WELCOME BACK

	The Hives – The Death of Randy Fitzimmons The Hives (and the garage rock craze of the early 2000s) ended in 2007, with the little-heard 2012 disc Lex Hives the last word on the band for over a decade. But out of nowhere, they came back earlier this year with a rollicking half-hour of punk party garage rock, as if nothing had happened, and it’s hard not to get caught up. Check out “Smoke & Mirrors” and “Countdown To Shutdown” and see if you’re not transported back 20 years.
	Arcade Fire – We The beloved indie rock heroes took a long pause after the muddled Everything Now and tightened their focus, turning inward again to offer up this 10-song, 40-minute cycle, neatly split into an I and a We side. The album rights the ship after the disco/pop sprawl of the last two albums, dipping into a Bowie influence (Peter Gabriel makes an appearance here) and releasing one of their best songs ever with the anthemic two-parter “The Lightning.” It’s good to have them back.
	Queens Of The Stone Age – In Times New Roman Six years separates this from the previous Queens disc, but the sound and style goes back deeper into the band’s catalog, and the personal turmoil in Josh Homme’s life imbues the songwriting with gravity. It’s a hooky, hard-rock effort that strips away any pop artifice, a sort of sludge-rock with hints of prog and middle-period Zeppelin; check out “Time & Place,” “Negative Space,” “Carnavoyeur” and “Straight Jacket Fitting” and you’ll agree that the Queens of old have returned.
	Gorillaz – Cracker Island The second and better Damon Albarn project of 2023, the album is prime Gorillaz, 37 minutes of mashed-up genres and guest stars. Bad Bunny, Tame Impala, Beck and Stevie Nicks all get a crack at collaborating with Albarn’s cartoon band this time; the quality varies, but the disco thump and slippery electronics of the title track added up to one of the catchiest songs of the year.
	Metallica – 72 Seasons One of the bigger events of the year was news of a new Metallica effort, and this one lived up to the hype more so than Hardwired; some also felt it was better than Death Magnetic and certainly better than anything from the 1996-03 era. By and large, that’s true; the band is invigorated, with songs ranging from the punch of “Lux Aeterna” to the 11-minute “Inamorata,” and Robert Trujillo is more involved in the songwriting this time around too. Just a great effort from the godfathers of metal.
	Blink-182 – One More Time… Certain bands are always associated with their era and with one’s youth, so the news of a reunion album and tour from the original trio was huge for a certain group of people in their 40s, who were suddenly taken back to the late ’90s and the end of MTV’s video/Carson Daly era and their high school youth. But it’s not just nostalgia fueling the guys; life has been lived, things have happened, and this album (coming on the heels of a cancer diagnosis) felt like something they all needed to make. That shows through in the songs, particularly the roaring opener “Anthem Part 3.”

THE SOLID

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – Council Skies

In the same year as a remastered version of Oasis’ The Masterplan was released, guitarist/songwriter Noel Gallagher released the latest High Flying Birds project, and the two couldn’t be more different yet are equally appealing. Noel’s songwriting is more chill, imbued with an adult pulse and something approaching maturity. Even Liam grudgingly admitted “Dead To The World” was a beautiful song, though I think the shimmering title track is one of the best songs he’s written in a decade.

Gov’t Mule – Peace Like A River

A twisty road through a Southern state, the second Mule album in three years is better than its predecessors, a jambalaya of musical flavors and workouts that is easy to get lost in. It may drag in spots, but “Dreaming Out Loud,” “Made My Peace” and “After The Storm” is some of the best work Warren Haynes has done in years.

The Hold Steady – The Price Of Progress

Craig Finn has become rock music’s new storyteller and the new Hold Steady continues this tradition, infusing some rather unremarkable songs with a writer’s eye for detail. You feel you know these characters, or at least you’ve enjoyed spending time with them, but you can always relate, and that takes skill. “Flyover Halftime” is thrilling, though, while “Distortions Of Faith” and “Grand Junction” aren’t half bad either at meeting music and lyrics.

Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II

Yes, he’s Eddie’s son, but Wolfgang continues to forge his own path, and there’s almost nothing on this album that recalls the original Van Halen name. Wolf is influenced by the hard rock of the early 2000s (Chevelle, Meshuggah, Alter Bridge, etc.) and plays every instrument on his sophomore album, a feat unto itself. “Optimist” is a great cut, indicative of the artist Wolf is trying to be, while “Miles Above Me” and “Erase Me” have pop smarts snaking around the hard rock. There are tips of the hat to his famous father’s band here and there (the instrumental “Take A Bow,” played on his dad’s old equipment, for example), but Wolf succeeds in being his own man here.

