It’s that time of year again as I take our lovely readers here at Phenixx Gaming through my top albums of 2023. Thanks for following along the past few years with these articles, they’re truly a joy to share with you. Let’s dive into #10-6.

#10: Pollen by Tennis

The soft 70s vibe has been Tennis’ calling card for 10 years now. The married duo behind the group has a comfortable grasp on their sound, but on Pollen, they are at their most consistent. There are always criticisms to levy at bands or artists who sit very visibly in a soundscape. You won’t be surprised by what you hear on a Tennis record. Still, this particular album feels like a declaration that while the sound stays the same, the songwriting can continuously grow. 

Despite feeling right at home in decades past, Tennis feels incredibly modern on Pollen. Not many artists are making music that sounds like Tennis, but the increased use of modern production techniques pulls the band away from their pseudo-70s reality. Lush guitars and synthesizers still persist, but lyrically, the band feels more relatable than ever. It’s still the band’s comfortability in not overexerting the in-the-pocket sound that succeeds for them. 

Where do bands like Tennis go after a decade of making music? They likely will stick with their sound, not only because it’s ripe with influences of their liking but also a wonderful sound that people enjoy. Growth isn’t always tearing down the structure to build something new. Rather, Pollen proves that growth can be small shifts in perspective that give us new ways of looking at something that we already love. 

“Cannot hold the bright gaze of everything/And project a smile like sky split above the rain.” – From “Never Been Wrong.”

#9:  Wicca Phase Springs Eternal By Wicca Phase Springs Eternal

Adam McIlwee left Tigers Jaw, a prominent emo rock band, to explore the world of emo rap. While his projects under the moniker Wicca Phase Springs Eternal have been stellar, the self-titled 2023 record released this year is a new era that finds McIlwee diving deeper into goth music. There’s still hip-hop here, as well as many of the beats and instrumentals Wicca Phase fans will know and love, but synthesizers and more singing really help to expand the project.

Gothic rap is, believe it or not, not the same as emo rap. While Wicca Phase Springs Eternal helped to popularize the latter, the former is much more prominent on this record. There’s a lot of contrast to the delivery of a hip-hop song and the instrumentation central to groups like The Cure or Joy Division, but McIlwee has always been talented at melding the two together. Moving more toward melody in his tracks proves to be a fitting expansion of the Wicca Phase palette. 

It’s still going to be a somewhat strong ask for people to explore this genre. There are elements that are familiar, but many moments on this record ask the listener to allow melodrama and simplistic literary tropes to steer the ship. If you can’t let go and enjoy the deep genre-fication of this record, then it’s your loss, but not necessarily something you can take fault for. If you’re able to stay open-minded, I think there’s a lot to love here.

“I think about it in bed/I’d travel to you and back/I’d turn the future to past/I wanna give you it all” – From “Moving without Movement.”

#8: In the End It Always Does by The Japanese House

The Japanese House is a wonderful project that certainly has dealt with breakup themes before. In the End It Always Does is a full deep dive into the end of a relationship. Production from 1975’s George Daniel allows Amber Bain to confidently develop emotions into gorgeous musical landscapes. Whether you’ve gotten your heart broken before or simply understand the feeling of losing something that matters to you, Bain really nails the point of this project.

I’ve been a major fan of The Japanese House for some time, particularly because of Bain’s use of auto-tune to provide layering and depth to her stellar vocals. Those talents are still here for In the End It Always Does, but there’s a new layer of maturity in the lyrics that comes with having a major relationship come to an end. Like the 2017 St. Vincent record MASSEDUCATION, Bain gives us little personal detail but plenty of insight into how deeply this loss is impacting her.

With many songwriters who prefer to write about real experiences without translating journal entries directly into songs, the nuance of Bain’s songwriting matches her layered instrumentals well. Even on more upbeat tracks on this record, we understand fully the loss that has been inflicted here. Still, the silver lining of one chapter ending is that another one has to begin, and there are strategic glimpses into Bain’s faint optimism about the future throughout the record that are effective. 

“Picture your face/I wanna touch you, but you’re too far away/And when you call me, I’m all over the place now/You think it’s different, but it’s always the same.” – From “Touching Yourself.”

#7: All of This Will End by Indigo De Souza

Indigo De Souza flies under the radar in a crowded indie scene, but there isn’t quite anyone like her. With a unique voice and talent for writing songs that are incredibly vulnerable and bold, every track on All of This Will End is clear and concise. In 32 minutes, De Souza allows listeners to feel seen in their regret, remorse, and more importantly, their perseverance. Sometimes, pushing through is the triumph.

In her third album, De Souza feels like she’s ready for the big time. Songs from her first two records were wonderful, but the increased depth to her production and instrumental layering here feels primed for summer stages and major attention. One element of De Souza’s online presence is a very open and honest look into her mental health battles. One can understand that the relatability to these songs can also be openings for further wounds. 

Whatever is ahead in 2024 and beyond for De Souza, we’ll look back on this record in the coming years as a turning point for the artist. Everyone nowadays is comfortable writing about their insecurities and struggles. De Souza does more than this, however, through her ability to admit that things are probably all going to be okay. Whether we come out of this all for the better or we don’t, it’s going to occur despite us, as the album title so elegantly reminds us.

“There is nothing I can do/When the winds of change blow/through/There is nothing I can say to make you stay.” – From “Losing.”

#6: the record by Boygenius

Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers spent the mid-2010s taking the indie singer-songwriter scene for their own. Touring with each other turned into an EP of songs that they performed together alongside their solo works. Then, the record culminated their friendship, shared musical instincts, and crucially, their differences as artists to form an album that might be the best output of a supergroup in decades.

I would argue, not that we need to argue this, that Julien Baker comes out of this album as the clear pathfinder; a lamplight through the difficulty of melding songwriting styles together with other bold, definable creators. Lucy Dacus’ lyricism stands out the strongest in the record. Phoebe Bridgers, not surprisingly, has the strongest presence. When Bridgers sings, you know to pay attention, just like Dacus’ lyrics cause you to lose yourself in visceral memories.

Baker’s guitar skills, her detailed and complicated worldview, and her comfortability in being the Paul McCartney of this group are why Boygenius works so well. With plans for the group to separate again and work on solo work, we won’t know when the next Boygenius album is coming. We’re just going to be so grateful three of the millennium’s strongest singer-songwriters loved each other enough to work together and put out an all-timer.

“You know how I get when I’m wrong/And I can feel myself becoming/Somebody I’m not” – From “Emily I’m Sorry.”

We’re finally at the end! Join us tomorrow for #5-1!

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