Ten Unforgettable Songs From 2023
by Larry McClain
I listened to more than 3,000 songs this year. Here are the ten that topped my list:
Caroline Polachek “Butterfly Net” – She’s a master of mood and melody, and one of the towering talents of our times.
Aime Simone “Baby Don’t Quit” – Has the catchiness of Charlie Puth, but with more vocal power.
Halo Kitsch “(i like to be) lonely” – This song is the epitome of cool defiance. Makes me want to ride a Harley in the California desert, communing with the ghosts of Gram Parsons and Tom Petty.
Miss Machina “Rumors” – In its playful way, this song has a lot to say about how the press shapes the narrative about strong women, from Lady Diana to Hillary Clinton.
Liv DeToma “riot” – This one has echoes of the great “torch songs” of yesteryear, from Lainie Kazan and Streisand all the way to Taylor Swift. Superb vocal driven by real emotion.
talker “Drag Your Feet” – A beautiful, cathartic song that will probably be studied some day from Berklee to Berkeley for its songcraft and great lyrics.
Katie Boeck “While I’m Still Human” – This lustrous song deserves comparisons to the very best of Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush.
Leni Black “Irrelevant” – This song feels like a bonus track from Taylor’s evermore album: haunting, heartfelt and beautifully sung.
Imogen Clark “If I Want In” – The killer chorus in this song is Imogen’s farewell to Australia as she makes her bid to conquer America in 2024.
Eric Dash “I Must Be Crazy” – He has an amazingly distinctive voice, and puts it to good use on this soaring anthem.
