Albums of 2023
A rather belated attempt to gather my thoughts on the musical year. Xmas was filled with colds and illness, though that doesn’t explain my tardy upkeep of the blog in general! Anyhow, here are my highlights of 2023. 1. Depeche Mode - Memento Mori Superb return to form. Easily their best and most consistent album since 1997’s Ultra. As usual with DM, melancholy, sex, and death never sounded so hopeful. 2. Romy - Mid-Air Fab 90s- and 00s inspired trip down memory lane. Pop music as proper club beats. 3. Roisin Murphy - Hit Parade Another great set from Roisin. If truth be told, for me not as good as her previous Studio 54-inspired Roisin Machine, but still head and shoulders above most of her contemporaries. 4. Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good A more soulful sound than What’s Your Pleasure. Perhaps not quite as many killer singles, but no worse for that. 5. Blur - The Ballad of Darren Hands up, I’ve struggled with Blur’s output since Parklife, apart from the obvious great singles - Song 2
