The 30 Best EPs of 2023

Last week, the Paste music staff unveiled its list of the 50 best albums of 2023. Narrowing that coterie down was a dense labor. Who would’ve guessed that doing the same thing for EPs would be even tougher? Nevertheless, the team was able to wade through the seemingly never-ending pool of small albums and come up with 30 standouts, ranging from releases that are nearly in full-length territory to 10-minute gems. This group of EPs has everything from debuts to career triumphs from seasoned vets, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have spent time with each and every entry.

For this list, we are only considering projects that have explicitly been called an EP by their makers—hence why Kurt Vile’s hour-long Back to Moon Beach is here and Hand Habits’ Sugar the Bruise is not, as the latter has maintained that it’s a full-length and not the inverse. What constitutes an EP is a rather gray area, and this is the consistency that makes the most sense. So, without further ado, here are the 30 best EPs of 2023. —Matt Mitchell, Music Editor

30. Searows: End Of The World

End Of The World is a bold statement from Searows, sonically and thematically. Where Guard Dog languished beneath gloom as if it were a towering, malevolent stack of blankets, crushing him beneath the lulling softness of depression, End Of The World imagines something more. While the title suggests a sadness with a catastrophic denouement for the entire planet, the EP offers suggestions of hope that the album did not. Both address similar emotions that Alec Duckart encounters regularly, anxiety especially, but the EP suggests that nerve spirals have an ephemeral quality, that there is a possibility to live beyond those cycles. The nearly seven-minute long opener “Older” is a triumph in itself, demonstrating where Searows is headed next after years of diaphanous guitar folk. The orchestration, strumming, and soaring vocals are reminiscent of Bon Iver, piercing through crisp northern autumns with the same gentleness Duckart displays with the goats featured on the EP’s cover. His enthusiasm for cinema soundtracks shines through here as the song meanders, picking up steam like his favorite dramas. The song’s fortitude echoes the lyrical commitment to resiliency he’s pursuing. As he narrates the complicated trajectories of individual growth and interpersonal relationships, “Older” creeps northward in pressure before he opens the floodgates, drums crashing and keys marching not unlike the best of Radical Face. To open with “Older” on the EP was a bold move, one that sets it up for more drama, and while Duckart sculpts it in different ways, there’s little doubt that he delivers. —Devon Chodzin

29. Foodman: Uchigawa Tankentai

Japanese producer Foodman has always had a knack for rhythmic, impressively cohesive work. His recent EP, Uchigawa Tankentai, throws all of that out the window. The songs are abstract and downright mangled, bleeping and blooping their way into a freeform, chaotic, electronic euphoria. Truly, this collection of songs—if you can even call it such a thing—is jarring, challenging and otherwise precious. The songs are non-linear and crunchy and claustrophobic. A thousand palettes come screaming at the listener from every angle and, yet, the sampling, keyboard pushes and non-existent melodies synthesize into one kaleidoscope of disjointed charm. I can’t even recommend a song from the bunch; these 10 minutes need to be listened to in one sitting. You won’t be sorry, or maybe you will. This EP isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a masterclass in everything it touches. —Matt Mitchell

28. HotWax: Invite me, kindly

Few brand new acts have hit the scene quite as ferociously as the UK punk trio HotWax, whose latest EP—Invite me, kindly—is a convergence of grunge and funk. Needless to say, the work of Tallulah Sim-Savage, Lola Sam and Alfie Sayers is effortlessly charming and unforgettable. Songs like “Phone Machine” and “Drop” are brought to life through gritty femme energy, heavy riffs and monster hooks. England has produced quite a number of incendiary acts in recent years, but HotWax is special. What’s even more special is that Invite me, kindly is the three-piece’s second EP of 2023. A Thousand Times was a moving debut, and you can hear just how Sim-Savage, Sam and Sayers have all leveled-up exponentially here. A standout track like “E Flat” employs an anthemic catharsis that is pure adrenaline all the way down to the bone. I hope HotWax has a full-length on the horizon; few new acts have had as explosive of a 2023. —MM

