One more last thing before we go...The Best Of 2023

 

Okay so the truth is...I wasn't expecting to come back to Nite Songs. I think that's pretty clear from the sign-off that I did from this webzine in February. And, if I'm completely honest, it's not something I'd honestly have the time to do nowadays. To try and cut a long story fairly short, last year a lot of things changed for me - I started a new job, became a homeowner for the first time and, suddenly, real life started to get in the way of writing this webzine. Evenings which, in the past, would've been spent writing reviews and listening to albums instead became all-too-precious opportunities to get away from the hectic nine-to-five world and shut my brain off for a few hours.

And, if I'm honest, I don't really miss being a webzine editor that much. For all that I enjoyed spouting forth my opinions on the new music of today, 2023 was probably the year where I realised that actually, I'm not sure how on the pulse my finger is anymore. A lot of stuff that fell this way, I was reviewing just for the sake of it and...well, I'm sure it can't be just me who's found his heart sinking when he's realised that there's not much coming through the review pile except a stream of just-on-the-right-side-of-average power-pop albums from over in the States. Reviewing increasingly felt like a younger man than me's game towards the end of Nite Songs' existence and, if I'm honest, I should probably have ended it after the end of year review I did for 2022.

But the fact that the 'zine ended so suddenly did end up bugging me as the year went on. Even though for the first few months afterwards, it actually felt like a huge weight off my shoulders, being able to listen to music as a fan again rather than having to painstakingly evaluate it and knowing that if I wanted to switch off from hunting new music down I could just sink back into some of my old favourites from the '70s, '80s and '90s and not feel guilty about it, I still felt that Nite Songs needed some sort of proper closure.

So this is it - an end of year review for 2023. As I've been consuming a lot less new music this year than before, it's just a Top 50 albums this time out but I like to think that everything that's featured here is well worth you going and giving a listen to. I could, of course, spout on about those bands/artists who let themselves down musically (not to mention the ones who exposed themselves as prize idiots with things they've said this year) but...y'know what? Life's too short. If you run into me at a pub somewhere just buy me a pint and I'll go into that side of it but I'm gonna make this last Nite Songs article about good things and not bad. I think it's how I'd want the 'zine to be remembered.

However, as always, a quick mention to those who were unlucky to just miss out on a place in our Top 50 - the Dirty Strangers (Hunter's Moon), Inger Lorre (Gloryland), Danko Jones (Electric Music), Dream Nails (Doom Loop), Rancid (Tomorrow Never Comes), Sister Morphine (Ghosts Of Heartbreak City), Watts (The Black Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll) and Avenged Sevenfold (Life Is But A Dream) all featured on early drafts of our Top 50 but were ultimately just to say edged out in the final reckoning. All good albums though and all worth a listen should you be so inclined.

Anyway. Enough of my blithering. We'll be back here tomorrow for part 1 of our Top 50 with ten albums a day between now and New Year's Eve. See you then.