50 best albums of 2023

2023 graced us with a plethora of powerful alternative albums worth writing home about. Early on, we could tell this year would bode well: In February, after a four-year hiatus, Paramore released a funky, complex new project that’s lit a fire under their avid fanbase; Foo Fighters produced a nearly flawless rock ’n’ roll album that both gracefully, and gutturally, taps into their very real pain and loss; GEL gave us a debut album that does their mission statement of making “hardcore for freaks” serious justice. Then, in the back half of the year, there’s blink-182’s reunion album, Kevin Abstract’s left turn, and HEALTH’s apocalyptic rock. From post-hardcore to pop, alt-rap to grunge, the definition of alternative is as wide and inclusive as ever for us at AP. That being said, it was a struggle to fit our favorites into a list of 50, but we’ve managed.

Below are the best albums from another whirlwind year.

The best albums of 2023

Pop Wig

Angel Du$t – BRAND NEW SOUL

BRAND NEW SOUL sees a new chapter for Angel Du$t, and the group’s vocalist Justice Tripp. While Tripp’s other band, Trapped Under Ice, continue to delve further into the heavier side of hardcore, it’s clear that Angel Du$t have other intentions. Wading into the waters of the genre’s “modern melodic” side (see: Turnstile), Tripp faces the music and experiments, offering listeners duller edges, without compromising sound or insightful lyricism.

Transgressive

Arlo Parks – My Soft Machine

Nothing captures pandemic uncertainty, the despair of quarantine, and a generation of unyielding anxiety like Arlo Parks’ debut project, Collapsed In Sunbeams, which cocooned listeners with sleepy, lo-fi arrangements. Her second album, My Soft Machine, offers a bouncier, poppier take on her award-winning poetic lyricism and intimate storytelling, a risk-taking shift that particularly pays off with tracks “Weightless” and “Devotion.”

Sargent House

The Armed – Perfect Saviors

On their fifth studio album, Detroit’s the Armed are more introspective and experimental than ever. Defying the stale limitations of genre, the group shed their post-hardcore label (but not entirely) and play with unpredictability, weaving heavy punk sounds with subtle indie elements and poppy synths. Thoughtfully avant-garde, the record features an equally wide range of beloved artists, from Julien Baker to Josh Klinghoffer. Give it a taste with the tantalizing track “Everything’s Glitter.”

Warner

Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream

As one of the bigger-named metal bands to drop an album this year, Avenged Sevenfold took big risks in conceptualizing their newest project Life Is But a Dream, an experimental record that leaned into the unpredictability of pushing boundaries and bending genres. Subversive, dense, and deeply personal, Life Is But a Dream delivered unexpected tracks that felt fresh and intimate, all at once. 

BABYMETAL/Cooking Vinyl

BABYMETAL – THE OTHER ONE

BABYMETAL, the Japanese heavy-metal band making waves around the world, released their fourth album this year. Coined a “concept album,” THE OTHER ONE came after the group’s one-year hiatus, and around their 10-year anniversary. Though they claimed to have “sealed themselves from the world” during the year off, it’s clear they were entering many others — the 10-track album offers an eccentric exploration through alternate realities, with each song serving as a portal into a new world. It’s the metal version of falling into a weird and wonderful internet wormhole. Chaotic, strange, surreal, and certainly heavy — it’s equally hard to describe and hard to give directions through THE OTHER ONE’s universe. It’s also easily one of their best works yet.

Black Butter

Bakar – Halo

After making an eye-catching debut with last year’s Nobody’s Home, Bakar spent the better part of the year looking toward his second record, Halo. Here, he melds pop, hip-hop, electronics, and reverb into a head-spinning mix that illustrates his progression. Sometimes he uses bright melodies, like on the jangly “Alive!”; on other songs, he relies on reverb to sharpen his point (“All Night”). “Hate the Sun” is a standout, employing a mellowness that casts a blazing light on Bakar’s potent songwriting.

