This year was a rush, wasn’t it?
Twelve months have gone by and it felt like a whirlwind. Our list of the best Australian music reflects the eclecticism of 2023, from the massive pop comebacks to revelatory folk songwriting to boundary-pushing hip-hop artistry.
There’s much more to come – and more that isn’t on this list – but here are NME’s 25 best Australian albums and EPs of 2023.
Karen Gwee, Regional Editor (APAC)
Words by: Greta Brereton, Mikey Cahill, Tom Disalvo, Sosefina Fuamoli, Jackson Langford, Chris Lewis, Ben Madden, Jared Richards, Angela Skujins, Caleb Triscari, Doug Wallen, Cyclone Wehner and David James Young
25. Peach PRC, ‘Manic Dream Pixie’
A sugar rush of spacey bubblegum, pristine production, and earworm hooks, Peach PRC’s ‘Manic Pixie Dream’ is an ecstatic pop confection. Whether she’s revelling in celebrity crushes on ‘Kinda Famous’ or ridding herself of toxicity on the Robyn-indebted ‘F U Goodbye’, the TikTok star-turned-pop princess colours new shades into her candy-coated persona.
- READ MORE: Peach PRC is the Australian star making pop pretty again
The 2000s influences of glittery Auto-Tune and heavily digitised vocals never outshine Peach’s vulnerability, as she muses on heartbreak and mental health in these brisk tracks that never overstay their welcome. ‘Manic Pixie Dream’ is pure pop high without the comedown. TD
Key track: ‘Kinda Famous’
Like this? Try this: Leah Kate, Chappell Roan
24. Forest Claudette, ‘Everything Was Green’
Hailing from The Patch outside Melbourne, Forest Claudette has steadily gained momentum with their abundant synth’n’B. Following their 2022 debut EP ‘The Year Of February’, which was widely compared to Frank Ocean, the resonant vocalist has arrived with ‘Everything Was Green’ – scoring an ARIA Award (Best Soul/R&B Release) for the cruisy lead single, ‘Mess Around’, featuring Atlanta’s EarthGang.
Claudette ponders Black queer identity while navigating their surrounds and life’s flux in intimate lyrics prompted by a transformative trip to California. But, if ‘Mess Around’ and ‘Motor In The Sand’ are respectively decadent and archly self-destructive, then ‘Violence’ is haunting, a lament of police brutality over quiet acoustics. Revelatory. CW
Key track: ‘Mess Around’ (featuring EarthGang)
Like this? Try this: Stevan, KYE
23. G Flip, ‘Drummer’
G Flip’s sophom*ore album ‘Drummer’ is inextricable from the instrument that started it all. While percussion is the muse that energises the entire tracklist – from the subtle snares of ‘7 Days’ to the thunderous solos and shimmering cymbals of ‘Made For You’ – ‘Drummer’ is also a showcase of G Flip’s versatility.
- READ MORE: G Flip on their new album ‘Drummer’, their six ARIA nominations and becoming the queer non-binary role model they always wanted
Guitar often pulls focus, like with the warm acoustics of ‘Australia’ or ‘Love Hurts’’s country twangs, while G Flip’s vocals are their best yet, flitting between pop punk sneers (‘Worst Person Alive’) to breezy drawl (‘Baked’). Through it all, G Flip bluntly lays bare their reflections on exes, gender roles, and simply being “done with all your bullsh*t.” TD
Key track: ‘Rough’
Like this? Try this: Lauren Sanderson, FLETCHER
22. The Kid LAROI, ‘The First Time’
The Kid LAROI became a Gen Z pop-rap phenom by universalising his teen angst. And the themes remain similar on the First Nations prodigy’s ambitious debut, ‘The First Time’ – he remains conflicted about romantic commitments and fame.
But LAROI reveals a new sonic, and curatorial, flair, transcending algorithmic emo-trap (jazz pianist Robert Glasper even guests). Ironically, the vintage soul samples on ‘Sorry’ and ‘Where Do You Sleep?’ belie the recriminatory lyrics.
