Last month we shared our favorite albums of 2022, and as we’re ramping into 2023 it’s a good time to look at what we’re anticipating throughout the year. What records do we think we’re going to fall in love with over the next few months? What albums can we just not wait to hear? A bunch of contributors have written up blurbs about the albums and artists we’re most excited about, and we’d love to hear what’s on your most anticipated list as well.
The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Ashley Perez
The Cure haven’t released new music since 2008’s 4:13 Dream. Frontman Robert Smith has spent the last 5 years teasing a new album, then a double album, then two new albums, then a solo album? Fans have been waiting for some form of new music since Smith mentioned it in 2019. At this point, it feels like an inside joke among the community. And just when we’re ready to give up hope of this thing ever seeing the light of day, Smith emerges from his gothic lair with updates that make it sound like the album could actually be happening this year. Then we get excited again counting down the days til an official announcement. Then the year closes with no new Cure album. Rinse and repeat. Still, I’d be lying to say I wasn’t excited for this long overdue album. So, I’ll just cross my fingers and pray to the post-punk gods that The Cure will release Songs of a Lost World this year.
Green Day – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Ashley Perez
Ever since Green Day teased a new album last year, fans are eager to see where the band is going next. Will they stick with the punchy, neo-soul, party vibe of their last record, Father of All Motherfuckers? Or will it be a return of their tight-knit, power chord perfection? Or will they drop another massive rock-opera album that gets them back in the mainstream’s good graces? Whatever it is, it’s going to be an exciting event that’ll make some fans cry with glee and others roll their eyes and claim their last album wasn’t so bad after all. (I mean it’s not that bad). It doesn’t matter which direction they go, I’m just hungry for some new Green Day.
Depeche Mode – Memento Mori
Release Date: March 24
Anticipated by Ashley Perez
Depeche Mode’s upcoming 15th album Memento Mori will be a bittersweet moment. It’s always exciting to get new music from the Basildon lads, yet the death of founding member Andy Fletcher looms across the record. Recorded early in the pandemic with Fletcher, its themes of death, loss, and remembering how time is fleeting turned into an eerie premonition for the band. Just look at the title; it translates to “Remember you must die.” It feels like a cruel joke, yet Martin Gore and Dave Gahan are hellbent on moving forward and sharing this album that they believe Fletcher would’ve loved. And for us fans, it gives us another chance to celebrate the music Flecther had a hand in creating. It’s uncertain where the band will go from here, but at least we can hear the trio of Martin, Dave, and Andy one last time.
My Chemical Romance – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Adam Grundy
Could this finally be the year that brings us a new album from MCR?!? The signs seem to be pointing to a more promising scenario as the band last year released the song “The Foundations of Decay” before an extensive headlining tour of the United States. Rumors were swirling of the band booking studio time after that tour ended, but nothing has been confirmed to this date. Add in the ultra-busy schedule of band members like guitarist, Frank Iero, who formed a different band named L.S. Dunes, and no one really quite can put their finger on whether the stars will align and bring back the triumphant return of My Chemical Romance. But if and when the band releases new music, you can sure as hell believe that it will break the internet with the rabid fanbase MCR has built over time.
M.A.G.S. – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Adam Grundy
It is no secret that I’m a big fan of the style that M.A.G.S. went for on his sophomore record, called Say Things That Matter. The vibrant music that came through the speakers on his prior LP was a solid mixture of beachy-driven grooves, paired with pop-centered vocals that showcased Elliott Douglas’s improvements as a songwriter and a performer. M.A.G.S would later announce a tour this spring to road-test the new material for his forthcoming Smartpunk Records release. The first single to be released from this new era is a track called “Elephant.” The song is largely built around heavier guitar riffs and grooves, all blended with Douglas’s vocal croon to lift the song to its intended heights. If songs like this are any indication, 2023 will certainly be a big one for this talented artist.
Sarah and the Safe Word – The Book of Broken Glass
Release Date: April 7
Anticipated by Adam Grundy
The goth cabaret band known as Sarah and the Safe Word recently announced their fourth full-length record called The Book of Broken Glass, and the accompanying lead single “Ruby Off The Rails.” It’s a frenetic blast of punk rock energy, mixed with a stiff cocktail of mystery and allure to kick things off the right way in this latest chapter of their story. The set was produced by veteran hitmaker Jim Wirt, and features some cool cameo appearances by various artists, like Danbert Nobacon of Chumbawamba. Sarah and the Safe Word embrace the strange and the quirky head on an album that is filled with several twists and turns. Much like the title implies, this book is sure to keep your interest as much as it challenges you to grow with the band.
