused soundscapes, while its lyrics take an introspective exploration of what he describes as “the space haunted by dreams of love and lost connection”. The result has birthed something special - a collection of songs I’ve gone back to countless times in the months since first hearing them, and one I’ll continue to revisit in the years to come.
The Japanese House - In The End It Always Does
Selected by Dani Murden
Authentically encompassing the turbulence of being in your twenties, this record was the gift I needed most, when I needed it the most. The Japanese House’s In The End It Always Does captures the playful yet severe realities of love, queerness and heartbreak. The album is a rollercoaster of the mundane, candidly expressing the disorder of life - a real handhold to listeners who can relate. The combination of Amber Bain’s signature spine-tingling vocals and the unapologetically bright production of the album is simply delicious, and a nod must be made to Bain’s ability to convert gut-wrenching scenarios into a series of danceable bops. Yet the thing I most adored about this record is its ability to encapsulate the welcoming loneliness of rediscovering yourself, and the vital lessons we learn in solitude.