However, LAROI still delivers massive bangers: ‘Too Much’ with K-pop superstar Jungkook and UK rap frontrunner Central Cee a particularly smooth triumph. Most auspicious? The closer ‘Kids Are Growing Up’, on which the 20-year-old looks to the future. CW
Key track: ‘Love Again’
Like this? Try this: Sahxl, d4vd
21. Daine, ‘Shapeless’
“And the portal’s open,” Daine purrs on ‘Portal’, the fourth track from their mixtape ‘Shapeless’. The emo-pop artist’s sophom*ore project is amorphous and striking in its composition and otherworldliness. Replete with flashes of hyperpop and hardcore, the eight tracks writhe with maximalist flavours and breakdowns, making it perfect listening for rotting in a dank basem*nt or living large at a house party.
- READ MORE: Daine: future emo phenom fighting for fiery artistic vision
Incorporating songwriting from some of Australia’s most unique musicians – Sione Teumohenga aka Lonelyspeck and Maurice Santiago aka Hearteyes, to name a few – ‘Shapeless’ establishes Daine as a tastemaker. AS
Key track: ‘Doom’
Like this? Try this: Ninajirachi, 100 Gecs
20. Skeleten, ‘Under Utopia’
As one of Sydney’s unsung musical heroes, Russell Fitzgibbon played in various bands over 15 years – from quirky indie-pop to alt-country to glitch-electronica – before launching solo project Skeleten. That history weaves its way into the tapestry of ‘Under Utopia’, a far more fully realised debut than your average.
Its shapeshifting grooves are accentuated by pristine production, with lush electronic soundscapes revelling in warmth and texture. It’s Fitzgibbon’s vocals, however, that are the biggest revelation. Rarely a singer in previous projects, his understated lilt provides ‘Utopia’ a key human touch. Before he’s dust and bones, Skeleten deserves his flowers. DJY
Key track: ‘Heart Full of Tenderness’
Like this? Try this: Harvey Sutherland, Toro Y Moi
19. Babitha, ‘Brighter Side Of Blue’
Imogen Grist has discussed the role Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ played in the genesis of the Babitha project, and the influence of that song – with its folksy flair and narrative weight – is felt all throughout her kaleidoscopic album, ‘Brighter Side Of Blue’. Like Parton, Babitha weaves intricate tales of optimism with the leisurely cadence of an afternoon stroll through rural suburbia.
- READ MORE: Babitha: rising alt-country artist looking to the ‘Brighter Side Of Blue’
Babitha stretches folk’s boundaries with classic Americana and ’70s pop rock flourishes, punctuating tracks with a lush mix of spaghetti-western riffs, heady melodies and irresistible vocal twangs. “Everyone was singing,” Babitha croons, almost prophetically, on the title track “my ears, they are still ringing.” With a debut as stellar as this, ours are too – in a good way. TD
Key track: ‘In My Own Time’
Like this? Try this:
18. Cable Ties, ‘All Her Plans’
Sidelined by the pandemic just as they were releasing 2020’s ‘Far Enough’, Cable Ties make up for lost time on this layered third album. The Melbourne trio’s churning punk still arrives frontloaded with singer/guitarist Jenny McKechnie’s defiant roar, but this time her lyrics detail the failures of Australia’s healthcare system, especially regarding mental health.
- READ MORE: Cable Ties – ‘All Her Plans’ review: amid the righteous anger, a new kind of intimacy
Meanwhile, ‘Time For You’ directs the band’s focused fervour into an anthem of personal devotion and ‘Mum’s Caravan’ is a striking autobiography flecked with acoustic guitar and piano from guest Michael Beach. McKechnie’s singing is more delicate than ever on the latter, finding a new way to cut to the bone. DW
Key track: ‘Time For You’
Like this? Try this: Porpoise Spit, Blonde Revolver
17. Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, ‘So This Is Love’
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but heartbreak suits Cash Savage’s music. She’s been through a rough divorce, six lockdowns and a crisis of confidence in whether her other big love (The Last Drinks) would continue.
- READ MORE: Cash Savage and the Last Drinks – ‘So This Is Love’ review: potent and tumultuous
Lucky for us, she stayed the course and recorded a nine-song album about this exceptionally difficult period. Savage’s distinct mix of brooding twang, barely disguised vitriol and pounding rock’n’roll are on full display here. “My mama told me crying doesn’t suit my face,” she snarls on ‘Push’, then throws it back at her: “what about this neediness mama?” Catharsis hits different when Savage is behind the mic. MC
Key track: ‘$600 Short On The Rent’
Like this? Try this: Angie McMahon, Lucinda Williams
16. JK-47, ‘Revision For Regrowth’
On his second album ‘Revision For Regrowth’, JK-47 is older, wiser, and ready to reach the next generation. Rapping with a sense of confidence and clarity that only comes from true introspection, the Tweed Heads MC lays out his mission statement on tracks like swirling opener ‘Introspect’ and the purposeful ‘Victory Speech’: “I take my time when I speak, really tryna teach truth to these kids”.