The Used – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Adam Grundy
The Used have never been strangers to staying away from the scene for too long, and thus it came as little surprise to many when the band released a song called “Fuck You” last year to begin teasing their yet-to-be titled 9th studio album. The new record is rumored to be releasing as early as this spring, and comes at an important time for the band. The Used seemed to recapture their early magic on their last release, Heartwork, and reignited the flame of interest in this band. This talented artist could really go in any direction for this new release, and it will still be a surprise. That’s just how The Used are built, and thankfully, they’re built to last.
Story of the Year – Tear Me To Pieces
Release Date: March 10
Anticipated by Adam Grundy
The sixth studio album from Story of the Year is called Tear Me To Pieces, and will be their first release with SharpTone Records. The band got the promotion cycle underway of this release by putting out the lead single, “Real Life,” in August of last year, and it showed a similar sound that they went for on Wolves, paired with a classic mix of anthemic choruses and great guitar work. This album also sees the return of bassist Adam Russell, who returned shortly after Wolves was put out. With their classic lineup intact, Story of the Year appears poised to make 2023 a memorable one.
Bartees Strange – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Adam Grundy
Does Bartess Strange ever stop working? Fresh off his success of the indie darling record called Farm To Table, he announced in several interviews during that promotion cycle that he was already laying the groundwork of his next LP. Just a couple of days ago, Bartees Strange released a Sub Pop single called “Tisched Off” b/w “Keekee’in” that will do nothing to dissuade longtime listeners of this artist from clamoring for more music. This artist continues to reinvent himself in ways that surprise even those in his inner circle, and with him gaining confidence with each release, Bartees Strange could very well be sitting on his best album yet. The future continues to look brighter than the sun for this ultra-talented artist.
Blink-182 – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Jason Tate
The prodigal Tom returns.
The announcement of Tom DeLonge’s return, combined with the chart-topping lead single “Edging,” has all loserkids excited about the possibilities of a new Blink-182 album. While “Edging” showed that the band’s still capable of writing a fun summer anthem, it’s the hints they’ve made on social media about this being a progression for the band that has me the most curious on what the end result could be. This is a band that many of us grew up with in our most formative years, and now that same group of frosted-tip pop-punkers are hitting middle age. What does a band like Blink-182, a band associated with so much youthful inhibition, mean to us in 2023? I’m excited as hell to find out.
The Gaslight Anthem – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Jason Tate
A part of me was resigned to the idea that I’d never hear another new Gaslight Anthem album. I had made my peace with it. And now with the band’s reunion I am unsure how to get myself into the mental headspace for this. This is a band that has meant so much to me over the years, with songs that have punctuated so many key moments of the last two decades, and I’m almost not even sure what to expect. If there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on it’s Brian Fallon’s songwriting prowess and the re-sparked creative flame that’s come through in the band’s interviews and live show. While I once thought this band could take over the world and headline stadiums, my expectations are now that I just want them to be happy, and I just consider us all lucky to be alive at the same time they’re making music.
Jimmy Eat World – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Jason Tate
The band may have broke their “every three year” album cycle routine, but they still gave us some great tunes in 2022. Now, as another year is ahead of us, we eagerly wait and see if this is the year the band bestow upon us another entry into their virtually peerless catalog. There is no other band on the planet I anticipate music from more, and no other band that has delivered with such consistency.
Fall Out Boy – So Much (For) Stardust
Release Date: March 24
Anticipated by Jason Tate
At this point we’re only a little over a month away from the release of the new Fall Out Boy album. And, dare I say, the interwebs feel like they’re buzzing again. There’s a palpable excitement around this album with the two lead songs perking up the interest of both the new, and old, Fall Out Boy fans. As someone that celebrates the band’s entire catalog, I’m right there feeling the electricity. There’s the budding potential of something truly special coming, and with summer on the horizon I’m itching at the idea of my days being filled with some new Fall Out Boy; I’m ready for whatever they have prepared for me.
