Welcome to the final installment of idobi Radio’s Best Albums of 2023. With so many incendiary records released this year, crafting this list was incredibly challenging to say the least. From break-out acts, to legendary mainstays, we were gifted with so many fantastic collections of music in 2023. Join us in taking a trip down memory lane of the last year and reminisce over the memories made along the way.
If you are just now joining, make sure to go back and take a peak at our Best Albums Of 2023 Volumes 1 and 2. And fear not. In the coming weeks we will also be highlighting our favorite songs, music videos, and EPs, of course. But for right now, let’s take a look at the most impressive and well-rounded records that came out this year (in our opinion).
Let’s dive into our Best Albums of 2023 Vol. 3 below!
WEEDKILLER — Ashnikko
Released: August 25, 2023
Ashnikko’s debut full album, WEEDKILLER, is nothing short of utterly spectacular. The “Daisy” singer may have risen to prominence on TikTok but is much more than a viral act. Beginning the album with “World Eater,” Ashnikko sets the tone with her signature dystopian pop, EDM sonics stirred in with sapphic lyrical content. Of course, this concept album does touch on themes of climate change and rapid technological advancement. “These machines will kiss my bullets/Hit the gas pedal, scrap metal, get to runnin’/Combat mode, you know the cyborg’s comin’/These AI hate my flesh, I love it,” Ashnikko sings on “World Eater.” With the likes of the bright indie pop single “Worms” to the ethereal melancholy album closer “Dying Star” featuring Ethel Cain, the artist offers a vibe for every listener, and we are thrilled to see what worlds she builds across future works. —Maria Serra
GUTS — Olivia Rodrigo
Released: September 8, 2023
Certain songs or albums that you hear immediately transport you into the main character plot of a teen movie. Olivia Rodrigo did just that with her sophomore album, GUTS. From punchy choruses with clean scream vocals like “all-american bitch,” to introspective ballads like “lacy,” Rodrigo surpasses the second album curse that plagues many artists, but not her.
With nearly nostalgic nuances taking form with pop-punk riffs, the reminders of texting an ex the night before, and the embarrassing regret of everyday happenings as a young adult, GUTS follows up SOUR, Rodrigo’s first album, as a complimentary stack of friendship bracelets that you’ve collected at various arena tours this past summer, i.e., it’s a rare artifact in pop culture that transcends multiple generations. —Lizzie Baumgartner
MONO — K.Flay
Released: September 15, 2023
K.Flay has turned her roller coaster of a year with deafness in her right ear into a truly magical piece of art with MONO. And yes, it really is the greatest thing she’s ever made. Pushing her alt-rock edge even more than she ever has, tracks such as “Raw Raw,” “Punisher,” and “Irish Goodbye” featuring Pierce The Veil’s Vic Fuentes lend themselves to exploring her most vulnerable personal moments. Certainly, it wouldn’t be a true K.Flay record without a political punch tackling the fake idea of “the American dream” on the track “In America.” She sings, “So you wanna be violent/Take an AK to the thеater/Careful when you hеar sirens/’Cause the cops are also murderers.” With heavy basslines and signature K.Flay rock vocals, this album has everything from raw, no pun intended, personal storytelling to blatant critiques of capitalism. How much more punk rock can it get? —Maria Serra
Would You Miss It? — Koyo
Released: September 29, 2023
The immediate thought when thinking about this album from Koyo is simply put into two words: Instant Classic.
31 minutes of pop-punk with a hardcore tinge that flies by, written in a way that only Long Island knows how to. From the anthemic choruses and some of the catchiest vocal harmonies ever heard, killer instrumentals and riffs throughout, a flawless tracklist with seamless flow, to the fitting guest spots from fellow Long Island legends Vinnie Caruana (“What’s Left To Say”), Daryl Palumbo (“Message Like A Bomb”), and Anthony Dido (“Flatline Afternoon”). This album will be celebrated as a staple in the genre for years to come.
