What a year 2023 has been. Aside from moving at a truly rapid place (and many social/political aspects we daren't touch here), the floodgates of new music were opened early doors. We've seen stunning debut albums, bands reforming to reclaim their place atop their genre, and a whole heap of delicious tunes that've kept us trudging through the monotony of life. From photographers to writers to editors, Team Punktastic have come together like a music-based Megazord to bring our top 25 albums of 2023. Grab some headphones and strap yourself in - it's a dynamite list.
25. Shit Present – ‘What Still Gets Me’
After two critically acclaimed EPâs (2015’s ‘Shit Present’ and 2016’s ‘Misery + Disaster’) and a five year wait, to say this album was hotly anticipated is an understatement. In the last two years, Shit Present have been ever present on stages, wowing audiences with their ever developing style of which this album is the crowning jewel. The lofi DIY of their previous recordings has been elevated in musicianship, production and, often, volume and intensity. This elevation has created an emboldened sound which take both musicianship and lyrics to a confident new level. The fuzzy guitars, rolling bass lines and spacious drumming ease the focus in and out of vocals that’re both powerful and punctuated by emotive vocal cracks. This is an album which offers strength, emotion and vulnerability through empoweringly open lyrics with no fear of the subject matters, travelling between mental health, sexuality and the political state of play with consideration and tact. The most striking thing about this excellent selection of recordings is the infectiousness of the hooks and choruses throughout, listeners may ponder on the lyrics but theyâre also going to be humming these songs for days. Over everything, this is an accomplished and incredibly well-crafted album from a band who have found not only their voice but a sound that puts them at the top of a very strong DIY scene. [Ben Adsett]
Read our full review of ‘What Still Gets Me’
24. The Dirty Nil – âFree Rein to Passionsâ
On paper, The Dirty Nil make almost no sense. A garage punk band writing stadium rock anthems, fronted by the best thrash metal guitarist never to grace the genre – they defy any pigeonhole and, arguably, logic. Perhaps this is why they largely operate under the radar, despite having released three increasingly terrific albums since 2016 dĂ©but âHigher Powerâ. Packed with riffs and casually prodigious guitar fireworks, courtesy of frontman Luke Bentham, âFree Rein to Passionsâ provides more of what weâve come to expect from Canadaâs most infuriatingly cool band. Sure, one could argue that they havenât evolved since hitting their stride with 2018âs âMaster Volumeâ, but when the songs are this good, they donât have to. Truly invigorating stuff from an act who deserve to be much, much bigger. [Rob Barbour]
Read our live review of The Dirty Nil at The Boileroom, Guildford
23. Shower Of Teeth – ‘Eternal Gut Rot’
After an impressive showing with their debut album (can 7 songs be an album?), Shower Of Teeth’s ‘Eternal Gut Rot’ delivers even more noise, fury and delicious hardcore elements from the Geordie four-piece. Littered with thick riffs, technical fills and an ambience that both snuggles and suffocates, this is very much a band that should be on your radar. Highlights include the expansive ‘Wizard Of Loneliness’, the refined ‘Somebody’s Daughter’, and the peak-QOTSA-esque ‘DMT’, there’s enough scope throughout the record to get your fists pumping, your head nodding and your heart thumping. [Andy Joice]
Read our full review of ‘Eternal Gut Rot’
22. Pupil Slicer – ‘Blossom’
Amongst the blaring metallic mathcore, ‘Blossom’ takes you on a sonic journey that’s expanded beyond Pupil Slicer’s aggressive roots. From the djent-esque grooves on ‘Departure in Solitude’ to ‘No Temple’s pulverising drums, to the haunting, ominous tones of ‘Language of the Stars,’ and ‘Dim Morning Light,’ the initial trio of Kate Davies, Josh Andrews and Luke Fabian served up an infectious record that shouldn’t be ignored.