Teaming up with producer Jay Orient for the entirety of the album, JK-47 touches on the importance of family and faith, while also acknowledging that in order to grow, we must first accept our mistakes. His 2020 debut album, ‘Made For This’, showed that he could be one of the most important voices in Australian hip-hop. ‘Revision For Regrowth’ proves it. BM
Key track: ‘Rain’
Like this? Try this: MAMMOTH., BARKAA
15. a.s.o., ‘a.s.o.’
The ’90s revival continues with this deeply satisfying nod to the trip hop era (think Massive Attack, Sneaker Pimps and so much ‘erb). a.s.o consists of respected Australian DJ/producer Tornado Wallace and the singer-songwriter and DJ Alias Error.
Wallace showed his downtempo range with Sui Zhen a few years back, and now he’s gone full widescreen cinema, soundtracking mellow kick-ons rather than delivering his usual four to the floor fare. The bruised vocals excel at capturing young, tumultuous affairs, the inevitable broken hearts and the questions that follow. The a.s.o. project feels evergreen, at home, on café playlists as well as in dingy after-hours Berlin clubs. MC
Key track: ‘My Baby’s Got It Out For Me’
Like this? Try this: Portishead, Goldfrapp
14. Kylie Minogue, ‘Tension’
How does she do it? Over more than three decades, Kylie Minogue has reinvented herself time and time again. On ‘Tension’, she’s embraced the tried-and-true formula of classic EDM beats, piano house backings and unforgettable pop hooks. Her messages of love and desire are crystal clear, universally felt and destined to be played on a dancefloor.
‘Tension’ was something of a renaissance for Kylie, with ‘Padam Padam’’s prolific rise becoming the track that launched a thousand TikToks. That one word lured in a new generation of fans, and who can blame them? With Kylie, you hear it and you know. CT
Key track: ‘Padam Padam’
Like this? Try this: Carly Rae Jepsen, Jessie Ware
13. Teether & Kuya Neil, ‘Stressor’
Following on from debut mixtape ‘Glyph’, future-rap duo Teether and Kuya Neil turned more heads with this year’s dynamic and hard-hitting record, ‘Stressor’. Together, these producers and songwriters represent the exciting nature of Melbourne’s underground hip hop and electronic scenes; their chemistry is undeniable, their influences diverse, as they lean into furious rap and production that feels punk.
‘Stressor’ shifts between pace and vibe relentlessly, not giving the listener much space for their attention to wander. It is commanding and musically, fiercely intelligent. The record brims with a frustrated, chaotic energy. Undeniably charismatic. SF
Key track: ‘Purgatory’
Like This? Try This: Young Fathers, Death Grips
12. Polaris, ‘Fatalism’
The triumph of Polaris’ third studio album, heartbreakingly, cannot be discussed without acknowledging the tragedy of the late, great Ryan Siew – who passed away just weeks out from its release. This context adds further weight to an already-heavy LP of the band’s hardest-hitting material yet.
With churning guitars and walloping drums, Polaris can build up empires just as quickly as they can tear them down. At a time when most heritage heavy Australian bands are resting on their laurels, they continue to evolve with distinct, determined defiance. Death shall have no dominion. DJY
Key track: ‘Nightmare’
Like this? Try this: Northlane, Underoath
11. Collarbones, ‘Filth’
Formed across state lines after Marcus Whale and Travis Cook met on the now-quaint space of 2000s post-rock message boards, Collarbones have genre-hopped over the past decade but always traded in ideas of queer longing and distance.
‘Filth’, their fifth and final album, dives deepest via a coalescing of their many sounds: glitchy, skittering electronica, nu-metal-tinged intensity, and transcendent post-rock ballads. Whale sings of absolution through not love but consumption, of swallowing and being swallowed whole. Sensual, explicit (see the lyrics of ‘Lack’) and playfully dramatic, ‘Filth’ is a bittersweet swansong. JR
Key track: ‘Edging’
Like this? Try this: Banoffee, HTRK
10. Cub Sport, ‘Jesus At The Gay Bar’
Beautifully riding the wave of a changing Australian pop landscape, Cub Sport have never felt more authentically themselves or empowered than on their fifth studio record, ‘Jesus At The Gay Bar’.
