No particular order:
Corinne Bailey Ray/Black Rainbows
Anohni/My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross
Get The Blessing/Pallett
Major Lazer/Piano Republik
Billy Valentine/And The Universal Truth
Creation Rebel/Hostile Environment
African Head Charge/A Trip To Bologna
Samuel Blaser/Routes
High Pulp/Days In The Desert
Soft Machine/Other Doors
PJ Harvey/Inside The Old Year Dying
In no particular order my top 10 for 2023, thou * denotes those in the running for my album of the year;
Blur: The Ballad of Darren
Matthew Halsall: An ever changing view
Jamie Branch: Fly or die fly…
The Bathers: Sirenseque*
The Third Mind: TM2*
Glen Hansard: All that is east…*
Allison Russell: The returner*
Wilco: Cousin
Natalie Merchant: Keep your courage
Billy Valentine: BV
So far. I’m waiting for contents to settle…
John Cale - Mercy
Sigur Ros - Atta
Slowdive - everything is alive
Christine and the Queens - Paranoia, Angels, True Love
Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!
Gorillaz - Cracker Island
Iggy Pop - Every Loser
Steve Mason - Brothers & Sisters
Westerman - An Inbuilt Fault
Blur - The Ballad of Darren
This is nudging my top 10: Film School - Field. And I can’t decide if this is genius or empty hype: bar Italia - Tracey Denim
My album of the year is this; Nowhere and Everywhere, a collaboration between Rachel Unthank and Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park, on which they sing songs from the North East.
He’s been teasing us with it for most of the year - and although not officially released in physical format yet - it will be before year end.
It’s Peter Gabriel with i/o.
All except one track is now available to stream and to my ears it is the album of the year.
Great comeback.
In no particular order:
The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein
John Cale - Mercy
Slowdive - Everything Is Alive
Margo Cilker - Valley of Heart’s Delight
Boygenius - The Record
Craven Faults - Standers
Penguin Cafe - Rain Before Seven
The Third Mind - The Third Mind 2.
If I was to pick a favourite, it would probably be John Cale’s album.
I’d forgotten about Christine and the Queens - I saw him play the whole album live and it was dark, intense and utterly brilliant. Also saw Bar Italia live and I would have to pop them in the ‘Hype’ category
Alongside boygenius, Slowdive, and John Cale which I’ve enjoyed I would also add Black Pumas - Chronicles of a Diamond. Only recently released (Oct 27) but has been on repeat play in our household.
Black Pumas are on my ‘to listen to’ list so I had better get on with it!
There is a clear winner (assuming you like indie/guitar music).
The Menzingers - Some Of It Was True.
Think they’re all 2023🤞:
Andy Shauf – Norm
Maps – Counter Melodies
Tennis – Pollen
Gorillaz – Cracker Island
Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
BC Camplight – The Last Rotation of Earth
Blur – The Ballad of Darren
The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore
Aphex Twin – Blackbox Life Recorder 21f
Lol Tolhust Budgie Jacknife Lee – Los Angeles
Thanks for doing this. I do like checking out other people’s selections that may otherwise have slipped through the net 
.
Hope this brilliant LP by the supremely talented Prince Fatty counts because it deserves a huge plug it’s a reworking of some classic Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee dubs so not a remaster or reissue but something new.
Prince Fatty - Prince Fatty Meets the Gorgon in Dub
I don’t really do best of anything as my taste is ephemeral (and eclectic) but FWIW:
Boygenius, The Record
Janelle Monáe, Age of Pleasure
Victoria Monét, Jaguar II
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Weathervanes
JFDR, Museum
Mitski, The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We
These are some of the albums I’ve enjoyed a lot this year:
Peter Gabriel: iO
Slowdive: Everything is alive
M83: Fantasy
Caroline Polachek: Desire, I want to turn into you
Lloyd Cole: On Pain
Gorillaz: Cracker Island
Anna of the North: Crazy Life
Christine and the Queens: Paranoia, Angels, True Love
The Budos Band: Frontiers Edge
My Top 10, in alphabetical order:
Emma Anderson - Pearlies
BDRMM - I don’t know
Everything But The Girl - Fuse
Nation Of Language -Strange Disciple
Overmono - Good Lies
Pale Blue Eyes - This House
Pip Blom - Bobbie
Romy - Mid Air
Slowdive - Everything Is Alive
Vanishing Twin - Afternoon X
Current favourite is Pale Blue Eyes - This House (possibly influenced by a great gig at Village Underground last night). Romy comes a close second. Slowdive, third.
Er, Palomino, great album but released 4th November 2022…sure you have an alternative!
