This summer proved to be one of the biggest in music for big names such as Lana Del Rey and boygenius, but 2023 has also been big for smaller artists. With hundreds of notable releases so far and Grammy nominations right around the corner, now is the perfect time to start discussing the best albums of the summer.
Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was easily the most anticipated album of the summer, if not the year. Announced during The Eras Tour’s third night in Nashville, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200s chart. The release included re-recorded versions of all 16 songs from the original album, as well as six brand new “vault tracks” that feature Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams of Paramore on two separate songs. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) marks the halfway point of Swift’s six anticipated re-recordings. The original 16 are as iconic as their 2010 counterparts, even with the lyric change in ‘Better Than Revenge’, and the addition of the “vault tracks” rounds out what ends up being one of Swift’s biggest releases to date.
Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher was arguably this year’s most exciting rock album drop, and absolutely lived up to the expectations set by its predecessors. The band consists of identical twins Jake and Josh Kiszka, their younger brother Sam, and family friend Daniel Wagner, and the group has released two studio albums and an EP in their 10 years together. Comprised of only 10 songs, GVF’s newest record delves into a separate universe than 2021’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate. Starcatcher differs sonically from Greta Van Fleet’s previous records but still maintains their iconic storytelling and lyricism. Five songs debuted in concert before the record was even announced, but only four were released as singles – ‘Meeting The Master’, ‘Sacred The Thread’ ‘Farewell For Now’, and ‘The Falling Sky’. The album ranges from songs about the lead singer’s bedazzled jumpsuits to an extended archery metaphor, and closes out with a love letter to fans.
Amber Mary Bain, more commonly known as The Japanese House released her second studio album In the End It Always Does in collaboration with The 1975’s George Daniel, who produced Bain’s debut album as well. The songs from In the End It Always Does touch on the immediate sting following a breakup, and feature The 1975’s Matty Healy, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Charli XCX, and MUNA’s Katie Gavin. The album perfects the balance between bright production and sensitive lyrics, both heartbreaking and exciting at the same time. Four singles were released ahead of the full record, ‘Sunshine Baby’, featuring Matty Healy, especially raising excitement for the inevitable drop. The songs on In the End It Always Does are fairly consistent and flow together quite well, and although the 12 song album only clocks in at 45 minutes, it carries the weight of one that is much longer.
Hozier’s third studio album, Unreal Unearth, was released just in time to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of his break-out single Take Me To Church. Ironically, the newest addition to Hozier’s discography could not differ more from his iconic hit. Unreal Unearth draws from Dante’s Inferno, a poem describing the narrator’s descent into the nine circles of hell, and each song supposedly has a tie to one of the circles. Singles ‘Unknown / Nth’ and ‘Francesca’ both explore the yearning for a lost love and yet a willingness to do it all over again, where ‘De Selby (Part 2) draws inspiration from fictional philosopher De Selby and follows the album opener ‘De Selby (Part 1)’. Unreal Unearth features Brandi Carlile on the seventh track, “Damage Gets Done’, which reflects on the long term consequences of being young and reckless. The 16 song record was preceded by the Eat Your Young EP, which was composed of three songs, ‘Eat Your Young’, ‘All Things End’, and ‘Through Me (The Flood)’, the latter of which did not actually make it onto the album.
Two time Grammy nominated rock band Rival Sons released their seventh studio album, Darkfighter, three months after its initial anticipated release due to unforeseen delays and it was nothing short of electric. Possibly the band’s most well-rounded record, Darkfighter combines classic rock-and-roll sound with a modern flare that can only be described as electric. Lead single ‘Nobody Wants to Die’ is a prime example of the Rival Sons’ expert marriage between styles, featuring a grungy guitar solo during the instrumental break and a catchy chorus. The second single, ‘Rapture’, is the sonic black sheep of the record; it could belong in a deep country album if not for the gritty guitar line that blends seamlessly into the song. Darkfighter was announced as the first half of a double-album, its counterpart Lightbringer to be released in late October.