Olivia Rodrigo – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Craig Manning
Olivia Rodrigo had one of the biggest breakout years in 2021 that any artist has had in recent memory. Seemingly in the blink of an eye, she went from being the lead of a little-heralded Disney Plus show, to being a TikTok fad, to being one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. And yet, while Rodrigo was a teenager launched to fame on a social media platform ruled by Gen Z, something about her rise to prominence seemed extremely old fashioned: she got famous simply because she wrote really damn good songs and sang the shit out of them. Two years, a smash debut album, and at least three iconic singles later – not to mention a lot of time spent traveling in the circles of the artist who influenced her, from Taylor Swift to Avril Lavigne to Billy Joel to Elvis Costello – Rodrigo is supposedly preparing to release her sophomore album. And while we have no idea yet what it will sound like, there’s little doubt that it will be one of the biggest and splashiest releases of the year. Here’s hoping it’s as focused on the songs as the first one.
Jason Isbell – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Craig Manning
For the majority of his solo career, Jason Isbell dropped a new album every two years. He broke the pattern between 2017’s The Nashville Sound and 2020’s Reunions, and it’s now been nearly another three years since we last heard a peep from the beloved Americana figure. We’ll definitely hear new music from Isbell this year: He and his wife, Amanda Shires, have been named Record Store Day ambassadors and are releasing a brand-new EP, called The Sound Emporium, to mark the occasion. Our hope? The EP rollout leads directly into a release cycle for Isbell’s new album, which will be his eighth since he split from Drive-By Truckers. It would be a fitting time for a comeback: 2023 marks 10 years since Southeastern, the album that brought Isbell back from the brink with new purpose and hard-fought sobriety to his name. What better to celebrate that milestone than with another masterpiece?
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness – Tilt at the Wind No More
Release Date: March 31
Anticipated by Craig Manning
Look, it’s weird that Andrew McMahon has already released five songs from his new album when the album is still a month and a half away. A truly confounding release cycle aside, though, McMahon has earned the benefit of the doubt after more than two decades of stellar records and surprising career left-turns. The five singles from Tilt at the Wind No More seem to point back toward the big, bombastic pop of 2017’s Zombies on Broadway – particularly lead single “Stars,” a big exuberant blast of a song that immediately ranks as one of McMahon’s signature anthems. The behind-the-scenes talent also suggests more of a pop play this time around, with producers Tommy English (Kacey Musgraves, K.Flay, Børns) and Jeremy Hatcher (Harry Styles, Maggie Rogers, Lizzo) taking the reins from Butch Walker, who brought more of a classic rock bent to 2018’s Upside Down Flowers. If there’s anyone who deserves a late-career smash hit, though, it’s Andrew McMahon; maybe this record will be the one that finally gives it to him.
Zach Bryan – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Craig Manning
Zach Bryan should have won Best New Artist at the Grammys after the year he had in 2022. An acclaimed, gangbusters-selling triple album, an almost-as-beloved follow-up EP, a surprise-release live album around the holiday season that garnered rave reviews, and a growing persona as the one guy who might be able to save mainstream country music from itself. Bryan has teased the prospect of another new album in 2023, and most of his fans are treating that possibility as a foregone conclusion. Indeed, the question in the fanbase is less “Will this album come out?” than “How many songs will be on it?” (For reference, Bryan’s proper major labor debut, last year’s American Heartbreak, housed 34 songs.) Whether it’s 12 songs or 212 songs, we’re game, and you should be too. If you’re not a Zach Bryan season ticket holder at this point, you’re missing out on the most exciting young artist in mainstream music, full stop.
Ruston Kelly – The Weakness
Release Date: April 7
Anticipated by Craig Manning
The first time I heard a Ruston Kelly song, he wasn’t even the person singing it. That’s how it often goes in the world of country and Americana music, where Kelly came up and still (kind of) resides. But the song, called “Front Row Seat” and from the 2015 Josh Abbott Band album of the same name, was so noticeably a cut above most of the other tracks on that album – and most of what existed in the mainstream-leaning country world at the time – that I immediately had to look up the songwriter. An extremely earnest love song, “Front Row Seat” brought the ache of early Dashboard Confessional (think “For You to Notice” or “Remember to Breathe”) to country music. I wasn’t surprised when Kelly turned in two masterpieces in a row on his first two albums (2018’s Dying Star and 2020’s Shape & Destroy), and I’m not surprised that “The Weakness,” the title track from his highly-anticipated third LP, sounds even more nakedly in the vein of early 2000s emo than the music he’s made so far. You can count on one hand the active singer-songwriters with more of a grasp of how to wield pathos in their music, and I can’t wait to see how Ruston Kelly wields that weapon this time around.
