2023 is coming to a close, so I’d like to take stock of some great music I’ve enjoyed over the past 12 months. These are my personal favorites, not the official list of Spirit of Cecilia (but we have reviewed quite a few of them!)

#10 – Haken: Fauna

Have these guys ever made a bad record? I don’t think so. No band better combines heaviness with soaring vocals and great melodies. There are moments of true beauty – the intro to “Nightingale” – alongside blistering guitar-driven rock – “Beneath the White Rainbow”. And the artwork is a total hoot!

#9 – Galahad: The Long Goodbye

Brad Birzer and I reviewed this excellent album recently here at Spirit of Cecilia. You can read our thoughts on it here.

#8 – Downes Braide Association: Celestial Songs

I know that Yes released a new album in 2023, but I ended up listening to this one much, much more. I think Geoff Downes is saving his best songs for DBA, and Chris Braide is the perfect collaborator for him. This is a uniformly excellent set of pop-prog songs. Majestic, intimate, and altogether pleasing to the ear. Also, it features one of Roger Dean’s finest album covers.

#7 – Cyan: Pictures From The Other Side

Again, Brad Birzer and I reviewed this one recently. It is a rerecording of earlier songs, but what a fine set of songs to work with! You can read our thoughts on it here. 

#6 – Kite Parade: Retro

I reviewed this delightful album back in April. What a fun blast of “retro” sounding songs that please the power pop lover in me.

#5 – Bruce Soord: Luminescence

This offering from the Pineapple Thief’s frontman impressed Carl Olson, Brad Birzer, and me so much that we posted a discussion of it back in early November. Check it out here.

#4 – Riverside: ID.Entity

Our own Erik Heter wrote a masterful review of this phenomenal album in January. I couldn’t possibly improve on it, so check it out here.

#3 – Glass Hammer: Arise

Glass Hammer is a perennial favorite of Spirit of Cecilia, and Arise continues their streak of excellence. Steve Babb and company blast off for a very spacey adventure in this album. You can read my detailed review of it here.

#2 – North Atlantic Oscillation: United Wire

It is Brad Birzer’s and my firm belief that Sam Healy is a musical genius.  United Wire confirms that belief. You can read our discussion of this wonderful suite of songs here. 

#1 – Southern Empire: Another World

I only recently was able to listen to this, Southern Empire’s third album, and it has not left my CD player and car stereo. What an achievement! Sean Timms has really come into his own as a composer, and wow, what a terrific sound he and his group create here. Sean Holton is the vocalist now, and he is amazing. The 20-minute epic “White Shadows” is the finest song I have heard in a long, long time. The overall feel of the album reminds me of Spock’s Beard when they had Neal Morse writing all of their material.  Another World is one of those rare albums that I can listen to multiple times in a row and not tire of it. In a year of incredibly good music, Southern Empire has jumped out to lead the pack.

Well, that’s it for another year. If I sat down to do this again tomorrow, I’d probably come up with a different one (that included, perhaps, Steven Wilson’s Harmony Codex, Steve Thorne’s Malice in Plunderland, Katatonia’s Sky Void Of Stars, or Damanek’s Making Shore)! 

Happy New Year, and thank you for following us at Spirit of Cecilia!