Columbia

blink-182 – One More Time…

We love Matt Skiba. However, there’s just something about the balance between Mark Hoppus’ buttery vocals and Tom DeLonge’s iconic vocal fry, not to mention the see-saw that has always been “Mark songs” versus “Tom songs” on blink’s earlier records, that can’t be beat. And if you agree, this year was a good one: DeLonge came back, and the band went on a triumphant reunion tour, which culminated in One More Time… The album is both nostalgic and fresh, with a slew of songs to satisfy the OG blink fan and beyond, featuring Travis Barker’s vocal debut and a Box Car Racer track from the vault.

section1

Blonde Redhead – Sit Down for Dinner

On Blonde Redhead’s first album in nine years, Sit Down for Dinner, the band are in top form. While a sense of dread lurks through the songs — a trademark of Joan Didion, whose 2005 memoir The Year of Magical Thinking inspired the record’s title — there’s also a great deal of optimism and encouragement to hold your dreams close. Most satisfying of all, you can hear their three-decade connection through a slinky groove, resulting in music that sounds warm, hypnotic, and unmissable.

Partisan

Blondshell – Blondshell

Through a series of frank and charismatic singles released over the last year, Sabrina Teitelbaum has made an introduction that’s completely spellbinding. Blondshell’s debut self-titled is a record lifted straight from the golden heyday of ’90s alt-rock, when explosive guitars, throat-catching lyrics, and the desire to be the next Nirvana dominated the culture. But she’s not Kurt Cobain making hair metal obsolete as much as she’s trying to reach catharsis by examining her past with a wry retrospection and finding a better way forward. (Besides, not every burgeoning artist can sing lines with the nonchalance of “Just look me in the eye when I’m about to finish.”)

Interscope

boygenius – the record

Almost immediately following its release, the record was met with unyielding critical acclaim. The debut album by “the boys,” aka the indie-rock supergroup made up of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus, stands out from many projects by supergroup outfits for its “democratic” sonic and lyrical approach, finding harmony and balance between each of the unique three artists involved.

Sub Pop

Bully – Lucky for You

Nashville’s Alicia Bognanno, otherwise known by her stage name Bully, gave us the gift of another deeply personal, beautifully rasping album this year. Diaristic and open without being depressing or falling into any indie tropes, Lucky for You maintains levity with bouncy, energetic drum parts and playful melodies, as well as Bully’s signature use of glitching feedback. It’s a balance between the heavy lyricism that feels, and sounds, like a real-life wave of human emotion. From sobriety to heartbreak, there is a relatability that intensifies as Bognanno shrewdly reveals more of herself to the audience, though with her addictive, brusque vocals, she proves that she is not here to blend in.

Warner

Carlie Hanson – Wisconsin

If you haven’t listened to Carlie Hanson, it’s time to change that. From the suburbs of Wisconsin, Hanson had her breakout moment at 16 years old when a cover of her singing ZAYN’s “PILLOWTALK” went viral, propelling her career forward with a forthcoming record deal and move to Los Angeles. Now she’s making undeniably great music that is worth attention. Wisconsin, her sophomore album, is a wistful project that showcases her burgeoning talent as a compelling lyricist, thoughtful songwriter, and evocative singer. Hanson blends indie-pop and pop punk into a sweet yet fierce package that is catchy as it is skilled.

Run for Cover

Citizen – Calling the Dogs

On their fifth studio album, Calling the Dogs, Citizen lean into the cathartic, guitar-driven songs that they do best and peel away expectations of what they should sound like. The LP marks their first time working with a producer in six years, as well as their initial outing writing with their newest members, Mason Mercer and Ben Russin. And from top to bottom, it’s clear Citizen are still having a blast writing tunes together.

Amusement/Island

Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

Based on this delectable debut album, Chappell Roan is well deserving of the “Midwestern Princess” title. She showcases incredible range, vocally and within the glittery pop space she explores. Track by track, Roan presents a playful celebration of queerness and femininity with quippy lyrics that read like a modern-day coming-of-age story. And with this snarky page-turner of a first album, we’re ready for the sequel.

Blue Grape Music

Code Orange – The Above

Code Orange are constantly changing forms and challenging what it means to be in a heavy band. That’s what makes their fifth studio album, The Above, so unique. Everything feels elevated as the band employ strong songwriting, mosh-worthy moments, and an extravagance that feels fit for the big screen. From moody trip-hop (“Mirror”) to Billy Corgan features (“Take Shape”), The Above is a sterling reminder that Code Orange remain innovative free-thinkers who aren’t afraid to make a left turn.

Columbia

Dominic Fike – Sunburn

With his second album, Sunburn, Dominic Fike comes home. Acting as a love letter to his native South Florida, Fike looks inward and comes through the other side with 15 songs that contend with heartbreak, addiction, and jealousy. “Think Fast,” which features Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, completes the circle, as someone influenced by the band growing up and having included “Say It Ain’t So” as part of a medley during his first North American tour. Through it all, it’s clear that Fike comes closer to who he is and embraces a future that’s twice as bright.