The sci-fi/cosmic horror concept that threads these ten tracks together merely shows how far Pupil Slicer has come in such a short space of time. The narrative about a character who loses touch with reality, considerably an analogy for Davies’ experiences as a Trans person, lent Pupil Slicer the ability to expand their musical palette, providing ‘Blossom’ with a deeper emotional core. With additional guitarist Frank Muir on board, and Lewis Johns handling production, ‘Blossom’s quality comes from its ability to highlight each member’s musicianship with pinpoint precision. Whether that’s Davies’ versatile vocals or rapid riffs, Andrews’ domineering drum work or Fabian’s hammering bass lines, when it all came together, the end result is stunning. [SĂȘan Reid]
21. PEACH – ‘PEACH’
The snotty grunge-laced self-titled debut from Bristol quarter PEACH is a hell of a first showing. From Ellie Godwin’s powerful and distinctive vocals to the post-punk dissonance Jean-Paul Jacyshyn and Tim Cooke’s guitars, PEACH build an atmosphere that borders on uncomfortable but feels like a warm hug thanks to some exceptionally hooky melodies. Tiptoeing on the edge of collapse, it’s Andy Sutor’s drumming that keeps everything from plunging off a cliff into the abyss. Their aim to produce a record that captures the organised chaos of a live show was lofty but fully achieved, and deserved to be embraced at a volume described as “dangerously loud”. [Andy Joice]
20. Boygenius â âThe Recordâ
The word âsupergroupâ is often bandied around when musicians of note get together, but itâs very rare that these projects are more than the sum of their parts. The same canât be said of Boygenius; a combined effort from three incredibly talented songwriters â Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus. This debut album has been highly anticipated since the groupâs inception in 2018, and it has more than delivered on the fervent hype. Acapella opener âWithout You Without Themâ absolutely oozes style and class; you could imagine it playing on a crackling gramophone in a plush 1950s mansion parlour. Things them immediately take a left-turn into grunge-pop with lead single â$20â, ending with screamed vocals over a cacophonous musical backdrop that highlights the membersâ roots in punk and hardcore. Whilst the album never gets that visceral again, the quality never dips, mostly due to the exceptional lyrics. âWeâre In Loveâ is a beautiful tribute to the friendship these three talented and thoughtful women share, and âLetter To An Old Poetâ is a jaw-dropping exploration of a toxic relationship and how it feels to get away from that environment. âThe Recordâ is a pop album, no doubt, but it feels like it was written with the spirit of punk rock hovering over it. Bridgers, Baker, and Dacus are all fantastic solo artists, but together they have created something truly special. [Liam Knowles]
19. Movements â âRUCKUS!â
Determined to never make the same album twice, Movements returned in 2023 with their third and most ambitious album yet, âRUCKUS!â. Having teased a change in direction with the surprising standalone single âCherry Thrillâ in 2022, fans had an inkling that what was to come was a little more bass-driven, a little more sultry, and a little more lively than the albumâs predecessor, âNo Good Left to Giveâ. Whether you agree with this bold change in direction or not, you canât deny that the band have created something wonderfully sonically cohesive with âRUCKUS!â; not entirely denouncing their roots but pushing themselves to appeal to a wider audience and certainly feeling a little less morose and a little more hopeful than previous material. With a UK headline tour underway, their reach is only going to increase and weâll spend 2024 dreaming of what they pull out of the bag next. [Yasmin Brown]
Read our live review of Movements at Slam Dunk
18. Code Orange – ‘The Above’
In 2017, Code Orange released one of metal’s most celebrated albums of the 2010s, the colossal and devastating ‘Forever’, becoming scene darlings almost overnight. Incredibly, this year they managed to top it with their most ambitious release yet. Elitists might balk at the Pittsburghers’ more melodic approach to songwriting on ‘The Above’, but the open minded will find a record that shows Code Orange at the best they’ve ever been – brutal, bizarre, and anthemic in equal measure. If we were living in 2003, Code Orange would probably be the biggest band on the planet off the back of this album. 20 years on, it remains to be seen where ‘The Above’ will take them, but you’ll want to make sure you’re along for the ride. [Ash Bebbington]
Read our full review of ‘The Above
17. Beartooth -‘The Surface’
This is the album where Caleb Shomo refused to romanticise the riptide thatâs trying to drown him any longer. Thematically, tâs a departure from their previous work – no longer are Beartooth mired in misery, but at no expense to their musical intensity. A line has been drawn in the sand between where they were and where theyâre going, and their struggle is now focused on improving themselves and refining their sound. Youâll fling yourself around the pit, and perhaps become a better person at the same time. âRiptideâ was the early herald of the latest iteration of their sound, but the hitâs sentiment and flavour is echoed in the glowing âMight Love Myselfâ and âThe Better Meâ. Autobiographical insights covered with layers of shredding and thrashing drumbeats are the path to take in 2024 if this album is anything to go by, and bode incredibly well for their next run of UK tour dates. [Kate Allvey]