People will talk about this record the same way they do with classic albums in the early to mid-2000s from Long Island greats such as Taking Back Sunday and The Movielife. If you have even the slightest interest in pop-punk, this is a must-listen. —Patrick Walford
Sanguivore — Creeper
Released: October 13, 2023
The first track of an album rarely opens with a song that clocks in a little over nine minutes. It’s also hard to find a band as thematically consistent with concepts within their craft, similar to Creeper. Sanguivore brings you along a darkened path of rock opera animation that harkens to other artists who put on similar grandiose exhibitions of their work, like Meatloaf. The band taps into ’80s energy to tie it together with songs “Lovers Led Astray” and the single “Cry To Heaven,” whilst also adding in early emo transitions and chords. The goth-punk band never disappoints with haunting songwriting and storytelling that you shouldn’t leave buried. —Lizzie Baumgartner
READY TO EAT — Beauty School Dropout
Released: October 13, 2023
Oh, the hottest rock trio in the scene. Beauty School Dropout has it all. From their explosive sound to their over-the-top stage antics to their charming good looks, they certainly encompass the full package. Break-out stars of the year, they began with secret, underground showcases across Los Angeles before skyrocketing into the forefront with their signing to Verswire. Under the wings of Mark Hoppus, Pete Wentz, Nick Lippman, and Sherry Saeedi, it seems like the band has been on a constant upward trajectory since their inception. They authentically found the perfect balance between vulnerability and confidence, blazing a trail of success from one moment to the next.
Their sophomore album, READY TO EAT, found the band at their best, a culmination of their strengths across previous releases. Upbeat bangers like “dying to be you” and “one night stand you” fit between heart-felt notions like “i loved you” and “heart of gold.” It won’t be long before Beauty School Dropout is headlining arenas, we’ve got our money on it. —Tate Logan
Some Of It Was True — The Menzingers
Released: October 13, 2023
Every record that The Menzingers releases is emotional punk gold. And their new record, Some Of It Was True, is no exception. Opening the collection with “Hope Is A Dangerous Little Thing,” the full-length delves deep into the complexities of heartache. Their carefully crafted lyrics juxtapose the guitar-driven arrangements of each track, creating a sonic experience that brings vulnerability to the forefront.
Songs like “Come On Heartache” and “I Didn’t Miss You (Until You Were Gone)” are hopelessly romantic accounts of losing the person you love and going through the stages of grief. While The Menzingers reach the acceptance stage in “Running In The Roar Of The Wind,” the track gives listeners a glimpse of hope that it is the end of a dark era and the start of a new beginning. This storytelling pulls at your heartstrings and is precisely why the band’s latest studio album is on this list. —Maggie Schneider
SUNDAY AT FOXWOODS — Boys Like Girls
Released: October 20, 2023
SUNDAY AT FOXWOODS marks Boys Like Girls’ step back into the spotlight. Although, we’d argue that their shimmering pop-rock sound never truly faded away. Singer and songwriting visionary Martin Johnson took his time during the band’s hiatus to elevate his production chops, unleashing the inner workings of his imaginative mind and putting them to work via his side project, The Night Game. The ear candies and out-of-the-box production elements of his solo record can be heard at a stadium-rock scale via SUNDAY AT FOXWOODS, along with each band member’s uninhibited passion and excitement to be back in the studio together.
The record is what 80s rom-com dreams are made of: it’s flirtatious, fiery, and full of bad-boy charm. The collection of songs is what a modern-day Ferris Bueller or John Bender would have on their playlist (or mixtape). No record in the world sounds like SUNDAY AT FOXWOODS. And we applaud Boys Like Girls for creating such a masterpiece. —Maggie Schneider
ONE MORE TIME… — blink-182
Released: October 20, 2023
The return of the original blink-182 line-up was enough to make any life-long emo lose their shit. Although we got a few great records with Matt Skiba in the band—Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker, and Tom DeLonge ARE blink-182. This reunion of all three original members mended our broken hearts in more ways than one. ONE MORE TIME… is a beautiful ode of nostalgia not only to fans, but also to the members themselves. The first single, “EDGING” is everything we love from the band. It is goofy, upbeat, and a true modern spin on a classic blink-182 song across the board. However, the title track, “ONE MORE TIME” is a gut-wrenching homage to the legacy of the trio that we have loved for decades. The music video only heightened that sentiment, gearing fans up for a record that would stand the test of time.