Epitaph

Drain – Living Proof

If one line could describe the high-octane, rebel-rousing spirit that is Santa Cruz hardcore outfit Drain, it would be “kill all the parts that you don’t love.” Track by track, the group’s sophomore LP balances acidic punk angst and PMA, spitting while urging listeners to embrace individuality. Full of slick, heavy riffs and Sammy Ciaramitaro’s snarling vocals, Drain definitely hit their stride on this album. And a cherry on top? The group’s impeccable cover of the Descendents classic “Good Good Things.”

Fueled by Ramen/Elektra

Fall Out Boy – So Much (For) Stardust

There’s a warm familiarity in Fall Out Boy’s eighth album as the Chicago band return to their roots. So Much (For) Stardust delivered early 2000s nostalgia with the sophistication of a band that have been around the block. Joining forces once again with former FOB producer Neal Avron, having signed back to Fueled by Ramen, FOB strip back their production to the basics. So Much (For) Stardust is a refined, angry, and classic work of pop-punk gold with smart lyrics, stirring instrumentals, and the head-banging rock that fans have been clamoring for.

Saddle Creek

feeble little horse – Girl With Fish

feeble little horse’s Girl With Fish ushers in a new era of shoegaze that is unpredictable, playful, and light. For their sophomore album, the Pittsburgh quartet lean into their humorous and curious spirit to produce a highly improvisational project that speaks to their closeness and shared trust. From the joys of improved riffs to the tightness of expert songwriting, feeble little horse created the kind of record that transports listeners into the studio with them.

Roswell/RCA

Foo Fighters – But Here We Are

If anyone can channel sorrow into a truly successful, selfless musical pursuit, it’s Foo Fighters. They did so with “My Hero,” the anthem argued to be “loosely” dedicated to Dave Grohl’s late bandmate Kurt Cobain. And they’ve done so again with But Here We Are, the first release since the passing of the band’s longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins as well as Grohl’s mother. With drum tracks nearly all recorded by Grohl himself, the album serves as an outpouring of emotion, translated into the language of rock ’n’ roll. Given the depth and weight of the experiences the band have gone through over the years, the grief and uncertainty, it is nothing short of miraculous in the sense and sound of mastery and of hope that can be heard from the top track to the very last note. It’s enough to give anyone goosebumps.

Convulse

GEL – Only Constant

If you haven’t caught the New Jersey hardcore outfit GEL’s live set yet, you should make a point to. However, there is another option — the group released their debut full-length this year, and it’s nearly as good as the real thing, which is a feat when it comes to the hardcore-punk genre. But GEL, as this album further confirms, haven’t ever played by the often rigid, toxically masculine genre’s rules — and in spite of this, the group have garnered massive respect and a growing fanbase in the hardcore scene. Their lyrics relay positive, personal messages of self-confidence and of the journey to sobriety, though as far as we know, they have yet to play a set that doesn’t get the sweatiest, hardest crowd really going. 

Ourness/AWAL

Genesis Owusu – Struggler

When it comes to Genesis Owusu’s goal, it is for the listener to experience a “roller coaster of emotions.” And if you’ve encountered the Ghanaian-Australian artist’s funky, rap-infused revelation in any form, then you’ve helped him reach that goal, without a doubt. On Struggler, Owusu’s sophomore album, the artist continues to play with discomfort, existentialism, and building an exciting sense of urgency with the unique sound and energy that was introduced on his debut LP.

Elektra

grandson – I Love You, I’m Trying

If grandson’s EP series A Modern Tragedy tapped into the political, then I Love You, I’m Trying is a foray into the personal. Interspersed with piano ballads, recordings of family members, and gritty production, the product is a deeply intimate look into the depths of grandson’s internal mind, especially in regard to loss. His gut-wrenching vocals match the intensity of the heavy subject matters he approaches. While this album may stray into his softer side, his punk influences will always remain present. “I Will Be Here When You’re Ready To Wake Up” was even co-produced by Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda.

Loma Vista

HEALTH – RAT WARS

HEALTH’s RAT WARS, their sixth studio album and best yet, is full of industrial brilliance, menacing gloom, and utterly danceable moments that could soundtrack the end of the world. From the crushing raver “HATEFUL” to the booming “SICKO,” which samples Godflesh’s “Like Rats,” HEALTH juxtapose a bold, ambitious artistic vision with a dismal outlook. Dive in and witness their “neo-industrial” noise reach powerful new heights.