Read our full review of ‘The Surface’
Read our live review of Beartooth at Wembley Arena
16. Holding Absence â âThe Noble Art of Self Destructionâ
Holding Absence are fast becoming a favourite name among UK alternative fans. The bandâs ability to tap into emotions you donât even know you could relate to is both unnerving and reassuring, and this hasnât stopped with their latest venture. A journey of self-reflection, this record is as devastating as it is comforting, reminding you that your cracks and scars donât have to mean that youâre broken. TNAOSD is home to frontman Lucas Woodlandâs most adventurous performance, stretching his vocals further than ever before, bringing even more power to already hard hitting lyrics. A beautiful nod to all those who have ever
struggled with their own minds, this really is a collection of songs that we all needed this year. [Yasmin Brown]
Read our live review of Holding Absence at Slam Dunk
Read our live review of Holding Absence at 2000Trees
15. The Menzingers – ‘Some of it Was True’
Is there a more reliably brilliant punk band than The Menzingers? If you vibe with their particular blend of gruff punk and Americana, every release of theirs is sure to be a winner and so it proves here. You could make a solid argument for album opener ‘Hope is a Dangerous Little Thing’ being the best song the Pennsylvanian quartet has ever put its name to, no mean feat at seven records and more than 15 years into an illustrious career. The album features a collection of songs that’ll go straight into the band’s setlist and sit comfortably alongside fan favourites, with tracks like ‘Some of it Was True’ and ‘There’s No Place In This World For Me’ providing cathartic singalongs galore. Just make sure you’re ready to nurse shredded vocal cords the morning after The Menzingers next visit your town. [Ash Bebbington]
Read our full review of ‘Some Of It Was True’
Read our live review of The Menzingers at Slam Dunk
14. Origami Angel – ‘The Brightest Days’
Is it a mixtape or is it a mini-LP? Who cares. For many, including members of the Punktastic team, Origami Angel’s ‘The Brightest Days’ was the soundtrack to their summer.
Vocalist/guitarist Ryland Heagy and drummer Pat Doherty have always shown their versatility. Last year‘s ‘DEPART’ single honed in on thrashy hardcore., yet on this outing, the Washington D.C. duo emphasized riff-heavy emo that they’ve carved out since their beloved 2019 debut album, ‘Somewhere City’. It’s combined with an array of infectious hooks, occasional blast beats, surf-pop harmonies, succulent ukeleles, and chunky riffs.
Partly fuelled by the political angst in their hometown (see ‘My PG County Summer’), ‘The Brightest Days’ is connected by Heagy’s lyrical sincerity. Whether that’s being the self-doubting third-wheel on ‘Kobayashi Maru’, the desire to be more than the ‘Second Best Friend’, or ‘Looking Out’s vulnerable rawness, Origami Angel show an earnest side.
With youthful halcyon-tinted glasses, ‘The Brightest Days’ exemplified what makes Origami Angel so appealing. Harmonious, contagious, emotional, but more importantly, so satisfying. [SĂȘan Reid]
Read our live review of Origami Angel at 2000Trees
13. Hot Mulligan – ‘Why Would I Watch’
In our album review, we said âWhy Would I Watchâ would be in the conversation for one of this yearâs best record. Seven months on and it still rings true; Hot Mulligan are the 2000âs emo band of your dreams. Itâs not even that the Michigan group have managed to make their newest record sound like it was ripped from the golden days of Pierce The Veil and Taking Back Sunday (Though with track titles like âThis Song Is Called Itâs Called Whatâs It Calledâ and âJohn âThe Rockâ Cena, Can You Smell What The Undertakerâ, they certainly look the part). Itâs that somehow Hot Mulligan have breathed new life into some arguably stale concepts that would otherwise sharply age this record for the worse. All the sharp guitars and sardonic, wailing vocals of your teenage years are still there such as in âShhhh! Golf Is Onâ, with its oh-so-throwback radio-distorted opening riff, but the composition and production of everything here feels more in line with modern rock and alt; clean and sharp without feeling bland and sterile. Itâs neither a generic modern pop-punk release, nor an aging nostalgia trip, but âWhy Would I Watchâ will appeal to scenesters both old and new, a lovingly crafted tribute to a decade long gone, but very much not forgotten. [Fiachra Johnston]
Read our full review of ‘Why Would I Watch’
Read our live review of Hot Mulligan at O2 Forum, Kentish Town
12. Fall Out Boy â âSo Much (For) Stardustâ
Fall Out Boy struggle with one thing, consistency. The problem isnât that they like to experiment, itâs that they struggle to decide just what theyâre making, or who they’re making it for. So itâs a pleasant surprise that after two albums of flailing around theyâve regrouped with a clear sense of purpose. They made a pandemic record; deeply introspective and laced with references to the apocalypse.