27. Kurt Vile: Back to Moon Beach

One year after his last LP, (watch my moves), Philadelphia indie rock icon Kurt Vile returned with a full album moonlighting as an EP. Clocking in at almost an hour long, the record is an amalgam of the past four years, including tracks done in collaboration with Chris Cohen, Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa and Vile’s late bandmate Rob Laasko. Just in time for the holiday season came a cover of Bob Dylan’s underrated, absurd gem “Must Be Santa” and a take on Wilco’s A.M. track “Passenger Side. The highlight of the record remains to be its lead single, the Cate Le Bon-co-produced “Another good year for the roses.” Despite Vile’s contention that Back to Moon Beach is not an LP, “Another good year for the roses” is more than worthy of being the definitive track on any full-length project. At five-and-a-half minutes, it’s got everything a peak Kurt Vile production needs: drawling piano, downtempo, peculiar vocal musings and a million-dollar guitar solo that carries on forever. It’s perfect and all you could want, even if it’s the pinnacle of “non-album material.” Back to Moon Beach is proof that even Vile’s throwaways in-between main albums are stellar. —MM

26. Ice Spice: Like..?

Right now, Ice Spice is one of the biggest rap stars on Earth. And yet, she doesn’t even have a full-length project under her belt—unless you want to count the deluxe-edition of her debut EP Like..? as such. But, the project arrived at the dawn of January and quickly established a truth we’ve come to embrace wholeheartedly: Ice Spice is the real, captivating deal. She’s Bronx drill royalty for a reason, and songs like her Nicki Minaj collab “Princess Diana,” the Lil Tjay duet “Gangsta Boo” and “Actin A Smoochie” are clever, hooky benchmarks that confirm Spice is destined to remain larger-than-life like her contemporaries Cardi B, Nicki and even Megan Thee Stallion. Like..? got her on Saturday Night Live and a bushel of Grammy nominations. I can only imagine where Ice Spice’s fame will go once her first proper LP hits. —MM

25. Lilts: Waiting Around

Earlier this summer, a song called “Dodge Street” by Lilts came out of nowhere and it, safe to say, stunned me. Dripped in synthesizers and guitars pumped heavy with distortion pedals and Laura Wolf’s angelic vocalizations, there’s a boldness about the track that so few releases have replicated this year. “I don’t wanna sit here waitin’ while you dream, I don’t wanna waste another day.” I imagine it’s what Springsteen would sound like if he made electro-pop; euphoric falsettos doused in bright instrumentation. Though there are moments, especially on “Dodge Street,” where you can hear hues of the last Wild Pink album—ILYSM—Waiting Around is largely a unique, singular endeavor that stands apart from anything Wolf and John Ross have done in their respective lanes. On the EP Wolf and Ross place all of their focus into bringing their strengths to the table and working through what feels most natural. They’re not consciously quoting anything they’ve made separately in the past; instead, they’re leaning into their own strengths as songwriters and bouncing off one another’s energy. —MM

24. Julie Byrne & Laugh Cry Laugh: Julie Byrne with Laugh Cry Laugh

Julie Byrne already released one of the best albums of 2023 back in July. And it was her first project in six years. Now, she’s got much more to say, as Julie Byrne with Laugh Cry Laugh, her collaborative EP with Emily Fontana and Taryn Blake Miller arrives as a perfect end-cap to what The Greater Wings accomplished earlier this year. Tracks like “Velocity! What About the Inertia!?” and “‘22” are deliberate and devotional, as Byrne opens the former singing “I love you always / Our names carved in the table / In the time that it takes for the spirit to burn.” Sliding and ghostly strings strum a comforting pattern, repeating in perfect time to remind us not to forget about the inertia; the underlying force keeping love in motion. Top that off with a stirring, emotive cover of Jackson Browne’s “These Days,” and the EP solidifies that this was, without a doubt, Julie Byrne’s year. —Madelyn Dawson

23. Hemlocke Springs: Going…Going…Gone!

Hemlocke Springs—the moniker of 24-year-old R&B singer/songwriter Naomi Udu—rose to prominence via SoundCloud and TikTok while she was studying for her master’s at Dartmouth. Her work, which fuses decades-old synth-pop with timeless soul, is not flash-in-the-pan, though; her debut EP, Going…Going…Gone! is ridiculously brilliant and exciting. It’s always a joy to tap into a project and see its creator blossoming into a star in realtime as the tracklist moves along—and that’s what we get for Hemlocke Springs here. “girlfriend” is glitchy, celestial and intoxicating, while “pos” puts a well-timed cowbell beneath the sultry, thrilling melody. Udu understands the weight of her own infectious appeal, and she makes pop music accordingly. “the train to nowhere” is one of the best alt-R&B cuts of 2023 altogether, and Going…Going…Gone! is the type of first offering that never gets old. Hemlocke Springs might just be the first internet rock stars who sticks around long enough to turn virality into sold-out tours, charting hits and industry-wide acclaim. She’s absolutely got my vote. —MM