The Killers – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Craig Manning
Did anyone expect The Killers to be one of the most durable bands to come out of the early 2000s rock boom? If there was a smart-money bet for longevity, it probably wasn’t on the band that has a chorus about “a boyfriend, who looked like a girlfriend, that I had in February of last year.” But The Killers endured, and hit such a strong second wind with 2020’s Imploding the Mirage and 2021’s Pressure Machine that there’s genuine potential for the 2020s to be their best decade as a band. Supposedly, a new album is on the way for the first half of 2023. Let’s see if the band’s recent creative renaissance continues.
Matchbox Twenty – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Craig Manning
The last time Matchbox Twenty made an album together, Barack Obama was running for his second term as president. These paragons of accessible, melodic ‘90s rock have toured as a band multiple times since that album, 2012’s North, and they even reissued all of their albums in a super cool vinyl box set a year ago. But whether or not they’d ever make another proper album was long an open question. In December of last year, though, frontman Rob Thomas said on The View that he and the band had “literally just finished a new Matchbox Twenty record.” And if you, like me, spent your childhood listening to these guys send earnest, catchy rock songs up the charts, that should be music to your ears.
Runnner – Like Dying Stars, We’re Reaching Out
Release Date: February 17
Anticipated by Trevor Graham
The back half of the 2010s and beyond have been quite a time for folk-leaning emo music. Something about the warm tonality of a pedal steel mixed with the intricacies and innovation of the DIY scene is clearly scratching an itch that many of us didn’t even know we had. Runnner is one the most promising and comers in this niche, comprised solely of singer/songwriter/producer Noah Weinman, and February 17th will see his long awaited debut album, Like Dying Stars, We’re Reaching Out. Of course this won’t be his first outing — 2021 was met with a “collections” album, which compiled his early EPs to promote a record deal with Run For Cover Records. On it, Noah would be found at his most endearing while sitting alongside a lo-fi drum machine, plucking a banjo and crooning the same type of witty anecdotal quips that draw artists like Phoebe Bridgers closer to our hearts with every listen. At his most jaw dropping, he used every tool on his belt to concoct lush instrumental passages of strings, horns, and layered vocal refrains. The first single from the upcoming Like Dying Stars leans a bit more toward the former, an invigorating drum groove hammering on as he strums along acoustically in uptempo fashion, spilling thoughts from his brain the only way he knows how: “I’m an idiot / I cried in your car when I couldn’t find the words I was looking for / I overanalyze / I never let it feel good / I only think about death / I only sing about food”. It’s a playful self observation that somehow feels both hyper personal and strangely relatable — the constant grapple of understanding our emotions while feeling shame for having them, and how easy it is to deflect when you get too in your own head about it. The question remains if we see Runnner step outside the box for this LP, or if he plays it par for the course. In any case, we can certainly expect it to be something quite special.
Daughter – Stereo Mind Game
Release Date: April 7
Anticipated by Trevor Graham
Looking back at Daughter’s first two releases, it’s really not a huge surprise that it took them over 7 years to make a return. When you’ve put everything into your art, truly exhausted yourself on greatness, what else is there really left to give? Some might opt to tread water in hopes of reproducing success, but vocalist Elena Tonra insists Daughter has chosen to bloom. While their past works have made for the soundtracks of our most dejected, bedridden days, Tonra says of Stereo Mind Game, “I think it’s more optimistic than our past records … I’ve tried to document experiences, thoughts, feelings, conversations and memories from my life, and hope that we’ve turned them into something listenable, something positive.” This is is evident on lead single “Be On Your Way”, as her narration of intertwining lives finds solace in the moments of independence rather than desperation in solitude. Even the instrumentation feels translated to this new outlook, pairing a bustling drum track with the cavernous guitars and string swells that one might have come to expect from Daughter by this point. Even still, it’d be a bit naive to anticipate an album of sunshine and rainbows from a band that notoriously pens some of the most gut punching depression tunes out there — so come April 7th, best to be on your toes for any emotional blows they’ll undoubtedly have coming our way.