The record brings together threads of euphoria, melancholy and wistful yearning with a comfort in self that Cub Sport’s Tim Nelson’s songwriting has relished in recent years. Singles like ‘Always Got The Love’ and ‘Keep Me Safe’ exhibit nuanced songwriting and intimate arrangements. A celebration of love and identity, this record is a clever collection of music that is forward-looking yet unafraid to reflect.
Club-ready music begging to be danced to, this album confirms Cub Sport as one of Australia’s best pop outfits. SF
Key track: ‘Always Got The Love’
Like this? Try this: George Alice, Hayden James
9. Body Type, ‘Expired Candy’
Vocal harmonies straight out of the ’60s? Check. Angular guitar riffs that Nick Zinner would be jealous of? Check. Some of the sharpest songwriting in Australia right now? Yep. It’s ‘Expired Candy’ by Body Type, an album that straddles the line between post-punk and pop while exorcising a few demons along the way.
The Sydney quartet sound as confident and raw as they were on their 2022 debut, but this time everything feels looser, even downright fun – from the smouldering singalong ‘Summer Forever’ to the caustic takedown of ‘Creation of Man’. And when guitarist Sophie McComish exclaims on the ode to pandemic loneliness “Miss the world but mostly I miss B-O-D-Y-T-Y-P-E” – it’s enough to make you want to start a band of your own. CL
Key track: ‘Weekend’
Like this? Try this: , The Coathangers
8. Tkay Maidza, ‘Sweet Justice’
Tkay Maidza’s ‘Sweet Justice’ is the soundtrack – or slaytrack – to her own superhero movie. The exuberant rapper/singer released a pop-coded debut album, ‘Tkay’, back in 2016, but later expressed dismay about industry pressure. Unimpeded, Maidza then explored her multifaceted artistry on the celebrated ‘Last Year Was Weird’ EP trilogy.
‘Sweet Justice’ represents the culmination of an idiosyncratic character arc as an empowered Maidza finally frees herself of foes, heartbreakers and past setbacks. (Hear the drill&B track, ‘Won One’, a takedown of misogynists.)
Now Los Angeles-based, Maidza proves her new stature, connecting with high-calibre producers like Flume (the explosive single ‘Silent Assassin’) and Kaytranada. And, again, she advances her stylistic aspirations – as on the dreamy of ‘Love Again’. This record, indeed, does justice to Maidza’s talent. CW
Key track: ‘Silent Assassin’
Like this? Try this: Doechii, Elsy Wameyo
7. Maple Glider, ‘I Get Into Trouble’
Subtlety is often in short supply on a Maple Glider record. Tori Zietsch has made this clear on ‘I Get Into Trouble’, her second LP in just over two years and a graceful evolution from her debut.
While several of the first album’s themes appear on the second – sexism, agency, personal relationships with religion and family – ‘I Get Into Trouble’ is more textured, without sacrificing any cohesiveness. Take ‘Dinah’ with its playful, folk-pop quality, and an equally as cheeky music video, that sucker-punches you with its stark lyrics about the church and sexual assault.
Elsewhere, ‘Scream’ and ‘Surprises’ recall the lightly strummed guitar and dreamy vocals that Zietsch excels in. Her development as an artist is abundantly clear on this record, which is equal parts serenading and serious. CT
Key track: ‘Dinah’
Like this? Try this: Julia Jacklin, Ruby Gill
6. Floodlights, ‘Painting Of My Time’
The melodrama of The Bad Seeds, the melodies of The Smiths, the expansive sonic canvases of The Church: Floodlights are a guitar band from a time when that label wasn’t a pejorative.
Lead singer Louis Parsons sings with urgency and the conviction of a man whose entire world hangs on the note that’s being played. All the better to convey the seriousness of this record’s subject matter: ‘Painting Of My Time’ offers poetic reflections on life, death and what it all means. It’s an album that demands your attention and pays dividends for it. CL
Key track: ‘Moment of Distraction’
Like this? Try this: City Calm Down, Jack Ladder
5. Jen Cloher, ‘I Am The River, The River Is Me’
“Being human is listening,” sings Jen Cloher on their fifth album. Self-realisation and continuous learning are central themes of this persistently powerful album, on which the Melbourne artist connects with their Māori heritage and queer identity in a multiplicity of ways. But Cloher doesn’t stop there, calling out our imperilled planet on the title track and stolen land on ‘Being Human’ and even questioning the nature of truth itself on ‘Protest Song’.
