“Trustfall,” P!NK
I always buy P!NK’s albums without hesitation. Her music perfectly blends thoughtfulness, introspection, power, and fun. Her 9th studio album, “Trustfall,” solidifies her position as a pop star with an edge and a successful, long-lasting career. Her voice is as beautiful and powerful as ever, and her songs become instant classics. Standout tracks include: “Trustfall,” “Turbulence,” “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” and “When I Get There.” Simply put P!NK is a vibe.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor Swift
2023 was the year of Taylor Swift. She broke every record possible, from sold-out multi-day, multi-city stadium tour dates, spending a record-extending 87th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 list, and releasing a feature-length film of her “Eras Tour,” which has earned an estimated $250 Million at the Global Box Office. The re-recording of her first official pop album released in 2014, “1989” features not only updated vocals of hits such as “Blank Space,” “Style,” and “Shake It Off” (Taylor Swift now owns the rights to her songs as the entire album has been re-recorded.), it includes never-before-released tracks from the vault, “Slut!,” “Say Don’t Go,” “Now That We Don’t Talk,” “Suburban Legends,” and “Is It Over Now?” It’s hard to believe these tracks didn’t make the initial cut because these songs are top-tier. There’s something magnetic, flirty, and fun about this iteration of these songs; she recaptured the charm.
“Emotion Sickness,” Fefe Dobson
Canadian punk rock singer Fefe Dobson has returned with her highly anticipated album, “Emotion Sickness,” which is a follow-up to her 2010 release, “Joy.” After a thirteen-year hiatus, Dobson has marked her electrifying return with this album that takes listeners through a journey of emotions, exploring her sexuality and desire for new love. The album opens with the headbanger “HUNGOVER” and follows it up with the first single of the album, “FCKN IN LOVE.” Each track showcases her outstanding vocals and pop-punk energy that we’ve grown to adore and appreciate. It’s an exciting and engaging 9-track album that is difficult to pick a favorite from because of its consistency from beginning to end.
“Honey,” Vakili Band
On September 8th, 2023, the Vakili Band released their third studio album titled “Honey”. Led by Lily Vakili, this five-piece rock band blends rhythmic blues with wailing guitars and harmonica solos. The EP contains the hauntingly beautiful songs “Sad Eyes” and “Honey”, which have a groovy tune that will make you start swaying.”The Vakili Band continues to make impressive progress with each new release. It’s worth keeping an eye on them for more exciting things to come.”
GTFOH, Leone
LEONE, an alternative rock band from Brooklyn, has released their sophomore EP titled “GTFOH”. The 7-track EP showcases the band’s ability to leave the listeners wanting more with its emotive range. The EP covers a wide range of emotions such as angst, best illustrated in the track “See the Sun,” loss expressed in “Today, I Miss You,” and longing, as heard in “Can I Call You Mine?”. The EP’s energy and Richie Leone’s vocals made it a slam-dunk inclusion of our Best Albums of 2023.
“Endless Summer Vacation,” Miley Cyrus
With her distinctive raspy voice, Miley Cyrus delivers songs about love, heartbreak, perseverance, and vulnerability. “Endless Summer Vacation” includes Grammy-nominated “Flowers,” “Used To Be Young,” and “You” (a song that initially appeared in her last Live alum release, “ATTENTION”). “Flowers” debuted at number 1 and became an instant classic. Miley Cyrus is the kind of artist who marches, sings, and skips to the beat of her own drummer and surprises us with each release, proving that just being Miley amounts to quality and success.
“Last Girl Of The Rodeo,” Anna Rose
The two-time SINISTER GIRLZ Best Album winner, Anna Rose, returns with another stellar LP, “Last Girl Of The Rodeo.” The album opens up with an echoey chant declaring that the singer was “back on [her] bullshit” It leads beautifully into the song “Whatever Gets You Through The Night.” The album is honest, raw, and capped with sweet vocals that make for a great listen. To say that the album is full of heart and soul is an understatement. Anna’s singing evokes raw emotion that pierces through your veins. Give this woman a GRAMMY!
“Echo The Diamond,” Margaret Glaspy
Electrifying, dynamic, and charming, “Echo The Diamond” starts with the anthemic “Act Natural,” a song highlighting an infatuation with a being so beautiful and carefree that she questions her perception. “Cause violet shines bright in both [their] eyes,” so she professes that can’t be natural. One could interpret it as questioning others’ happiness when one cannot find their own. The album contains other gems, such as “Female Brain,” which opens with “Don’t be a dick/I’m out here dodging stones and sticks/building a house, brick by brick/with both my hands in restraints/while everybody points and stares at my female brain…” The song continues, “There’s no need to be rude/your life’s an all-inclusive cruise/while I’m out here getting stiffed and screwed…” Its lyrics like these are performed with grit and passion but soften when needed. “Echo The Diamond” is truly a gem, so we have selected it as SINISTER GIRLZ’s Best Album of 2023.
“There or Thereabouts,” Spoilers
Over the summer, the UK melodic punk band Spoilers took us on a musical journey with the release of their EP, “There or Thereabouts.” It is an album long in the making, as it began as a project pre-pandemic. What became of that album was a completely rewritten and revamped recording of 8 stellar tracks that will have you tapping your foot along within seconds. The opening track, “Peaches and Cream,” has an energetic pop-punk vibe reminiscent of the early 2000s. It is that and their undeniable charm that makes tracks like “Skip To The End” stand out when it puts into perspective how wishing time away to skip to the end makes you miss out on life events. “There or Thereabouts” is a true delight, and we can’t wait to see their future musical whereabouts.
“Rockstar,” Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton, the legendary country music icon recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Class of 2022), has just dropped a new 30-track album of rock and roll music, “Rockstar.” The album has been a massive success, debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200 and becoming the highest charting record of her illustrious career. The tracks include collaborations from Sting, Miley Cyrus, Joan Jett, Debbie Harry of Blondie, and Mick Jagger, among other legendary performers. Dolly covers rock anthems like Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” Prince’s “Purple Rain,” Rolling Stone’s “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” and more. This album would be an excellent introduction to Dolly as she weaves in a few bars of her hit song, “I Will Always Love You,” in Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball.”