22. Beach House: Become

I don’t think anyone was doubting it, but Beach House’s leftovers are, somehow, better than most folks’ first choices. After putting out their magnum opus Once Twice Melody last year, they couldn’t let 2023 ride through without placing some kind of imprint on it. Hence the release of Become, a collection of five outtakes from the Once Twice Melody sessions. They don’t arrive like demos, though, as Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally are just as moving, captivating and cosmic as ever. EP centerpiece “Holiday House” goes toe-to-toe with 95% of Once Twice Melody, while “Black Magic” is some of the best guitar-focused dream pop Beach House have ever made. Of course, the duo doesn’t reinvent the wheel with Become. To be a Beach House appreciator is to understand that they are firmly in their own lane and are dominating the road ahead. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a cliché for a reason, yet Legrand and Scally always seem to make it feel gorgeously fresh. —MM

21. SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE: i’m so lucky

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE’s summer release—i’m so lucky—managed to arrive as this dense, beautiful and complicated slate of psychedelic dream pop, post-punk, chillwave, hardcore and synth-pop—encompassed in just four songs. There’s distortion and shimmering keys at every turn; punctuated, subdued vocals running across glitching pathways. i’m so lucky may, perhaps, be a bridge for BEEHIVE, connecting their 2021 album Entertainment, Death to whatever full-length awaits them next. But Zack Schwartz, Rivka Ravede and Corey Wichlin are really cooking up some magical tunes together on this project—especially the bookends “human debenture” and “natural devotion 2.” It’s miraculous that a band could fit so many sounds, pivots, risks and mesmerizations into 11 minutes—but, then again, if anyone were to do it, it’s SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE. i’m so lucky is a quick listen, but a rewarding one with limitless replay value. —MM

20. Angel Olsen: Forever Means

After putting out the—in my opinion—best album of her career in 2022, Angel Olsen turned around this April with more to offer. Big Time, her sixth LP, was a critical success and further preserved her place in the zeitgeist, and its full turn towards country-inspired indie folk was revelatory. Her follow-up EP, Forever Means, picked up the pieces exactly where they were left a year ago. Every track is built through a common thread, where Olsen reckons with grief, love and coming to terms with the sublime—and often unknowable and unpredictable—endings waiting ahead of us. Centerpiece “Nothing’s Free,” in particular, makes sense as a post-Big Time release. Sonically, it’s its own elegant and strange cosmos. “Here it comes, no way to stop it now,” Olsen sings. “I’m broken down for you like no one else.” It’s a trembling, haunting octave smeared atop a lounge-style piano with horns and organs surrounding her. Forever Means is eerie, gothic, queer and marvelous; the ultimate cocktail of grandeur from one of our greatest living songwriters. —MM

19. The Reds, Pinks & Purples: Murder, Oral Sex & Cigarettes

The Reds, Pinks & Purples have put out four EPs in 2023 (and two LPs), so this wasn’t an easy decision. In the end, we went with Murder, Oral Sex & Cigarettes, given that it kicks off with “What Will Heaven Be Like,” one of the best post-punk tracks this year. The San Francisco project of Glenn Donaldson is as prolific as King Gizzard but with much less surrealism. Murder, Oral Sex & Cigarettes is gothic jangle-pop ecstasy clocking in at 23 minutes. Donaldson’s moody vocals are a cosmic trance, and songs like “A Figure on the Stairs” and “Generator Shows” are of the best Reds, Pinks & Purples cuts of the year. At this point, you can expect a tremendous outing every time Donaldson drops a new record. Murder, Oral Sex & Cigarettes is sending the group off in style. —MM

