2023 was a good year for new music. Here's some of the best

It’s time for the annual best albums of the year, and of course we realize that current trends indicate people are moving away from the album form, and just a "songs of the year" might be more in tune with the reduced attention spans of music fans and internet addicts. But there’s still a lot to be said for the artistic achievement of an album, 40 minutes or so to transport you to someone’s musical world. More and more record companies do not send out albums as such, but rather provide downloads or streaming links.

Here, in no particular order, are a baker’s dozen of the albums we played most in 2023.

“Weathervanes” by Jason Isbell (Southeastern)

The nation’s most consistently stunning songwriter does it again, with a striking set of short stories set to rock music. There’s a lot of working-class pathos, and poignant tragedy, and you have to appreciate the irony of those comedy tee-shorts that suggested Isbell music is the soundtrack for your fun summer cookout.

But the power behind songs like “King of Oklahoma” and its portrait of a man’s work injury leading to addiction and ruin, or the frightened parent of “Save the World,” or the isolation and anxiety of “”Middle of the Morning” is undeniable.

I wonder about the strategy of making “Death Wish,” a haunting tune about a girlfriend with mental problems, the first single. But Isbell’s music and writing always connects on an emotional level, and that quip about every one of his albums somewhere prompting tears is all too true.

“When We Were Close” is the hardest-rocking song on the album, and its tale of how Isbell and the late Justin Townes Earle were pals and fellow addicts when starting out − and he can’t quite figure how he survived and Earle didn’t − chokes me up just about every time I hear it.

“Higher” by Chris Stapleton (Mercury)

Chris Stapleton is not going to let silly genre limitations spoil his good time. Stapleton has gone far beyond the country category many fans assume he’s in.

“What Am I Going to Do?” and “Crosswind” might evoke the 1970s heyday of country-rocker Charlie Daniels, and “The Bottom” is the kind of honky-tonk classic George Jones would wish he’d done. But “The Fire” and “I Think I’m in Love with You” are simply superb rhythm and blues, and “It Takes a Woman” is a great soul ballad.

“White Horse” might be the rock song of the year, a vocal and guitar dynamic tour de force, but then “South Dakota” is another terrific singalong rocker. The album was produced by the esteemed Dave Cobb, with Chris and wife Morgane Stapleton, and Mrs. Stapleton is perhaps the secret ingredient here, co-writing and providing musical and vocal support throughout.

“Nothing But Time” by Monster Mike Welch (Gulf Coast Records)

It's one of 2023’s biggest and most welcome comebacks. Lexington’s Welch returns after the grief of losing bandmate Mike Ledbetter in 2019, and then battling long COVID in 2021. It is a standout record, 66 minutes of dazzling blues and blues rock. Welch evokes blues giant Otis Rush with the bold “Walking to You,” rocks out with “Time to Move,” and showcases his underrated vocal skills in “Offset Blues” and the evocative “In Case You Care.” There’s a neat reworking of George Harrison’s “I Me Mine,” and a stirring instrumental, “Afraid of My Tears,” where Welch proves over about nine minutes that his six-string skills are second to none.

“Roots Rock Rebel” by Jesse Ahern (King’s Road)

Wollaston’s troubadour has hit the world stage and taken it by storm this year. With the help and mentoring of Dropkick Murphys’ Ken Casey, Ahern has been opening Dropkicks’ concerts around the globe for a few years now. Local fans may remember Ahern fronting his blues-rock band the Ramblin’ Souls at joints like Paddy Barry’s, but it is as a solo performer this year that he’s achieved a real breakthrough.

If you called him the 2023 new Billy Bragg, he wouldn’t resist, but his biggest influences are Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash. This album has some of his best original work yet, with “Daughters and Sons” and “The Older I Get” displaying the depth and heart of his writing. And with stuff like “Backs Against the Wall,” Ahern proves to be the kind of passionate union man the Dropkicks frequently extol.

Ahern has a deep, booming voice, dynamic guitar skills and definite charisma onstage, so his Jan. 31 gig at The Sinclair in Cambridge − part of the national tour he’s opening for The Record Company blues-rock band − is a can’t miss.

“Live in Canada” by Blood Brothers (Gulf Coast Records)

2023 also saw the release of a studio album from Blood Brothers, the pairing of guitarslingers Mike Zito (who owns Gulf Coast Records) and Albert Castiglia, but this live concert is 78 minutes of pure musical heat. I’d also suggest any fans who miss the Allman Brothers Band and their two-guitar attack check these guys out, because they don’t just swap solos but use deft arrangements that feature contrasting and/or supportive intertwining guitars.