Screaming Females – Desire Pathway

A real indie punk-rock band with a loyal following, five years separated Marissa Paternoster’s projects under this moniker, and it could be the best of the band’s career. Recorded at the same studio as In Utero and Rid Of Me, and the ghosts of that inspiration fuel solid cuts like “Brass Bell” and the raucous “Desert Train.”

Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex

Based on a short story Wilson wrote, this is a true prog album from one of the truest prog-rockers of the last 25 years. Synthesizers play a dominant role, resulting in an icy, distant album that is beautiful to listen to but difficult to really feel. “What Life Brings,” though, is a great song.

Greta Van Fleet – Starcatcher

The Michigan band’s third album trades heavier in rock mysticism (wizards and archers and Meeting the Master and shit), still inspired by Rush and Zeppelin, but no longer sounding indebted to them. “Meeting The Master” is the first real attempt at a building epic; its flip side is the too-brief hard rock instrumental “Runway Blues.”

Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds

I didn’t expect to like this one, but it turned out that losing Charlie Watts (he’s only on two of the 12 songs here) sparked something dormant in Jagger and Richards, and this album is a rip-roaring good time. Less mannered than anything under the Stones name since Steel Wheels, this could be the final album from the guys, and it’s a fine way to go.

GETTING A LITTLE REPETITIVE

Blur – The Ballad of Darren

I had high hopes for Blur’s first proper album since 1999, but it became clear that Damon Albarn saves all his joy for Gorillaz projects. This is a dull, 36-minute affair, where gloom and breakups hang heavy; it’s mature, stately, reflective. Gone is the band of “Parklife,” and in its place are adults who layer slow-moving ballads with strings and fog. Only on a couple occasions does the band display some of its old magic: “St. Charles Square” and its Bowie flavors are a welcome sight, and the self-reflective “Russian Strings” isn’t bad. Fans will claim this is amazing, as fans do, but with a critical eye this one just falls short.

Joe Bonamassa – Blues Deluxe Vol 2

Look, I love Joey B and will defend him to anyone. Dude is one of the pre-eminent blues guitarists of the last 23 years. Because of this, he’s past the point where he can mail in a covers album. Of course, it’s well played, with soul and grit, and relies more on horns than guitar theatrics than his older albums. But like covers albums, it feels like a stall, a way to get product out for a tour or to cover time between originals. It’s a fine album. If you like bluesy hard rock and Memphis horns, you’ll enjoy yourself. I just can’t get excited about it, knowing what Joe is capable of.

Dave Matthews Band – Walk Around The Moon

DMB’s pandemic album is long on grooves and short on excitement or flourish; there’s almost nothing here that gets under your skin or touches your heart. We’re down to the rhythm section and Matthews now (Boyd Tinsley left in 2018 and of course Leroi Moore passed away in 2008), and without those two the songs just sort of sit around, lacking any fire or inspiration. Only “Madman’s Eyes” and “Break Free” are contenders for an updated DMB playlist and are worth checking out; whatever you do, though, skip “After Everything,” the worst DMB song of all time ever. Holy crap.

GIVE IT UP ALREADY

Roger Waters – Dark Side Of The Moon Redux

An absolute shitshow of an album, one that fully besmirches the spirit and sound of the original, erasing every contribution made by David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Nick Mason, Claire Torry and Alan Parsons and turning the classic piece into a dreary spoken-word diary entry, narrated by an egotistical out-of-touch baby boomer. It’s as if the Mona Lisa had been reimagined as a Dilbert comic. And it’s my fourth-favorite Floyd album, so this isn’t fanboy griping. It’s genuinely awful.

U2 – Songs Of Surrender

To pass the time between Songs Of Experience, the Vegas residency and whatever album comes next, U2 decided to re-record 40 of their songs in a stripped-down, acoustic and very adult coffeehouse manner. Only fitfully entertaining or revelatory, the affair is best forgotten in favor of the originals, which have remained classics for a reason. Slowing things to a crawl, mumbling the words, and stripping the songs of any dynamics or passion is not a key to success.