Blue Note

Jenny Lewis – Joy’All

Prior to releasing her fifth solo album, Joy’All, Jenny Lewis underwent a spiritual transformation and came out the other end a more introspective, self-assured person. That shift is palpable on the record, with Lewis acting older and wiser but no less compelling. She carves out twangy grooves (“Apples and Oranges”) and endless charm (“I’m not a psycho/I’m just trying to get laid,” she asserts on “Psychos”), all while retaining the wit of someone who’s carefully watched her own bruises fade away. This is what it sounds like to choose joy.

Century Media

Jesus Piece – …So Unknown

Philadelphia’s music scene is a rock epicenter, and Jesus Piece are part of a group of bands at the heart of it. Their second album, …So Unknown, is a chaotic listen from start to end, brimming with metallic aggression, savage breakdowns, and smart songcraft. Through it all, it’s clear that Jesus Piece yearn to stretch the limits of what they can do by whatever means necessary, and as hardcore enters its next golden era, they could easily become a band that rises to the top.

Video Store/RCA

Kevin Abstract – Blanket

Blanket is a new beginning for Kevin Abstract. Though the inspired vulnerability and tenacity are the same, the artist we knew in his rap group-cum-boy band days with BROCKHAMPTON, or even in his previous solo projects, feels far away. Now, Abstract is showcasing impressive dexterity by leaning into rock and grunge, sliding from screeching, emotive vocals to tender, soft notes. Between moments where his inherent, addictive pop sensibility shines, he grounds the listener with gritty, punk bridges. Whether you’re a die-hard BROCKHAMPTON fan or a snob for ’90s alt, this album is worth your while.

Pure Noise

Koyo – Would You Miss It?

On Would You Miss It?, the debut album from Long Island crew Koyo, their heart-on-sleeve mix of emo, punk, and hardcore proves anthemic as hell. The group are clearly indebted to their hometown music scene’s rich past, tapping on elders like Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw (“Message Like a Bomb”), Vinnie Caruana of the Movielife (“What’s Left to Say”), and Michael Dubin. More than anything, Koyo represent a new era of Long Island artists who are ready to make their mark.

Interscope/Polydor

Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

Lana Del Rey’s ninth album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, is strange and lovable, possessing the aesthetic and structural looseness of an artist who defies genre and form. The core of Ocean Blvd is Del Rey’s lifelong search to understand herself better, this time through her family, as she sifts through stories of religion, marriage, trauma, and estranged relations. The blend of steamy trap, ’60s beat poetry, and tumbling piano ballads is a seemingly impossible task that only a renegade like Lana could pull off. 

Mexican Summer

L’Rain – I Killed Your Dog

L’Rain’s I Killed Your Dog remains a surprise all these weeks later. That’s the beauty of an album like this — parts of the rich textures, left-field ideas, and vulnerable songwriting can take a while to reveal themselves, but once you immerse yourself in their world proper, the brilliance shines eternal. I Killed Your Dog isn’t summarized easily but adds up to a hallucinatory headrush that employs humor, surrealism, and grave honesty, like pointing out the ubiquity of white rock bands and the erasure of Black ones.

Fueled by Ramen

Meet Me @ The Altar – Past // Present // Future

Meet Me @ The Altar are the future of pop punk — and it’s bright. Though it can often be easier to lean into darkness as a creative crutch, this group refuse to do things the easy way. With their debut album, Past // Present // Future, the band offered us a punk-infused, optimistic outlook that is peppered with guitar riffs and contains all the ingredients a great pop-punk album needs to succeed: catchy diss tracks, breakup ballads, and flirty hooks. 

Loma Vista

Militarie Gun – Life Under The Gun

Militarie Gun are one of the most determined, and fastest-rising, bands in hardcore right now. Their pop smarts have their fingerprints all over their debut album, Life Under The Gun, by way of soaring highs, tight arrangements, and catchy-as-hell melodies. Juxtaposed with frontman Ian Shelton’s gruff vocals, the band retain their punk edge and wind up with a combination that can’t lose. Their hooky hardcore could turn anyone into a fan, and it’s only a matter of time before the better part of the world catches onto their greatness.