- READ MORE: Jen Cloher: “My heart is opening up to my culture. With that comes grief and unpacking trauma, joy and connection”
After the startling intimacy of their 2017 self-titled album, here Cloher strikes out to penetrating new places with an unmatched boldness of spirit. Among some of the more sombre themes here, ‘My Witch’ swaps out indie rock and folk methodology for simmering electronics and knowingly lusty R&B. DW
Key track: ‘Being Human’
Like this? Try this: Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, Mo’Ju
4. RVG, ‘Brain Worms’
RVG have been responsible for some of the most tender, heart-wrenching moments in Australian rock over the last half-decade. There’s plenty more on the Australian Music Prize-winning ‘Brain Worms’, from washed-out opener ‘Common Ground’ to the stark slow-burn of ‘You’re The Reason’. But perhaps the album’s defining trait is its pitch-black, wry humour. “I’m too old for this sh*t,” Romy Vager yelps on the title track against a clatter of drums. “I used to be a journalist!”
- READ MORE: Romy Vager faces our modern hellscape on RVG’s ‘Brain Worms’
Elsewhere, on the tragic ‘Tambourine’, she sneaks in digs at both Train and Google Chrome into gut-punch pandemic-era balladry. They say if you don’t laugh you’ll cry, but ‘Brain Worms’ makes time and space for both – and is honestly all the better for it. DJY
Key track: ‘Squid’
Like this? Try this: Cable Ties, Body Type
3. Angie McMahon, ‘Light, Dark, Light Again’
On her second album, Angie McMahon captures all the confusing, heavy, and hopeful parts of the twenty-something experience and spins them into lyrical gold.
She explores the collision of her internal self and the external world poignantly – pondering her place in the vastness of it all, as a complex human in a humming universe. The stories she tells on ‘Light, Dark, Light Again’ are her own, but they’re relatable ones, from spending days in a depression hole to drunken exchanges with a lover.
This album is a warm embrace – a salve for anxiety, a soothing balm for when the world feels too big. It’s a reminder to breathe, to come home to yourself, to push on through the darkness. Because after the dark, comes the light again. GB
Key track: ‘Making It Through’
Like this? Try this: Alice Skye, Maple Glider
2. Genesis Owusu, ‘Struggler’
Genesis Owusu’s first album ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ was a monumental point in Australian hip-hop and music in general. Brash and ambitious, it marked the introduction of a star. ‘Struggler’ cements that this supernova isn’t burning out anytime soon.
- READ MORE: Genesis Owusu: the show-stealing hero banging the drum for musical outsiders
Refined and focused, Owusu’s second album is firm in its conviction that to struggle doesn’t mean to crumble, but to persist. ‘Struggler’ is a multi-terrain expedition through the psyche, from the frantic strums and claustrophobic gasps of ‘Leaving The Light’, to the all-consuming, ominous warps of ‘The Old Man’, and woozy, genre-hopping acceptance of ‘What Comes Will Come’.
The vision Genesis Owusu paints is clear – this is a story of a roach on the run, and there’s no time to slow down. JL
Key track: ‘Stay Blessed’
Like this? Try this: Paris Texas, Agung Mango
1. Troye Sivan, ‘Something To Give Each Other’
Troye Sivan’s third album pulls through on the glimpses of greatness of 2018’s ‘Bloom’, where the pop star embraced not merely his queer identity but the sensuality of it.
But where that album traded in sly innuendo, ‘Something to Give Each Other’ is assured, bold and direct, speaking to a transformation that comes when a queer person liberates themselves into unbridled fun without the hangover of shame.
- READ MORE: Troye Sivan has entered his party boi era
Lead single ‘Rush’, a house throb of pure hedonism, sets the mood: Sivan against a sweaty four-to-the-floor, the thrill of making eyes (and making out) on a dancefloor propelling the track forward.
The ecstasy of endless parties, flings and a sheer enjoyment at being alive pulse through ‘Something’, whether with the shimmering ‘Got Me Started’ or mid-tempo moments, like the sultry ‘In Your Room’ or the sweet ‘What’s The Time Where You Are?’. And at just 33 minutes, Sivan sneaks out of the bedroom before the bliss bursts. JR
Key track: ‘Rush’
Like this? Try this: Cub Sport, Ryan Beatty
