Sault – Untitled (God) VS. Xenia Rubinos – Una Rosa
Xenia Rubinos – Una Rosa
An argument could be made that Una Rosa’s eclecticism makes for a disorienting listening experience, but Rubino’s raw creativity, emotive vocals, and cultural flair wins out for me.
Viewer’s choice: Xenia Rubinos – Una Rosa
Brendan Eder Ensemble – Therapy VS. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
Brendan Eder Ensemble – Therapy
Very tough one, made no easier by the genre clash involved. Brendan Eder’s ambient neoclassicism is both soothing and emotionally bracing, however, and emerged as the soundtrack to snowy days this winter.
Viewer’s choice: The Weeknd – Dawn FM
The Samurai of Prog - Anthem to the Phoenix Star VS. Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B
Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B
Well-crafted, stylistically diverse songs win out here again. There is also a “prog-by-numbers” aspect to Anthem to the Phoenix Star that doesn’t sit well with me in 2023.
Viewer’s Choice – I Love You Jennifer B
The Who – A Quick One VS. Weyes Blood – And In Darkness, Hearts Aglow
The Who – A Quick One
Very, very tough choice. From an objective production standpoint, Weyes Blood would be the clear winner, but that metric is doesn’t take into account the differences in production standards between the 60s and 2023 (which are vast). I am convinced that no one had any idea how to record Keith Moon’s drums back then - a point that actually reinforced my choice. There is no question that every note on A Quick One was made by human hands. No Digital Audio Interface, and probably relatively little studio trickery. Just four guys playing their butts off and essentially creating rock in the process.
Viewer’s Choice – A Quick One
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