18. The Alchemist: Flying High

No figure in hip-hop is busier than The Alchemist, who produces at such a massive clip that it can be easy to fall behind on his output. His July EP, though, is the type of project that, like Kurt Vile, is floating with full-length status—at eight songs (if you’re counting the instrumentals tacked on) and nearly 30 minutes in runtime. Flying High does what its title suggests, as The Alchemist welcomes in an all-star cast of characters, including Earl Sweatshirt, Larry June, Boldly James and billy woods, among others. It’s a quick listen packed with titanic chapters. Opener “RIP Tracy” lets Earl run wild on Ghostface and Jordan Peele references, while billy woods injects his own trademark humor (“I’m just a regular guy, put designer jeans on one leg at a time”). “Bless” pairs MIKE and Sideshow and is a smooth, melodic standout. The Alchemist has had a great 2023, dropping LPs with Earl, MIKE & Wiki, Roc Marciano, Domo Genesis and Larry June, but it’s here, on his own compilation of “solo” production, that he shines brightest. —MM

17. addy: temperance

Addy Watkins’ temperance EP has been out for less than 72 hours, but it’s one of the prettiest projects I’ve heard all year. The Philadelphia singer/songwriter (who also plays in Crooks & Nannies) has compiled something truly warm here across six songs, and they greatly understand how to tug at every heartstring in sight. “hudson” and “tuck” and “poison ivy” are country-inspired gestures of intimate indie-folk, as Watkins lets their twang shine ever so sublimely throughout. Penultimate track “poison ivy” kicks it up a notch with a more uptempo back-beat, but Watkins’ channeling of their own poetry sounds like what Sufjan Stevens trying to make a Death Cab for Cutie song might arrive like. Done alongside Tim Peele, Kurt Bailey, Taylor Noll, Colin Pastore and Jake Finch, temperance is 22 minutes of grace, personal reckonings and grief-heavy melodies that are bound to stay with you for a long, long time after closing track “vacation” fades out. —MM

16. Blawan: Dismantled Into Juice

Blawan’s EP Dismantled Into Juice is the glitch oasis that has cemented Jamie Roberts as one of our most promising producers. The UK composer has a knack for a good rhythm, and his propensity for ace drumwork finds an obvious home here. The songs on Dismantled Into Juice are frantic and chaotic, deftly rebuking any assumption that Blawan is interested in exploring the catharsis of four-on-the-floor bliss-pop. The synths haunt, the drum machines are like lethargic, droopy weapons of mass, non-linear confusion. The work is industrial yet entrancing. Songs like “Body Ramen” and “Panic” have been set ablaze from the inside; Dismantled Into Juice will squeeze you into a pulp. —MM

15. Wishy: Paradise

The second EP of 2023 from Wishy—a new band led by songwriters Kevin Krauter (of Hoops) and Nina Pitchkites—is one for the books. Paradise is about as good of a star-turn as any rock band could want, as Wishy just make music that sticks with you for the long haul. Lead singles “Donut” and “Too True” have each been stellar composites of what the quintet has to offer. The former, sung by Pitchkites, is a roaring, distorted and anthemic spin on leaving a toxic, failing relationship. On the latter, Krauter hops on the mic and sings about growing up and realizing that someone he idolized isn’t the same person anymore. Paradise boasts elements of shoegaze, symphonic backing instrumentation and dream-pop inclinations. Wishy are, truly, something else, spearheaded by Krauter and Pitchkites’ communal take on gauzy arrangements and cresting harmonies. They merge every angle into a stirring palette of alt-rock that’ll color your entire day. If there’s a band you need to know right this instant, look no further than Wishy. Paradise will rock your world. —MM

14. Octo Octa: Dreams of a Dancefloor

At three songs and a 25-minute runtime, Octo Octa’s recent EP Dreams of a Dancefloor exhilarates at every turn—and, trust me, there are a lot of those. Maya Bouldry-Morrison—the New Hampshire DJ in question here—is at an all-time apex on this project, as she explores deep house and trance music in order to create vivid vignettes of parties and club culture. The work is dense and full of fruitful rewards. In fact, the music of Octo Octa is healing. Halfway through “Let Yourself Go!,” the beat switches and you can feel the freak-out climax deep within every bone in your body. Massive bookend tracks “Late Night Love” and “Come Here, Let’s Commune” weave in and out of emoticons and sound as chaotic as they do sublime. The various adventures that this EP takes you on cannot be ignored, as Bouldry-Morrison has such a brilliant, intricate command of her own electronic prowess. No need for a vocal melody, the syncopated, atmospheric comedown on “Late Night Love” says much more than words ever could. —MM