Sensitive to the reaction to 2017âs âManiaâ, it appears theyâve gone back to basics, but this bears little resemblance to their early work. The sounds are upbeat, danceable and lush, the very foundations of âManiaâ but cloaked in guitars. Each song has its own place, itâs doing its own thing but itâs building toward the whole. Of course, they worked with Neal Avron who produced the restrained and underrated âFolie a Deuxâ which probably helped.
Meanwhile lyricist Pete Wentz absolutely deconstructs the songwriting process, stardom and the band itself. Lines like “all this effort to make it look effortless2 on âFlu Gameâ and the irony of “smash all the guitars” on âI Am My Own Museâ are a scathing attack on their detractors, and itâs hard not to see the theatrical âHeaven, Iowaâ as about anything other than the Wentz/Stump writing relationship. Itâs a thoughtful interrogation of their music presented as really great songs. So much for being famous, so much (for) stardust. [Ian Kenworthy]
Read our full review of ‘So Much (For) Stardust’
Read our live review of Fall Out Boy at Heaven, London
11. Paramore – ‘This Is Why’
Paramore have been around the block once or twice, and with this comes the expectation for them to deliver another stellar piece of soon to be nostalgia. But instead of playing things safe, they broke new ground and gave us âThis Is Whyâ, a more political, more punky and more modern take on their sound. The record has jagged edges and an unfinished quality, mirroring the raw lyrical content that leaves it feeling like a debut – and this makes for an intriguing first step into a new stage of the bandâs career. The grungy, synthy flicks contrast with the rough and ready rock moments, but throughout singer Hayley Williams manages to pull through an element of vocal diversity, cutting through the darker elements, keeping it wholeheartedly light. Notions of maturity cause sparks to fly – whatâs next, we can only hope. [Jessica McCarrick]
Read our full review of ‘This Is Why’
Read our live review of Paramore at The O2
10. Gaslight Anthem – ‘History Books’
âHow I missed you, how I missed you, itâs good to be aliveâ sings Brian Fallon on âPositive Chargeâ. Weâve missed you, Brian. In the eight years since Gaslight Anthemâs indefinite hiatus, theyâve toured sporadically, but also become older and wiser. âHistory Booksâ celebrates the little things like “black jeans in autumn, leaves falling down” (âAutumnâ) but also memory and place. Scenes are woven with the same threads which have been carefully tied through the bandâs back catalogue. Thereâs a stunning longing on tracks like âThe Weathermanâ and âI Live In The Room Above Herâ, but also an engraved, reflective quality on âHistory Booksâ and âMichigan 1975â. Plus, of course, thereâs the Springsteen collaboration which weâve always fantasised about on the title track. Itâs a gorgeous new chapter in the Gaslight Anthem saga, full of hope, nostalgia and the feeling that somehow the boys from New Jersey just fundamentally understand being human. [Kate Allvey]
Read our full review of ‘History Books’
9. Din Of Celestial Birds â âThe Night Is For Dreamersâ
Moving into 2023, Leeds-based post-rock quintet Din of Celestial Birds were a relative unknown, but that all changed with the release of âThe Night Is For Dreamersâ, a stellar slice of instrumental loveliness that helped them win over sizeable crowds at both ArcTanGent Festival and Damnation Festival this year, as well as several smaller shows dotted around the UK. The opening twinkle of âUtopiaâ sets the stage for whatâs to come: cinematic soundscapes, expertly crafted textures, and a perfect balance of build-up, tension, and cathartic release. That said, donât think for a second that this is a by-numbers post-rock record because itâs also deceptively heavy; the likes of âJunebugâ and âLaureate of American Lowlifeâ contain some of the grooviest metal riffs youâll hear all year. If DoCB can build on the quality of this essential debut, they could easily become one of UK post rockâs most important acts. [Liam Knowles]
8. Blink-182 – âOne More TimeâŠâ
At a time where nostalgia for early-2000s pop punk has reached unfathomable levels, the reformation of Tom, Mark and Travis was the reunion to end all reunions. However, the question always lingered over any new blink-182 material – would it be any good? Fortunately, âOne More TimeâŠâ is an absolute triumph.