Convulse

MSPAINT – Post-American

MSPAINT are freaks of nature. On their debut album, Post-American, the Hattiesburg, Mississippi crew give in to their wildest and most undefinable impulses as each member, after years of playing in different bands, switches gears and takes up a new position. The result is hugely fun and innovative, like the scream-along “Delete It” (feat. Militarie Gun) and the thrashy hypnotics of “Hardwired.” But for all of the catharsis that its 11 songs offer, experiencing their post-guitar oddity live feels like a total revelation.

Run for Cover

Narrow Head – Moments of Clarity

With their third album, Moments of Clarity, Narrow Head tap into the stark realities of daily life. Perhaps that’s why frontman Jacob Duarte sounds so haunted. Either way, the Houston outfit are in their bag here, employing thick distortion, renewed purpose, and all-consuming emotions to drive their message home. And like a lot of other great music, these 12 songs have the power to act as intensive therapy. You could call their music space rock or Southern shoegaze, but you don’t need to tag it to know that it really fucking rocks. 

Profound Lore

Object of Affection – Field of Appearances

Object of Affection initially began as more of a project than a proper band, composed of members of Fury, Death Bells, and Lock. Over the last few years, the group released a slew of singles while they perfected the formula they had so specifically in mind. Finally, this year they released their debut full-length: a dense and diligent body of work exploring post-hardcore and pushing the limits of pop-informed punk sounds that has left us eager to hear what they might have for us next.

Geffen

Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS

Best described as “devastatingly relatable,” Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS sees the young artist continue to grow up and into herself. Drawing from a darker palette of sounds, with references ranging from classic rock ’n’ roll to legendary riot grrrl acts, Rodrigo steps out with a slew of reactive, post-heartbreak anthems fit for teenage moments at any stage of life.

Atlantic

Paramore – This is Why

Though the beloved group had made an active departure from their Warp Tour days in both sound and aesthetic before This is Why, the album offers us another evolution of Paramore. Leaning into their own maturity — emotionally, physically, and musically — the album is anything but reserved. The band boldly and artfully dig into politics, discomfort, and mental health while finding a funkier, more complex musical canvas with which to explore and express themselves freely. Risks are taken, and they pay off.

Paris Texas

Paris Texas – MID AIR

Paris Texas thrive as one of hip-hop’s most unpredictable duos, and their debut full-length, MID AIR, captures their ascent in vivid color. “PANIC!!!” mirrors the energy of a packed warehouse show, whereas “Ain’t No High” slows down and tries a little tenderness. It’s reflective of the multiple worlds that they straddle, just as likely to attract King Krule fans as they are 03 Greedo devotees with rumbling beats, intense stamina, and absurd humor. Best get situated, as this is the sound of an indispensable duo who’ll “keep on doing this shit till it soak in.”

Fearless

Pierce the Veil – The Jaws of Life

Seven years since their last release, Pierce the Veil returned with new music, and a new perspective. While there’s enough nostalgic Pierce the Veil peppered throughout The Jaws of Life for die-hard Collide with the Sky fans, the band turn toward their humanity on this album, and don’t shy away from showing us that they’ve also grown up. Leaning into frontman Vic Fuentes’ impeccable vocal range with emotional hooks and tender bridges, though there are still classically heavy songs here, we see the band weaving in more alt-pop influences. The result? A truly catchy album, fit for elder emos and a new crop of fans alike.

Sumerian

Poppy – Zig

Poppy’s fifth album’s eponymous track, “When you zig, I zag,” says it all. Just when you think you’ve cracked the enigmatic artist’s code, Poppy has something new up her sleeve. And though her last two projects dove headfirst into heavier arenas, sampling rock, metal, and rough-edged shoegaze sounds, the bold and conceptual, electronica-infused Zig is truly a triumph.

Flatspot

Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine

Since Scowl’s 2021 debut album, How Flowers Grow, the Santa Cruz band have made a name for themselves as a raw and powerful presence in the hardcore scene. After two years of touring with big-name acts like Limp Bizkit and Destroy Boys, the second phase of Scowl
was eagerly awaited by critics and fans alike. Pushing their artistic boundaries on Psychic Dance Routine, the band dropped an undeniably fun and well-produced record — a delectable blend of hardcore punk and alt-rock that fans could devour whether they were head-banging in a basement or crowd surfing at Coachella. 

Spinefarm

Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden

Sleep Token, the mysterious masked band from the U.K., experienced an unlikely ascent this year. A slew of viral singles — “The Summoning,” “Granite,” and “Chokehold” — set the blaze and heralded their third record, Take Me Back to Eden. Stacked with thrilling riffs and spellbinding left turns, the shadowy crew proved both their strength and pop-metal smarts on their total headtrip of an album that inducted thousands into their cult.