13. Geese: 4D Country

In just two years, Brooklyn quintet Geese have exploded onto the scene with daring, auspicious rock ‘n’ roll that so many folks have become obsessed with. With an artillery of post-punk, stadium anthems and energetic, Y2K garage rock, Geese perfected a sound that is as meticulous as krautrock and as titanic as cowboy chords set ablaze by 10-foot-tall amplifiers. While their recent sophomore album, 3D Country, Geese returned soon after with an EP of extra portions. The five songs on 4D Country, which include a slightly re-imagined version of the OG title track, are all vignettes of a grandness that cannot—and could never be—contained within the confines of one singular album. Geese are, all at once, vicious, theatrical, heartfelt and awing. Tunes like “Jesse” and “Art of War” capitalize on the experimental, seismic chaos the five-piece have perfected, while “Space Race” finds vocalist Cameron Winter going absolutely bonkers on the upswing. Predictable textures and tones are just not in the cards for Geese; every song they make is meant to put you in a tailspin. —MM

12. Girl Scout: Granny Music

While Stockholm quartet Girl Scout came roaring out of the gates on Real Life Human Garbage earlier this year, they had even more to say the second time around. Through infectious power-pop grooves, tight bursts of noise and piercingly clear vocal rawness, their sounds prove as generational as they can possibly position them. On Granny Music, they already know exactly what they are doing. Emma Jansson opens the EP with an order: “Hang up the phone,” she sings on “Monster,” “Honey I’m home.” The band has arrived, and they demand that, for the next 20 minutes, you better pay attention. The track is punchy and straightforward; though it evades the whiny theatrics of teen angst, it comes with more than its fair share of self-loathing. “I am an animal / Weary and disturbed,” Jansson wails, “Just give me what I want / I’m a monster.” Tracks “Boy In Blue” and “Bruises” occupy the two more disparate ends of Granny Music’s spectrum. The former is the hardest-rocking track on the album, an instant anthem—guitar-driven and arena ready, but dotted with twinkling synth-keys. The latter, a self-proclaimed power ballad, is the most instantly hopeful moment of the EP, an ode to healing despite our collective traumas. —MD

11. waterbaby: Foam

Swedish folk and soul singer/songwriter waterbaby is primed to have a breakout 2024. But first, the recent Sub Pop signee saw it apt to drop one of the prettiest and most stirring EPs of 2023. Foam is only five songs, but it’s a massive emblem of vulnerability and silk-spun melodies. waterbaby is the type of songstress the world needs right now, as her songs are colorful and nurturing. Lead single “911” is, perhaps, one of the most inspiring and intoxicatingly subtle tracks of the year altogether. Couple that with something like “Airforce blue,” and you’ve got a real masterclass introduction to an artist whose feet hasn’t even left the ground yet. waterbaby merges folk-picking with R&B beats seamlessly, and Foam is an introduction like no other. The work is dizzying, yet the stems of her forthcoming stardom are perfectly grounded. —MM

10. Lowertown: Skin of My Teeth

Since Lowertown‘s third album I Love To Lie was released last year, Avsha Weinberg and Olivia Osby have been working on more music that will allow them to find themselves now—along with what they feel still resonates after all these years of making music together. Today, it’s electronic. Tomorrow, it might be something totally different. The duo feel as though they’ve failed as artists if they make music that sounds exactly like something they’ve already released before. In their latest EP Skin of My Teeth, and specifically within the song “Bline,” they are honing in on an unaddressed lack of belonging somewhere—all while constructing the track with a sonic happiness, and therefore, a hopefulness. Lowertown’s performative stylings have a natural theatrical aspect to them that they aren’t always able to embody in front of the younger crowds they’ve opened for in the past—largely in fear of scaring audiences they had to fight tooth and nail to win over. Skin of My Teeth is fun and upbeat, yet a completely new direction for Lowertown, who’ve vaulted into a mature, earned sound that’s primed them for an explosive 2024 and beyond. —Brittany Deitch

9. Annie Blackman: Bug

A follow-up to her 2022 album All of It, Annie Blackman’s Bug EP is the type of project that should be the bridge between records. And, yet, Bug is a star-making appearance for the Montclair, New Jersey singer/songwriter. The songs—especially “Ash” and “The Well”—are patient and pensive and downright crystal-clear in their portrayal of immense transparency. “Turn on the AC, open up the window. Just like a princess, I run up the hill,” Blackman sings on the latter. “And mix the breezes, shiver like a little dog. You wanna fuck me, and I wanna read your palm.” The EP is a masterclass in examinations of dating, relationships, broken hearts, dichotomies and whole-hearted passion. Maybe this is a bridge between All of It and what’s next on the horizon for Blackman, but Bug stands alone as a visceral and familiar benchmark of personal triumph and no-punches-pulled indie-folk. —MM