“MORE THAN YOU KNOW,” “DANCE WITH ME,” and “FELL IN LOVE” are each bangers, but the B-sides are the stand-out moments from the album as a whole. “WHEN WE WERE YOUNG,” “TURPENTINE,” and “FUCK FACE” are all of the best parts of blink-182. It feels like coming home after a long trip. Fans weren’t the only ones to appreciate the magic of this record. ONE MORE TIME… debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. We are so grateful to have the boys back together and can’t wait for their tour next year. —Tate Logan
152 — Taking Back Sunday
Released: October 27, 2023
152 is a number that has been synonymous with Taking Back Sunday since their very inception. The name of the crossroads interstate where the band would meet as teenagers—it means everything to them. It has appeared on every one of their album covers over the years. It represents brotherhood, community, and chasing dreams, and the band finds themselves on the album named after it.
Serving as a bridge between their poetic beginnings, genre-defying midpoints, and modern experimentations, it is a collection of songs that embody the band’s many spirits best. “S’old” and “The One” represents how as much has stayed the same as it has changed throughout their journey. Whilst the cheeky “New Music Friday” and the gorgeously affecting “I Am The Only One Who Knows You” show off how many different strokes the band has at their disposal. It all culminates into a crossroads of emo culture, one that celebrates how far Taking Back Sunday has traveled and reminds us just how exciting the open road in front of them continues to be. —Jack Rogers
Halloween Mixtape II — Magnolia Park
Released: October 27, 2023
Over the last several years, Magnolia Park has solidified themselves as a force within the alternative and pop-punk music space. They have skyrocketed with releases dating back to their debut, Halloween Mixtape, in 2021, followed by 2022’s Baku’s Revenge (which received a deluxe release in April 2023). And now, their masterful third album Halloween Mixtape II—the soul sibling to their debut.
Within their hauntingly themed release, Mag Park, guided by the expressive vocals of Joshua Roberts, embarks on a genre-blurring exploration, seamlessly merging elements of pop, hard rock, nu-metal, hip-hop, and emo. This boundless journey is expressed on a cinematic level, evident in the album’s opening opus, “The End: Emo Nite Rhapsody,” the visceral intensity of “Breathing,” the resilient anthem “Do Or Die,” the thought-provoking collaboration with TX2, “Life In The USA,” and the evocative tale of romance in “Fell In Love On Halloween.” The musical saga of the group unfurls like a mesmerizing mosaic. Each track intricately threading a unique strand into the rich and diverse fabric of their sound.
With every playback, identifying a standout track, let alone neatly categorizing Halloween Mixtape II into a specific genre, becomes a delightful challenge. One that we’ll never solve, but why would we want to when the music is this damn good? This very ambiguity is what propels Magnolia Park into the magnetic forefront of the alternative music realm. They’ve tossed the blueprint of genres out of the window—and we think good riddance! —Paige Owens
Superbloom — Silent Planet
Released: November 3, 2023
Silent Planet continues to evolve and progress their sound with every record. But their new album feels like a sonic leap in the best way possible. An ambitious undertaking to create a record with such a grandiose soundscape, Superbloom is all the heaviness you’ve come to love from the band mixed with some excellent new elements that bring the band’s sound into another atmosphere.
Look no further than the epic opener “Offworlder” and tracks such as “Collider,” “Antimatter,” and “Anunnaki” as proof of trying new things while not abandoning the sound that has made Silent Planet so great for more than a decade. Something that cannot go unmentioned is the progression of Garrett Russell when it comes to his melodic vocals and singing. In our minds, this record cements him as not only one of the best lyricists but also one of the best vocalists in heavy music. —Patrick Walford
Gold Tooth Guru — HourHouse
Released: November 10, 2023
Fusing metal, rap, R&B, pop, nu-metal, and alternative influences into their one-of-a-kind sound, New Orleans’ HourHouse‘s debut album, Gold Tooth Guru, sets the (golden) bar in a big way.
Tracks like “GOLD TOOTH GURO,” “BODYBAG MUSIK” (featuring Shaolin G of UnityTX), and “SWARM” (featuring Taylor Barber of Left To Suffer) will have you headbanging and moshing. Tracks like “INSTINCTS,” “6FLOW,” and “RIDE” have a completely different vibe that will have you grooving. The lead single, “DO IT LIKE,” and “PARASYTE,” are shining examples of the special vocal dynamic of vocalist Milly and guitarist/vocalist Nick “Neeco” Trahan that makes this record truly one of a kind. Freestyle rap verses over gnarly 7 and 8-string breakdowns and riffs—this album will always be sick. —Patrick Walford