From the opening riffs of âAnthem Part 3â – an intravenous needle pumping the listener full of nostalgia-laced dopamine – through the masturbation jokes of âDance With Meâ and ending on the reflective âChildhoodâ, itâs like the blink-182 of 2001 are with us again. It is a band re-energised, back in a happy place and having a whole lot of fun doing it.
A powerhouse of a record that is just about three friends cherishing the times they have together again. The poignant title track buries all their old ghosts in a sombre acoustic number, âMore Than You Knowâ smashes everything before it and we even get the snippets of new wave synth on âBlink Waveâ.
For diehard blink-182 fans, itâs the album theyâve waited almost two decades and, mercifully, it was worth it. [TomWalsh]
Read our full review of ‘One More Time’
Read our live review of blink-182 at The O2
7. Zulu – âA New Tomorrowâ
Anaiah Lei may be a songwriter, drummer and frontman but heâs also a visionary. Heâs seen the future. Over the last few years, the solo project known as Zulu has evolved into one of the most creative bands on the Los Angeles scene, and their debut album, âA New Tomorrowâ, brilliantly encapsulates this. Their social media handle âblackpowerviolenceâ tells you what to expect but also sells them short. While their base sound draws heavily on 80s hardcore punk and is blasted out in minute-and-a-half bursts, the genius is that the album also relentlessly shifts shape. Infused with samples, organic jam sessions and interspersed with poetry, it repeatedly dips its toes into other genres. Soul, jazz, and funk all make an appearance so that the overall sound is a rich tapestry of ideas and influences. Itâs difficult to think of a band that goes this hard, makes songs this engaging, and spends the next few minutes noodling, itâs effortless.
The lyrics repeatedly addresses âBlacknessâ, what that means, what it could be, and amongst all the unbridled creativity it dares to ask; Why are we defined by our pain? However Leiâs careful curation means that itâs never just a message â itâs not what itâs about, itâs how itâs about it. Bristling with restless energy, Zulu are more than a message, more than a hardcore band and âA New Tomorrowâ is more than just a hardcore record, itâs a carefully constructed web of ideas supporting a message of hope. [Ian Kenworthy]
Read our live review of Zulu at 2000Trees
6. Creeper – âSanguivoreâ
A Creeper record that opens with a nine-minute homage to Meatloafâs âBat Out of Hellâ? Sign me up. The Southampton horror rockers have always been one for the theatrical but their third full-length record âSanguivoreâ is one of the most ambitious, audacious and, frankly, brilliant ideas theyâve had to date.
Donning full leather and vampire fangs, Creeper go way over the top channeling everything from their inner Alice Cooper to Billy Idol with an added sprinkling of Gary Numan. The tracks are absolutely huge with hair metal anthem – âCry To Heavenâ is an instant classic while âTeenage Sacrificeâ is oozing with the â80s style and swagger.