8. NewJeans: Get Up

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, after TikTok virality and Korean dance crazes, that NewJeans’ 2nd EP, Get Up, builds upon a hot streak unlike any in pop music. Spanning six songs over just 12 minutes, the record offers a sleek, ethereal sound that melds R&B with club vibes in a formula previously underutilized in K-pop. The release has propelled NewJeans to another new height: A #1 ranking on the Billboard 200 albums list, selling 500 more units than the recently released Barbie soundtrack. It’s the quintet’s first appearance on the chart, and only the second instance from an all-female group in 15 years. (The other entry to top the chart: Born Pink from BLACKPINK, the biggest K-pop act in the world.) On top of that, NewJeans are the first Korean female act to have their first-ever entry debut at #1 on the chart. Rubbing shoulders with K-pop royalty just a year out from your debut should be cause for elation, and yet, somehow, it feels like a mere starting block for one of the youngest acts in pop—its members range from just 15 to 18 years old. Their youth belies the precision in NewJeans’ aesthetic and musical point of view, which rejects the EDM bombast and sugary maximalism of K-pop’s present and argues for a groovier, more demure future. —Eddie Kim

7. Rocket: Versions of You

The debut EP from LA quartet Rocket absolutely soars. Behind Alithea Tuttle’s star-bound vocals and the dueling lead guitar of Baron Rinzler and Desi Scaglione, the band combines a laid-back California charm with biting lyricism and tight, synergetic compositions. The songs, like “Normal to Me” and “Sugarcoated,” are exercises in portrayals of intimate and time-honored friendships, generational, novel ideas and exciting styles, aesthetics and soundscapes. “Portrait Show,” in particular, harbors a certain nostalgia for past lives instead of past eras. Tuttle’s singing fights through the shroud of the self and of our vulnerable contradictions to reach us. She delivers them effortlessly through the noise of non-perishable alt-rock patterns, as she chronicles deep-seated uncertainty and grapples with fraught-fretted grief. If Sonic Youth made pop chart-friendly hits, you’d have Rocket. We need 100 more of these songs. —MD

6. Mykki Blanco: Postcards From Italia

A combination of Eurodance, classic rock and soul-inspired rap, Mykki Blanco’s recent RP Postcards From Italia is a colorful riot of playful heaters. Explorations on Blackness, femininity and queerness live in the bones and joys of these six songs—and it’s some of the best stuff of Blanco’s career thus far. “Tequila Casino Royale” is relentlessly groovy, and Blanco’s flows are of the gold standard. Elsewhere, on tracks like “Johnny” and “Just a Fable,” they make good on wondrous conduction and sorrow submerged beneath the glow of thousand dancefloors. With the attitude of old school hip-hop running like an electric current throughout, Blanco is able to harness their own eclecticism in favor of retro-yet-timeless triumphs. This EP is one full of never-ending delights. “I believe in love, and I believe in going hard,” Blanco sings on the closing track “Holidays in the Sun.” That much, I agree, is true. —MM

5. Jlin: Perspective

Jlin—the moniker of Indiana electronic songwriter Jerrilynn Patton—remains one of the best IDM and footwork projects around. And it’s hard to argue that when your most recent EP is a Pulitzer Prize finalist in music. That’s exactly what Perspective achieved earlier this year, and it more than solidified Jlin’s presence in the electronica world—though most of us have long maintained that truth ever since her debut album Dark Energy hit the shelves in 2015. Perspective is a six-song, 27-minute tour de force that never lets up. Taking acoustic samples from the Third Coast Percussion ensemble and distilling them into explosive, meticulous compositions, Jlin’s work is syncopated, beautiful and challenging. It takes a true auteur to make their own language out of fragments of someone else’s creative visions, and that’s what Jlin has done across these tracks. “Dissonance” and “Paradigm” shimmy, quake and find composure in their own eccentricities. The project is emotional at every turn, but with that emotion comes a sense of dimension that, for my money, will never be replicated. —MM

