ENTHUSIAST OF ALL

#10: “Vampire Empire”/ Big Thief

The previously unreleased live favorite was a standout moment during the band’s otherwise underwhelming headline set at Pitchfork Music Festival this past summer. Lead singer Adrianne Lenker’s strained vocals emote on a whole new level here over one of the more anthemic choruses in the band’s deep catalog.

#9: “Kill Bill”/ SZA

The razor sharp pop on display here dominated soundwaves for the majority of the year, equal parts melodic and humorous and delivered with an effortless nonchalance. Taken in stride, it’s a banger of a revenge track.

#8: “A&W”/ Lana Del Rey

The best Lana Del Rey songs are her slow burning shapeshifter epics, and “A&W” fits the mold, building patiently behind its subtly placed lines of ominous piano before flipping over onto itself into stunning coda complete with bratty taunts and your mama jokes.

#7: “Fear Evil Like Fire”/ Yves Tumor

The rare Yves Tumor track that is propulsive and dark yet floats and flutters lightly within itself, preserving tension but never overpowering.

#6: “Not Strong Enough”/ boygenius

A good old-fashioned rock song is a difficult thing to find by today’s measures, but when Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker combine into supergroup boygenius, the warmth and richness of this acoustic track resonates. All three vocalists make contributions into what is the group’s most complete single offering to date.

#5: “Year Zero”/ billy woods and Kenny Segal (Feat. Danny Brown)

Raw, grimy and apocalyptic beats permeate this standout track from…wait, that’s Danny Brown’s voice! His guest verse is one of the year’s most stunning moments, defiantly rhyming movie titles while stopping on a dime to guffaw.

#4: “So You Are Tired”/ Sufjan Stevens

Stevens’ Javelin is so stylistically warm and joyous across its entirety, and its centerpiece exemplifies the vibe above all others, complete with heavenly choral harmonies and a gentle piano melody backed by acoustic guitar arrangements that harken back to the artist’s best work. The album is a dedication to his late partner, and this standout track finds peace in the difficulty of letting go.

#3: “Fly To You”/ Caroline Polachek (Feat. Grimes and Dido)

It feels like a special treat in the year 2023 to hear Grimes singing on virtually anything, and Dido delivers a stellar verse here as well, but what is most striking about this centerpiece from Polacheck’s career topping effort is the contrast between her vocals and those of her collaborators; Caroline’s seem undeniably superior. A driving, energetic syncopated drum beat blends with a gorgeous Spanish-inspired acoustic guitar line to form a floating ambiance of levitation.

#2: “Bending Hectic”/ The Smile

There’s such a subtle beauty to the way Johnny Greenwood’s guitar lines flutter and bend upward at the end of every line, while the relaxed vibe of the peaceful verse structure crashes into the ominous nature of a chorus that showcases Thom Yorke’s patented falsetto combining with atmospheric violin lines, culminating in perhaps the year’s most epic, snarling climax. It’s a brilliant contrast over the course of this slow building stunner, entering new territory for Yorke and Greenwood’s The Smile project, and standing up against some of the very best Radiohead tracks in the process.

#1: “Chosen To Deserve”/ Wednesday

This impeccably pure example of country rock features an immediately classic guitar riff that repeats over lead singer Karly Hartzman’s endearingly honest and self-deprecating verses. Confessing sordid details of her past to a current lover, there’s a hilarious “this is what you get” confidence to her delivery that makes this year’s best song something of a blend between a comedy skit and a love song. Towards the end, Hartzman admits “If you’re lookin’ for me/ I’m in the back of an SUV/ Doin’ it in some cul-de-sac/ Underneath a dogwood tree/ I’m the girl that you have chosen to deserve.” Something tells me Hartzman had a bit of a wilder high school experience than I did, but this is fun stuff.

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