Naturally, there are still some quintessential Creeper thrashers in here such as âSacred Blasphemyâ and the Misfits-inspired âChurch Gatesâ. The whole record is just another feather in Creeperâs cap as being the most innovative, bold and interesting bands to tread the boards of the UK pop punk scene. [Tom Walsh]
Read our full review of ‘Sanguivore’
Read our live review of Creeper at Slam Dunk
Read our live review of Creeper at Download
5. Enter Shikari – âA Kiss for the Whole Worldâ
This album accomplishes >the grounding of a new era for Enter Shikari; theyâve been rebranding their sound over their last projects and seem to have refound their footing. With the merging of distinct synthy reverb patterns that crescendo across the track list and a littering of tough love lyricism, it certainly paints a distinctly Shikari sounding record. Even with the dips in pace making room for respite and toned down shavings of instrumentation, there are still moments of grandiose to appease the heavier fans; a well balanced, easy listen. Not to be forgotten amongst their discography, this record sets a new precedent moving forward for the band who show no signs of slowing and given the content in âA Kiss for the Whole Worldâ, they still have a lot to say.  [Jessica McCarrick]
Read our full review of ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’
Read our live review of Enter Shikari at Outernet
4. Spanish Love Songs – âNo Joyâ
With 2020âs âBrave Faces Everyoneâ, Spanish Love Songs delivered a flawless distillation of millennial ennui. The best way to follow up perfection? Donât even try. âNo Joyâ is not so much a departure from SLSâ signature sound as a strong indicator that thereâs no such thing. Eschewing pop-punk power chords and major-key riffs in favour of heartland rock influences and understated synthesizers, Los Angelesâ finest set out to create an album interesting to them, rather than guaranteed to appeal to fans of their previous work. And while it was initially tough to reconcile the band responsible for modern anthems like âBuffalo Buffaloâ and âKickâ with the acoustic rawness displayed on âExit Bagsâ, singer-songwriter Dylan Slocum has a distinctive voice – literally and figuratively – which shines through âNo Joyâ and ties it back to the bandâs previous work. Itâll be this bleak forever, and weâre fine with that. [Rob Barbour]
Read our full review of ‘No Joy’
Read our live review of Spanish Love Songs at The Lexington, London
Read our live review of Spanish Love Songs at Slam Dunk
3. Empire State Bastard â âRivers Of Heresyâ
It started with a name; Empire State Bastard. For years it was just an idea shared between Biffy Clyroâs Simon Neill and the bandâs touring guitarist Mike Vennart. However, during lockdown they set to work giving it form. Finally, it had a sound.
This awesomely-named monstrosity is an extreme metal project and itâs not for the faint of heart. While itâs misleading to say itâs the audio equivalent of being flogged into submission, itâs not entirely wrong. Though itâs easy to focus on the lashing vulture-like screams or to be driven to despair by the raw metal tones, there is so much else going on here. Despite Vennart being an accomplished solo artist and founding member of Oceansize, he still stretches himself to create astounding soundscapes. The aged guitar tones sound like they took years to concoct and thereâs a real skill to making a chugging sound thatâs so ugly and malleable it feels like heâs working clay. Every song has its own flavour, like the strange lethargic drums that drag âDustyâ along in a depressive march or âStutter â where the guitar becomes a massive pair of scissors. Neillâs voice is applied to the canvas with similar care. Sure, itâs often harshly abrasive but he mixes in spoken word and even singing so you can orient yourself in the tortured poetry. Nothing on this record is simple or one-dimensional. Empire State Bastard; the sound of majestic decay. [Ian Kenworthy]
Read our full review of ‘Rivers Of Heresy’
Read our live review of Empire State Bastard at Download
Read our live review of Empire State Bastard at 2000Trees
Read our live review of Empire State Bastard at ArcTanGent
2. Sleep Token – âTake Me Back To Edenâ
What a 2023 Sleep Token have had. While some have looked at Vessel and companyâs appearance and performance style and written them off as a gimmick, their notoriously mysterious aesthetic has only ever been a small part of the package, and this yearâs release proved how much more they can really be. Their previous records cemented the quartet as underrated darlings of the scene, but âTake Me Back To Edenâ was stratospheric in its takeoff, showing just how powerful new mediums like TikTok are becoming for music promotion as the jarringly funky closing riff of âThe Summoningâ quickly put the platform in a chokehold.
So much of the album has these surprising moments of deviation from the norm; the R&B vocals and trap beats that weave throughout the otherwise rock-operatic âAscensionismâ, the rumbling pop electronica that coat the otherwise punchy guitar riffs of âGraniteâ, the ethereal chimes, acoustic guitars and piano in âAqua Regiaâ, each track has these little unique touches you can appreciate. Even the heavier tracks, like the black metal-infused âVoreâ have moments of softness you wouldnât expect would work as well as they do.