4. crushed: extra life

Los Angeles and Portland duo crushed—Shaun Durkan and Bre Morell—came out of the gates with an absolutely beautiful six-song debut in February, and it hasn’t left my rotation since. extra life is graciously buoyed by its opening track “waterlily,” which might go down as one of the best dream pop songs of 2023. It certainly is by our standards, as the sublime palette of the project altogether never embraces the nostalgia of 1990s celestial shoegaze and bedroom pop too heavy-handedly. Instead, Durkan and Morell understand what limitations that kind of sentimentality can have on a project. In turn, songs like “bedside” and “respawn” are sexy, hazy and blissful. The duo pack the EP with field recordings and samples, and the result is a glitchy paradise that swirls and shines at every turn. Morell’s vocals pair deftly with Durkan’s affinity for production, and their combined obsessions (Natalie Imbruglia and trip-hop) distilled into a Boards of Canada-meets-Slowdive amalgam paint a sincere portrait of shared affection. extra life isn’t just a moving first EP; it’s one of the best debut projects of the year altogether. —MM

3. Girl Scout: Real Life Human Garbage

Girl Scout are the best new band in the world. But how could that be, when they only have two EPs out? Just trust me. Of course, propping an artist up on such a tall pedestal can have its consequences. But, sometimes, you can tell when there is magic. Is it hyperbolic of me to make such a grand assumption? Perhaps, depending on the musical tastes of those receiving my proclamation. Yet, few artists in recent memory have come out of the gates as quickly, and as powerfully, as Girl Scout. The lead single from their debut, five-song EP Real Life Human Garbage, “Do You Remember Sally Moore?,” wasn’t just their first official release as a band, but their first song ever. Even if Girl Scout were to never make anything beyond Real Life Human Garbage, the statement of their impressiveness on this first offering would remain unequivocally true. Emma Jansson, Viktor Spasov, Per Lindberg and Evelina Arvidsson Eklind are the electric and immediate future, stuffing their sound with bedroom pop, jittery New Wave and seething indie rock fashioned together like an amiable smorgasbord of untapped potential. —MM

2. Yaya Bey: Exodus the North Star

Yaya Bey’s stellar 2022 album Remember Your North Star was a masterwork on its own, and the same can be said about its follow-up EP Exodus the North Star. Bey is one of our brightest performers, and her arrangements of rap, neo-soul and Afrobeats just never fails to impress. This EP, especially, is a songwriting triumph, as the Brooklyn multi-hyphenate zeroes in on Black Caribbean womanhood, astrology, rebirth and communal gospel. There are touches of reggae and house working in-tandem with Bey’s textbook R&B styings, and Exodus the North Star makes good on her momentum—which shows no signs of letting up, given the recent singles she just put out that signal another record is looming. “when saturn returns” is a piano ballad for the ages, while “munerah” is mambo that finds Bey weaving between singing and rapping. The electronic elements are a dazzling undercurrent glowing beneath compositions that are, sometimes, intentionally minimalistic. But that sparseness only adds dimension to Bey’s voice, which has never been stronger than it is here. Exodus the North Star is not so much an endcap to her phenomenal year; it’s a foreshadowing of just how much stardom she has left to capture. —MM

1. Atka: The Eye Against The Ashen Sky

German singer/songwriter Atka’s debut EP is a stupendous, spectral masterwork. “Lenny” is glitchy and catchy and marauding, as the song radiates danceable anxiety with electronics that boast drum machine work not too far removed from The National’s Sleep Well Beast era. But even then, Atka distills an idiosyncratic, postmodern vibrato into her singing—which then transforms into this colorful, visceral melody. “Lenny” is triumphant and unforgettable and lyrically piercing. “You scream ‘Grow up!’ yet you sit there, frozen in time,” Atka sings. “I love you but you are bored, say you have nothing to gain from this.” There’s boldness and then there’s “Lenny,” which outpaces any such colloquialism. The glitz of Atka’s second offering is undefinable yet marvelous.

And her spectral “Eye in the Sky,” a track embossed in darkness, is just as beautifully spine-rattling. “Just a smudge against the ashen sky, ask the people how they’re getting by,” Atka sings. She reflects on a period of grief, as she begins seeing a lost love in every place she goes—as if her waking steps after trauma are being analyzed by bygones. “I’ve seen the days fold up like paper towns, twirl my dress in his frown, just drifting away,” it goes. Atka is a distinct voice that should be on your radar until further notice; The Eye Against The Ashen Sky is revelatory. —MM