Both Zito and Castiglia are fine singers, and that enhances the dynamic music here. There are neat covers, like Tinsley Ellis’ gritty “Tooth and Nail” and John Hiatt’s witty “My Business,” and Zito’s “Gone to Texas” is a riveting barnburner. But “Hill County Jam” is really the centerpiece of this outstanding set, a 13-minute epic that offers awesome unison work, inspiring solos and so much momentum you’re never aware of how long it really is.

Zito has appeared at the North River Blues Festival at the Marshfield Fair a couple times in various groups, and thanks to Barbara Rhind’s savvy ear, Castiglia has been booked at The C-Note in Hull a couple of times. Blood Brothers is still a kind of side project, worked in around both men’s solo careers, but they have headlined The Narrows Center twice, and ought to be back there soon.

“Life Don't Miss Nobody" by Tracy Nelson (BMG Records)

Another somewhat surprising comeback, with the star of ‘70s blues-rockers Mother Earth back with her first record since 2011. Nelson’s dozen tunes include rock, blues, jazz and swing.

The title cut, in fact, is a delightful bit of south-of-the-border swing, while “Where Do You Go (When You Can’t Go Home)?” is a Tracy Nelson original with exquisite backing vocals. There’s a raucous cover of Hank Williams Sr.’s “Honky Tonkin’” with (no relation) Willie Nelson, and a sweet guest spot from Charlie Musselwhite on “It Don’t Make Sense.”

There are also two arresting versions of Stephen Foster’s classic “Hard Times” that really show its timeless quality. A cover of Ma Rainey’s “Yonder Comes the Blues” has a hypnotic clarinet element provided by Weymouth’s Doug Mosher. But this is Tracy Nelson’s showcase, and even at 78, she is the real deal.

“South Shore” by Ward Hayden & The Outliers (Bandcamp)

Scituate’s Hayden and the Outliers − first known as Girls Guns & Glory − continue to turn out remarkable country-rock − emphasis on the "rock." Hayden has become a mature and trenchant songsmith, and channeling his local upbringing produces good results here.

The title cut of images from the area and the romantic anthem “Crazy Love” both furnish real visceral rock ‘n’ roll with twang. But his ode about his hometown, and the unavoidable need to get beyond it, “Breaking Up with My Hometown,” is smart and evocative writing.

Hayden is also veering into topical matters, although with admirable restraint and balance, and “Things These Days” takes the kind of considered view that everyone should appreciate. This band is huge in Europe, and since its work is always intriguing and inventive, we can all hope they achieve wider recognition stateside too.

“Live at Loveland” by GA-20 (Colemine Records)

The Boston trio named after a vintage guitar amplifier has spent most of ’23 on the road, often overseas, as their international profile continues to grow. This live disc debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Charts, proof that guitarist Matt Stubbs and guitarist/singer Pat Faherty, with drummer Tim Carman, have hit on a formula that reinvigorates the classic blues form.

Stubbs is a premier guitarist, and Faherty is not far behind, but he’s also a roof-raising vocalist, seemingly unafraid and even eager to test the outer limits of every tune. Check out “I Cry for You” when it seems like Faherty is howling and the vocal can’t get any more desperate. Or have a listen to “I Let Someone In,” where the power and passion of Faherty’s vocal is so skillfully supported by the nuances of Stubbs’ chording.

Another fine example is “Dry Run,” a loping midtempo tune that shows the country-western influence on blues and features some of the best and most emotive guitar work from both frontmen. No wonder they've managed to pull a younger audience into their raw and rowdy blues. GA-20 headlines The Narrows Center in Fall River on Friday night, Dec. 29.

“But Here We Are” by Foo Fighters (Roswell-RCA)

There were serious concerns this band might be done after the unexpected death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in early 2022. This album is a stirring return, where many of the songs seem to allude to that tragedy (and the death that same year of singer/songwriter Dave Grohl’s mother) without being too direct or maudlin.

Tunes like the single “Rescued” are vibrant, hard-rocking odes to keeping on, with lines like “We’re all free to some degree to dance among the lights. I’m just waiting to be rescued. Bring me back to life ...”