Thereâs nothing quite like it out there, and it’s no wonder why; the perfect storm of musical experimentation, presentation, and social media prevalence is completely inimitable. You can argue their particular style has become divisive in the scene, with Vesselâs exaggerated vocals and the soft alt-pop elements contrasting the harder sounds of the album not to everyoneâs tastes, but you canât deny how much of an impact this album has made in such a short time, and how Sleep Tokenâs success with such a unique production will influence newer bands to potentially experiment even further with it in the next few years. [Fiachra Johnston]
Read our full review of ‘Take Me Back To Eden’
Read our live review of Sleep Token at Eventim Apollo, London
Read our live review of Sleep Token at Reading Festival
1. Trophy Eyes – âSuicide and Sunshineâ
There’s something special about music that allows it to connect with us in so many different ways. I mean, we all know this right? That’s exactly why you’re here. It’s why I’m here, writing this. Music impacted me so much when I was growing up that I got addicted to discovering it, to exploring it, to learning more about it and broadening my palette as widely as I possibly could. There are new releases every single year that still give me that butterflies in the stomach feeling, heavy records that hit me like a sledgehammer to a watermelon, delicate and fragile albums that make me question every decision I’ve ever made in my life. It’s rare that a record comes along and makes me feel all that and more, plucking every single one of my emotional strings and leaving me breathless and speechless.
One prime example of this is ‘Suicide And Sunshine’ by Trophy Eyes. The band have never been afraid of wearing their hearts on their sleeves and portraying honesty within their music, but there’s something about this album that just hits a little differently. Everything just feels a little more bleak than their previous output. They’ve always been a sad band, that’s been clear, but the way that sadness is presented here feels far denser. It’s almost inescapable, like a thick cloud of smog hanging over you and following you around as you explore the record’s themes. I think that resonates with me, and with so many others too, because things are a little bleak right now – especially in the UK. It’s a very conveniently timed record, grey and dull on the surface but warm, hopeful and ultimately uplifting at its core which is a sentiment that hits incredibly close to home.
Musically this feels like classic Trophy Eyes, but more refined. You can really hear the growth and maturity in their sound. Their previous album ‘The American Dream’ was certainly a more mature album than debut ‘Chemical Miracle’, trading out a lot of the aggression to make space for suspense and tension, but ‘Suicide and Sunshine’ feels like a masterful blend of both. There are flashes of youth throughout the record, most noticeable on tracks like the riotous ‘People Like You’ where the brilliant line “life’s not fair but it’s nearly over, dying’s cheaper than growing older” really touches the soul, but it’s presented in a far wiser way. There are some proper anthems on this album that show the band’s potential to perform in much bigger spaces. ‘Life In Slow Motion’ is a soaring example of that, ebbing and flowing from serene calm into towering rock with goosebump-inducing elegance. ‘What Hurts The Most’ is a soft but punchy smash that treads the fine line between anthem and ballad perfectly, serving as a perfect candidate for a mass singalong. There’s the grungy vibes oozing from ‘Kill’, the alluring and beautiful ‘My Inheritance’, the electric punk-infused belter ‘OMW’ – there’s so much variety here, but the thing that unifies them all is the power and charm that every single song possesses.
The softer side of the record though is where this record shines, though. Beyond the distorted high points and the high-octane moments that made Trophy Eyes’ earlier work so addictive, the more delicate tracks and the themes within them are just gut-wrenching. Seperation, distance, death, heartache, worry, pain, disassociation, suicide – it’s a proper sad-fest, but every tale is told in a way that really communicates its subject authentically. Floreani has a real gift for bearing his soul, something that I think is very clear on ‘Runaway Come Home’ where he details the feelings of sadness and guilt around being away from his family to pursue touring, and the moving ‘Stay Here’ where he confronts detachment and depression.
The centrepiece of the record, though, is the absolutely devastating ‘Sean’ where he candidly shares private moments and personal regrets that surround the tragic suicide of close friend and much-loved touring musician Sean Kennedy. Its rawness and unfiltered honesty made me cry, and if you’ve listened to this album there’s a high chance it did the same to you. This isn’t just the most important record in Trophy Eyes’ discography, but one of the most important of the year. In a musical landscape littered with artists writing about drinking, partying and many other things that they maybe aren’t invested in, this band has released an album that provides an incredibly deep look into themselves – deeper than most are willing to go.
‘Suicide and Sunshine’ strikes the perfect balance between the old and new eras of the band, pushing them forward into a more sophisticated, refined and mature space. I guess that ties into the title of the record in a way, right? Death, and being forced to confront mortality, really makes you revisit everything you’ve ever done, and when you look back you can see the journey you’ve been on much more clearly. Trophy Eyes’ journey has been tough, but this album guarantees that it’s far from over. A modern masterpiece. [Dave Stewart]