The Japanese House – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Trevor Graham
It’s a little bit shocking to think that Amber Bain’s quite prolific career as The Japanese House only contains one full length record. What’s more shocking is that with every release (which currently includes 5 EPs), she continues down the path of improvement without ever really changing her core sound. Constantly updating, filling gaps in the art long before we can even see them — becoming a stronger songwriter before our eyes. The last time we heard from Bain was 2020’s short and sweet Chewing Cotton Wool, an early pandemic highlight that came complete with a Justin Vernon feature and some of her silkiest synth pop ear worms to date. It was only within recent weeks that the teasing for LP2 begun, most notably a cryptic video soundtracked by “Still”, one of most brooding cuts from her debut 2015 EP. So let’s be honest with ourselves: we can’t necessarily make heads or tails of where this hype train is headed or how soon it finds its destination. But what we do know, is that it’s firing up. The engine’s hot, the conductor’s making last call, and it’s time to get aboard and take off speeding towards what will surely be the best releases of 2023.
Arlo Parks – My Soft Machine
Release Date: May 26
Anticipated by Trevor Graham
A good debut record isn’t really a rare thing. I mean, they say you have your whole life to write the first one, right? We see it all the time in the little corners of music that Chorus.fm members are known for celebrating. Rising artists with that hunger, the drive that jumps from your speakers as if to say, “if I never get to do this again, at least I did it this once.” Maybe that’s what earned 2021’s Collapsed In Sunbeams part of its allure — a debut album not only written by someone who’s “whole life” had only narrowly afforded her the right to vote, but which also came stuffed with a laid back self assurance only typically demonstrated by established careers of trial, error, and acclaim. Like a victory lap without the race. Having spent nearly the entire last two years on the road to sharpen her live show, Arlo Parks finds herself once again within the buzz of an early album cycle. Her recent single, “Weightless”, lives inside the familiar territory of a driving R&B beat and warbled synth chords, but packs a few added vocal layers and dreamy tones that suggest My Soft Machine won’t relegate itself to the “retread” pile. Coming in late May, this’ll see release just in time to keep you company on those sun-kissed summer afternoons that beg for a mellow pop hook.
Chester Watson – Fish Don’t Climb Trees
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Trevor Graham
Falling in line with the sonic palette of indie hip hop favorites like Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE, Chester Watson has been making consistent contributions to the world of lo-fi hip hop since 2015. Using the pen to capture his stream of conscious lyrical stylings, Watson consistently flexes a firm command of rhyming patterns and the ability to draw his listeners in with atmosphere — the introspection is there if you want to listen for it, but if you feel like dabbling in it for yourself, then the intimate vibe he puts on has no qualms with letting you drift away. A lot of times when anticipating a new record, we’re left to live in the curiosity of what lies ahead — when it comes to Chester Watson, it’s probably safe to assume what’s coming. Saying that would almost be shade if he wasn’t so good at it. Fish Don’t Climb Trees should without a doubt be full of the dusty, jazzy, downtempo shuffling beats that play like you’d expect from any student in the school of MF DOOM. One more entry into a comically underrated catalogue, and unquestionably a record that any fan of hip hop should be sure not to miss in 2023.
Home Is Where – TBA
Release Date: TBA
Anticipated by Drew Beringer
I don’t know anything about fifth wave emo (or is it sixth wave now?) – I don’t know if it’s serious or a joke or somewhere in between. What I do know, however, is that Home Is Where is fucking awesome. The band’s 2021 album I Became Birds put everyone on notice while their scintillating split with Record Setter last year displayed how genre-fluid the Florida quartet can be. Now with a debut full-length set to release sometime in 2023, Home Is Where is about to take over all while circumventing any and all preconceived ideas about being an “emo” band.
Zulu – A New Tomorrow
Release Date: March 3
Anticipated by Drew Beringer
I’m not kidding when I say A New Tomorrow – the debut full length from Los Angeles-based Zulu – could be the best hardcore record of 2023. But the more I listen to it, the more I realize that may be selling the 15 track record short. It’s more than a hardcore record, fusing soul, jazz, R&B, and more – celebrating the vast rich culture of being beautiful and black and not focusing on the trauma. