20 Musical Moments of 2023
by Rob Hakimian
You’ve heard about the best albums and songs, but what about the moments within those albums and songs that force the hooks even deeper? Here are 20 that’ll stick in my mind long after we see the end of 2023.
Here’s the playlist to listen along:
Brighde Chaimbeul’s bagpipe solo in Caroline Polachek’s “Blood and Butter”
Caroline Polachek had reportedly been been obsessively listening to The Reeling by Scottish bagpiper Brighde Chaimbeul while mulling over the direction of her own new record.
Not many artists would then think of trying to insert a bagpipe solo into their modern pop record – and even fewer would make it work like this. But that is the magic of Caroline Polachek and the talent of Chaimbeul.
I was fortunate enough to see Chaimbeul join Polachek onstage for this song in London, and let me tell you – it rocked.
Sofia Kourtesis names a song after the neurosurgeon who saved her mother
This one isn’t so much a specific moment in the song itself; I just want to highlight the all-round healing story behind Sofia Kourtesis’ “Vajkoczy”.
Kourtesis’ mother needed brain surgery to save her life but several doctors had refused to do it due to the risk. Kourtesis posted a clip of this song on her Instagram and said that if world-famous neurosurgeon Peter Vajkoczy would operate on her mother then she would name the song after him.
Long story short: he heard her plea, he successfully completed the operation, Kourtesis’ mother still lives and they all went to Berghain together. Oh, and the surgeon now has a heck of a banger named after him.
Carly Rae Jepsen gives in to the French touch
Carly Rae Jepsen has proven herself a pop magpie across her albums to date – it was only a matter of time that she would wind up at 90s French house. “Psychedelic Switch” wholesale lifts the French touch hallmarks of classic Daft Punk and pairs it with an addictive, saccharine vocal. It’s far from original, but damn it’s addictive.
Brandon McDonald busts her lungs straight out the gate
“Skin Meadow”, the opening track of Home Is Where’s new album the whaler, early on features Brandon McDonald repeating “skin meadow skin meadow skin meadow skin meadow” before ejecting a manic “waaaaaaaaah” – and my goodness its fun to shriek along with every last ounce of breath you can muster. Then you can relax and sail along to the song’s bewitching singing saw.
Lankum clear away the pain
Sequencing can augment a song and I picked this moment specifically to highlight the brilliant juxtaposition of the opening two tracks of Lankum’s False Lankum. Opener “Go Dig My Grave” is all drone and high drama, telling the tale of parents finding their daughter hanging in her bedroom. That pain and turmoil is wrung out to the nth degree – but then Lankum magically sweep it all aside with the gorgeously hovering “Clear Away In The Morning”. It literally sounds like dawn on a new day, the sound of pain receding into the past.
Fever Ray calls out their child’s bully
“This is for Zacharias, who bullied my kid in high school: There is no room for you, and we know where you live.”
Fever Ray ensures that no one will ever mess with one of their loved ones again after sending out this message in “Even It Out”, backed up by menacing production from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
MAMA I CAN’T LEAVE YOU HERE IN HELL
Joe D’Agostino has long written sprawling, narrative-driven songs and paired them undulating guitar riffs to add to the drama. This idiosyncratic MO is still present and impactful on the latest Empty Country record, and is perhaps best encapsulated in the peak of opener “Pearl”.
Empty Country build a narrative of the titular young woman promising to get her beloved mother to a life free of misery, the guitars gradually building towards a torrential downpour. And when it comes, it’s paired with one of D’Agostino’s most epic ejaculations: “Mama, I can’t leave you here in hell / Anywhere I go I’m still myself / I’m a tunnel caving in / And a goddamn great American”. It’s capped off by a harmonica melody that would make The Boss proud, just to emphatically underline the moment.
Bruiser Wolf steals the show on “Y.B.P.”
Danny Brown’s new album Quaranta found the upstart rapper using the passing of his 40th birthday to reflect on his past. Album highlight “Y.B.P.” revolves around what it’s like to be “Young black and poor being raised in Detroit”, and it’s guest Bruiser Wolf who delivers the most memorable verse.
With a buoyant voice that sounds like Lil Rel Howery, it’s easy to at first miss the amount of cutting references he packs into his short verse. He picks out several Detroit heroes from sport and music but admits he’s much likelier to end up like gun-toting quarterback Rodney Pete than Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. He then ties the loop ever so neatly with his killer final line, referencing the state of Michigan, its sport history and murderous reputation with the simple observation: “It’s hard to fit in the murder mitten like OJ glove”.
Can you hate yourself and still deserve love?
While the entirety of Protomartyr’s “Polacrilex Kid” is electric, the moment of magic comes at its finale. After a few minutes of rampaging guitars and staccato vocal ejaculations, Protmartyr loosen up with some pedal steel and give Joe Casey space to ask what’s really on his mind: “Can you hate yourself and still deserve love?”
The answer never comes, despite the repetition. But just putting that question out there is honest and brave and valuable.
If this is all there is… I think we’re gonna be fine
Across her second full-length, London songwriter Anna B Savage rides the highs and lows of confusing early adulthood. She’s unafraid to scour the depths of her depression and reveal the hollowness she feels. It all builds up to the closing “The Orange”, where she finds a gorgeous, honest peace.
“I’m a bit of a magpie / I collect memories / Moments that shine just for me,” she sings. “If this is all that there is, I think I’m gonna be fine.” May we all be so graceful when considering our own existential worth.
And I been young
We’ve all been young. Perhaps some of you reading this are still young. In which case, George Clanton’s “I Been Young” is only going to grow in impact in the years to come for you. A retro-futuristic melange of washed-out soundscapes and trip-hop esque beats makes the perfect canvas for Clanton’s reflections on life slipping through his fingers. With all those nostalgia sensors already lit up in your brain, all he needs to do is sing “AND I BEEN YOUNG” and it hits right in the gut.
L’Rain’s perfect micro skit
You don’t hear many skits on records any more, but L’Rain put out the perfect one on this year’s I Killed Your Dog called “What’s That Song?”. It’s a brief 20-second clip of someone asking “what’s that jazz song that goes da-doo-da-doo-da-doo” while a jazz band fades in behind, playing the song along perfectly in tandem with the forgetful person before fading out again… it’s very satisfying and amusing.
Armand Hammer name a song something only Black fans can use
One of the best songs on Armand Hammer’s epic album We Buy Diabetic Test Strips is titled something that non-Black writers are best to avoid typing – let alone speaking out loud. The track, subtitled “(Blocked Call)”, features a word that, while technically not a racial slur, is so intrinsically linked with bigoted views that it is deeply unacceptable. But Armand Hammer, being the tricksters they are, not only name a song after it – but include the word in one of the most memorable hooks they’ve ever released. It makes for awkward mumbling when played live. But it just makes the song slap more.
Nourished By Time oozes joy on Yaeji’s “Happy”
I was a behind the curve learning about Nourished By Time, so I was introduced to Marcus Brown’s marvellous voice via his guest spot on Yaeji’s “Happy”. While a perfectly good song on its own, Nourished By Time’s additions simply elevate it to another level. His voice is just so warm and rich compared to Yaeji’s that it makes an excellent counterpoint through the intro, and then when he gets to ooze in with his own verse – I just melt. It truly does make me and my ears very happy.
Laurel Halo’s snatch of Coby Sey
“Belleville”, one of the highlights of Laurel Halo’s orchestral/ambient/instrumental record Atlas, features a guest spot by honey voiced London singer Coby Sey. Except, if you blink you’ll miss it. It literally lasts about five seconds – a strange squiggle of texture amidst the song’s gliding subaqueous piano. It truly is nothing more than a moment, but it’s a glorious one – and proof that Laurel Halo has meticulously composed every single second of Atlas.
THE LAND THE WATER THE SKY
Titling your album The Land, The Water, The Sky is pretty grandiose, but Black Belt, Eagle Scout wanted to pay tribute to the homeland of her people, the Swinomish, and that’s exactly what she does. The whole record seems to be building to the final words, resounding out at the very end of closer “Don’t Give Up”: “THE LAND / THE WATER / THE SKY”. In that moment, you can hear that the power of her voice is drawn directly from the land she’s singing about and its belted straight into the heavens. She’s captured the land, the water and the sky in a perfect piece of art.
Olivia Rodrigo subverts expectations in a bleachers-ready romp
When you see a young pop star has a song called “Get Him Back” you imagine it’s about someone pining over a broken heart – but Olivia Rodrigo has other ideas. Yes, there are moments where she admits she wants to kiss him again, but for the most part “Get Him Back” is about exacting teenage revenge: make him real jealous and make him feel bad. She vacillates entertainingly between these two polarities with her trademark humour, and augmented by a stadium-sized chorus that could supercharge an army of cheerleaders, it’s an undeniable winner.
Sometimes a drink feels like family
Mitski’s return with the country-esque The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We was quite a surprise after the synth-pop extravaganza of Laurel Hell. But even in this more stripped-back setting, Mitski knows when to deploy maximalism and does so to great impact on album opener “Bug Like An Angel”. Just as she forlornly admits “sometimes a drink feels like family” a bright beaming chorus of voices appears out of the shadows to join in “FAAAMIIIILY!” It’s both charming and discomfiting – are these voices real? Are they advocating for Mitski’s drinking problem? I don’t know the answers, but it sure as hell sounds good.
Kelela’s return
While “Washed Away” made the perfect comeback single and is the ideal opener of Raven, her first album in six years, it’s when the beat and bass kicks in on second track “Happy Ending” that we feel like Kelela is truly back. A streamlined future RnB banger, it provides her ample space to display both the richness and malleability of her voice, all while being utterly addictive, irresistibly sensual and a bona fide floor filler.
U.S. Girls salutes the new mothers
New mothers don’t get enough attention in popular music. Meg Remy aka U.S. Girls was the mother to two young babies during the making of her new album Bless This Mess and sought to shine a light on the trial of breast feeding with “Pump”. Over a skronking and glistening disco-tinged pop beat she sends encouragement to all those struggling to feed their young ones with their mammaries: “Use the pump!” she repeats in a motivational exercise video style. The song later devolves into a chorus of glamorous singers simply repeating “pump, pump”. Not being female, I can’t attest to whether this song is actually encouraging or not, but from where I’m sitting I don’t know how it wouldn’t be!