Blue Grape Music

Spiritual Cramp – Spiritual Cramp

Though their polished aesthetic and post-hardcore sound set them apart, Spiritual Cramp have woven themselves seamlessly into the burgeoning contemporary California hardcore scene. Their debut full-length, the eponymous Spiritual Cramp, is a rousing blend of grunge, garage rock, and upbeat punk, peppered with reggae and ska sounds that easily satiates fans across the board, whether they’re stans of Scowl or the Replacements, White Reaper or High Vis.

Matador

Water from Your Eyes – Everyone’s Crushed

Water from Your Eyes, the indie-rock duo made up of Nate Amos and Rachel Brown, took their tongue-in-cheek creative approach to new heights for their latest album, Everyone’s Crushed. They have found an impeccable balance between leaning into their absurdist sense of humor while creating music that is not only easy to take seriously but is even easier to fall in love with. Wavering between art-rock and sparkly pop, this album is special, and one you’ll want to keep on a loop.

Fueled by Ramen

Waterparks – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Listening to Waterparks’ INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY is to experience pop music in a completely fresh way. The Houston trio use strange, diverse iterations of the genre to create something that feels truly unique to them. From hyperpop with its high-octane pulse to the wailing guitars of alt-rock and pop punk, the 11-track record catapults fans into new dimensions of pop, challenging the nature of what “pop music” really is.

Dead Oceans

Wednesday – Rat Saw God

Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman still remembers the time her friend got their stomach pumped after getting too stoned off Benadryl, the dresser laying on the side of the road, and the person drinking “piss-colored bright yellow Fanta.” Rat Saw God spills over with these types of details, rooted in the American South and the band’s time on the road. “Hot Rotten Grass Smell” conjures a distinctness from the jump, where the stench hits your nostrils just as quickly as the wailing guitars, and it’s easy to picture the “rain-rotted house” that appears in “Quarry.” You may know one just like it. It’s divine songwriting — the kind that places importance on the hazy, mundane moments as much as the formative ones.

Valencia House

Yeek – Future Reference

On Future Reference, Yeek explores desire, uncertain romance, and finding peace of mind overtop sleek, nocturnal pop that draws inspiration from early 2010s Tumblr. Collaboration is vital, as “ETA2,” featuring Paris Texas, is a freeway banger that conjures memories of muggy nights cruising around with time to kill. Meanwhile, “Searching For Yourself” is entirely produced by Erik Bodin of Little Dragon and includes a ghostly verse from Raveena, Bakar sounds just as fed up with a lover on “Care,” and the stirring piano comedown from George Moore on “Last Night in Town” ends the album on a high note.

Warp

Yves Tumor – Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)

Listening to a Yves Tumor song is frequently dizzying. You’re plagued by discomfort or filled with curiosity about what’s going to happen next — how will this track suddenly swerve left or bloom into a gorgeous chorus? With Praise a Lord, however, Tumor has created their most grand album yet. It’s a sheer pop thrill that continues to establish them as a new type of rock star, one who wields chaos and beauty in both hands. The power to make a sticky song that will be sung along to by thousands is simply too irresistible to ignore. It’s intoxicating, empowering you to relinquish yourself to the music completely and, primarily, feel just as free as the boundary-defying extraterrestrial behind the microphone.

Flatspot

Zulu – A New Tomorrow

Zulu are terrifying in their breadth, in a good way. Across their debut album, A New Tomorrow, their crushing hardcore morphs into tons of different shapes, from jazz-rap that feels like a lost cut from The Low End Theory (“We’re More Than This”) to blasts that make so many left turns, you’re left slack-jawed (“Who Jah Bless, No One Curse”). It’s a staggering effect, all while rarely exceeding two minutes per song. Their deep, guttural roars are bound to turn even more heads as they shoot toward the stars, yet there’s nothing but love in their pit.

Dog Show/Atlantic

100 gecs – 10,000 gecs

Four years after 100 gecs’ breakthrough album, 1000 gecs, the post-ironic, genre-bending hyperpop duo are back with 10,000 gecs, which is indeed 10 times more ludicrous than its precursor. Violently goofy, chronically online, and deliriously catchy, the newest project from Laura Les and Dylan Brady taps into their extensive handle of pop culture memes to create the raging moshpit of nü metal, cyberpop, emo-rap, ska, and punk that somehow wrestled mainstream critics onto their side of the joke.