Singer Dave Grohl recorded all the drum tracks here, and when they began playing concerts again, Josh Freese was announced as the new drummer. The title cut, “Under You” and “Show Me How” are just exciting rock ‘n’ roll delivered with punch and style.

And that understated poignancy shines through in many places so that it is an inspiring as well as invigorating album. “The Teacher” notes, “You showed me how to breathe, but never showed me how to say goodbye.” And that kind of attitude subtly makes this collection a striking paean to life.

“Hackney Diamonds" by The Rolling Stones (Geffen)

I am in the minority of fans because I generally don’t think the latter-day Stones albums are that bad; there are always a couple of worthy songs, just not the consistency of their early work. But that isn’t a problem on this new album, which is solid throughout and shockingly lively.

The guest spots are handled nicely, whether it’s Lady Gaga singing on “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” with Stevie Wonder on piano, Paul McCartney playing bass on “Bite My Head Off,” Elton John on two cuts, or former Heartbreaker Benmont Tench playing on a couple of tracks. All the guests merely become part of the band and it works wonderfully.

The guitar work of Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood is stellar throughout, and this is one album where you will develop new respect for the magic of effective guitar chords. There are some killer riffs. Pick a tune − “Angry,” “Bite My Head Off,” “Mess It Up” or “Whole Wide World” − and try to convince yourself this is a band of septuagenarians and octogenarians.

“Road Tested” by Chuck McDermott (TCH Productions)

Cohasset’s McDermott is well known as a pioneer in the country-rock community in Boston in the 1970s and ‘80s, and his later work since returning to music is perhaps even more lyrically incisive than those days. This is an album musing on the passage of time and the changing viewpoints on life and love you have.

Musically, it might sound more much like folk music or folk-rock than McDermott’s usual country-rock, but that allows more focus on the lyrics. Tunes like the title cut, “Inspiration Point” and “Stick Shift” are warm remembrances of youthful good times, with references local fans might recognize. “One Heart Acre” is an older tune, and the most classic country-feeling one here. And numbers like “The Turning of the Wheel,” and “The Season of Hard Goodbyes” are heart-tugging in their honesty and emotion.

“Sweet Western Sound” by Tanya Tucker (Fantasy)

Tucker’s comeback record had some superb help. Brandi Carlile wrote with her, provided some songs of her own, and produced the album with Shooter Jennings. It’s not Tucker’s more rockin’ side, and sits comfortably in a midtempo Americana mode, but the songwriting is superb and her voice seems timelessly engaging.

The imagery in songs like the Carlile-Bernie Taupin “Breakfast in Birmingham” or Jennings’ “Waltz Across a Moment” is just incredibly vivid. I liked the heartfelt ode to Linda Ronstadt, “Letter to Linda,” and Carlile’s “That Wasn’t Me” seems tailor-made for Tucker. The concluding “When the Rodeo Is Over (Where Does the Cowboy Go?)” seems to have unspoken layers of meaning for the singer that makes it doubly affecting.

“Live at Power Station” by Vanessa Collier (Phenix Fire Records)

Berklee College of Music alumna Collier is a multiple threat, singing, playing saxophone and guitar, and this live set includes the same quintet she fronted at The Narrows Center this fall, including guitar ace Laura Chavez. Collier may be influenced by Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi and even Aretha Franklin, but she brings her own rock-and-funk-infused style to tunes like Ann Peebles’ nugget “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” or Arlington resident Chris Smither’s classic “Love Me Like a Man.” There’s even a hot take on U2’s “When Love Comes to Town.”

But Collier’s originals are also tart, such as the paean to resilience “When It Don’t Come Easy” or the fun romp “Two Parts Sugar, One Part Lime.” And along with all that talent, Chavez on guitar is worth the price of admission by herself with spine-tingling solos.

Also worth noting ...

A few more excellent works were also noteworthy, such as the Norwell band Totem’s “The Power to Forgive” with its interesting new prog-rock directions; Maine native Jason Ricci’s “Behind the Veil,” where his harmonica work is the best since the heyday of Magic Dick and tunes like “Casco Bay” bring the blues up north; or Boston "newgrass" group Burnt Pines, whose “Don’t Look Down” moved them more into pop territory with increased emphasis on vocals. Central Mass. rock bard Ray Mason is still crafting clever tunes, and his “Is There Wiggle Room?” is a typically infectious bunch of them.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 2023 brought good new music. Here's some of the best