With this year being rather light on albums that hit the mark, you might think I was more inclined to pick out highlights here and there to establish a playlist of the brief moments when the spotlight burned brightest. You would be wrong, as the list of great songs came in rather light as well. Thankfully, there were a few one-off singles that helped flesh things out, but even in the midst of a mass of disappointment, fewer mirages waited off in the distance to tempt me deeper into the desert.
I don't know if there's deeper meaning to any of that, but regardless, these are the songs that stand out to me as being the very best that 2023 had to offer.
10. Royal Thunder - Pull
On an album that was all about maturing and becoming better people, no song stood out as a mission statement better than "Pull", which features all of the power Royal Thunder is known for, but finds the answers in their strongest melody. Mlny's voice doesn't scrape the bottom of her soul the way she does in some other songs, but this time she uses it to carve the kind of path that lets the message of growth pass through. As much a victory statement as a song, this sounds so much sweeter than songs celebrating excesses can anymore.
9. Ad Infinitum - From The Ashes
Melissa Bonny is a hell of a vocalist, and this song is one of the best showcases she has ever had. It has the dynamics to let her softly croon before exploding into the massive chorus, which just so happens to be the best Ad Infinitum has managed in three albums. She has always been the band's highlight, and songs like this show they have managed to adjust the laser so it now cuts with precision. The reality of metal means they may never become household names, but they have all the tools to do so.
I have a fairly well-established penchant for a certain sound these days, and that is what April Art delivered with this single. The key is that vocal, where Lisa-Marie's voice rips through the mix with a level of grit that borders on being obnoxious, but remains absolutely perfect. She sounds amazing, and the band gives her a platform to deliver a massive hook to scream her defiance. This is super heavy melodic rock, but it just shows that melody makes everything sound damn good.
I could have picked several songs from this record, but it's "Fortress" where Soen's formula resulted in the sweetest elixir. This is one of their songs, like "Covenant" before, that starts out heavy, and then builds to one hook after the next. Just when you think the song hit an ok chorus, you realize that was only the prelude, and the towering moment is just unfolding. Have we heard this trick before? Yes, but when things are executed so well, you don't need novelty to be great.
Katatonia albums are often an experience of mood over song, and even on this year's outstanding record, the mood wins out over the individual songs in my memory. That means choosing just one song to represent the whole work is difficult, but ultimately I'm settling on the opening number, which gets right to the point. Katatonia hits their mood, nails their sound, and shows us they have put more attention into crafting hooks than ever before. It's a propulsive way to open a record, and tempts us over to the dark side. No doubt about it.
No, one of my favorite singers does not guarantee a spot on this list. Lzzy also appeared on a song with Avatar this year, and I would say I hate that song, if I cared enough to have that much energy. This song, however, is everything I love about Lzzy. Sophie provides some lovely guitar playing, which sets the stage for Lzzy to bellow that chorus as only she can. Her perfect blend of clarity and grit still tickles my fancy, and she can drive a hook home like the golden spike uniting the two sides of the railroad.
Ok, so maybe I liked this at first because it reminds me of the movie "Arsenic and Old Lace". Once that lost its novelty, what was left is a song that is relentlessly catchy, and loads of fun. When I think of a cabaret, it should be a rollicking good time, and that is the feeling this song gives off. If you imagine a movie shot panning in on a busy nightclub, and the patrons are dancing up a storm while the bootleg booze flows freely, you'd have a perfect soundtrack with this song.
3. Rexoria - Fading Rose
Every year, power metal delivers one winning statement, and this year it comes in the form of this song. With amazing vocals and an anthemic feeling that can't be denied, Rexoria shamed all the rest of the power metal world by producing the biggest sing-along of the year. Nothing about this rose faded, as every listen put a new coat of gloss on to protect the color.
2. A Light Divided - Rain
I had the same thought listening to this song that I did when they released "Radio Silence"; Why can't we get more? Maybe the band wants to make sure they don't overload our senses with fist-pumping anthems as our rotator cuffs get old and frayed, but a song like this one begs for a full album experience. There is something entirely unique about Jaycee's voice, and when she starts belting the chorus, the way she mixes with the band's sudden rush of power is intoxicating. As much as I loved the "Choose Your Own Adventure" album, this song is even tighter and stickier than that set, and is the best thing A Light Divided has ever done. It was almost the best song of this entire year, and I sure as heck played it enough times to know.
1. Miley Cyrus - Flowers
I was surprised to see that when this song became a monster hit, there was a sizeable portion of the pop discourse that thought it was boring and bland. I heard it differently, as easily the most interesting Miley Cyrus had ever been. The slick disco beat is subtle enough to do its job in the background, while everything is focused on Miley's voice sounding better than ever. She is falling into that category of singers whose voices might be 'diminished' from a technical standpoint, but her tone has become utterly mesmerizing. I hear in her now echoes of voices that have cut to my soul, and to pair that with a very nice pop song is more than enough to win me over. No matter how many times this got played, or overplayed this year, I never stopped enjoying it. Miley now has one certified, bloody good classic.
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