KCRW's Best Albums of 2023

From LA noise, to Soundcloud rap gone skyward, to skintight discodelia, these are the albums that defined our 2023.

Published: December 07, 2023 06:00 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Silver Say She She Sep-29-2023, Funk
#2 Slugs of Love Little Dragon Jul-07-2023, Indietronica
#3 everything is alive Slowdive Sep-01-2023, Dream Pop
#4 Switched-On Pachyman Sep-29-2023, Dub
#5 Flowers At Your Feet Rahill May-12-2023, Psychedelic Pop
#6 Let’s Start Here. Lil Yachty Jan-27-2023, Neo-Psychedelia
#7 Volcano Jungle Aug-11-2023, Nu-Disco
#8 Good Lies Overmono May-12-2023, UK Bass
#9 Zango WITCH Jun-02-2023, Zamrock
#10 Dreamer Nabihah Iqbal Apr-28-2023, Dream Pop
#11 when the poems do what they do aja monet Jun-09-2023, Jazz Poetry
#12 Lahai Sampha Oct-20-2023, Alternative R&B
#13 Raven Kelela Feb-10-2023, Alternative R&B
#14 Glorious Game El Michels Affair, Black Thought Apr-14-2023, Conscious Hip Hop
#15 The Comeback Kid Marnie Stern Nov-03-2023, Math Pop
#16 Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) Yves Tumor Mar-17-2023, Neo-Psychedelia
#17 Pastor's Paradox Aruán Ortiz Oct-20-2023,
#18 Curyman Rogê Mar-03-2023, MPB
#19 the record boygenius Mar-31-2023, Singer-Songwriter
#20 For That Beautiful Feeling The Chemical Brothers Sep-08-2023, Progressive House
#21 MOONSHOTS The South Hill Experiment, Baird, Goldwash May-12-2023, Neo-Psychedelia
#22 Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall Nia Archives Mar-10-2023, Jungle
#23 The Lamb as Effigy Sprain Sep-01-2023, Post-Rock
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Silver | Say She She | Album, Sep-29-2023, Funk |
| #2 | Slugs of Love | Little Dragon | Album, Jul-07-2023, Indietronica |
| #3 | everything is alive | Slowdive | Album, Sep-01-2023, Dream Pop |
| #4 | Switched-On | Pachyman | Album, Sep-29-2023, Dub |
| #5 | Flowers At Your Feet | Rahill | Album, May-12-2023, Psychedelic Pop |
| #6 | Let’s Start Here. | Lil Yachty | Album, Jan-27-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #7 | Volcano | Jungle | Album, Aug-11-2023, Nu-Disco |
| #8 | Good Lies | Overmono | Album, May-12-2023, UK Bass |
| #9 | Zango | WITCH | Album, Jun-02-2023, Zamrock |
| #10 | Dreamer | Nabihah Iqbal | Album, Apr-28-2023, Dream Pop |
| #11 | when the poems do what they do | aja monet | Album, Jun-09-2023, Jazz Poetry |
| #12 | Lahai | Sampha | Album, Oct-20-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #13 | Raven | Kelela | Album, Feb-10-2023, Alternative R&B |
| #14 | Glorious Game | El Michels AffairBlack Thought | Album, Apr-14-2023, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #15 | The Comeback Kid | Marnie Stern | Album, Nov-03-2023, Math Pop |
| #16 | Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) | Yves Tumor | Album, Mar-17-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #17 | Pastor's Paradox | Aruán Ortiz | Album, Oct-20-2023,  |
| #18 | Curyman | Rogê | Album, Mar-03-2023, MPB |
| #19 | the record | boygenius | Album, Mar-31-2023, Singer-Songwriter |
| #20 | For That Beautiful Feeling | The Chemical Brothers | Album, Sep-08-2023, Progressive House |
| #21 | MOONSHOTS | The South Hill ExperimentBairdGoldwash | Album, May-12-2023, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #22 | Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall | Nia Archives | EP, Mar-10-2023, Jungle |
| #23 | The Lamb as Effigy | Sprain | Album, Sep-01-2023, Post-Rock |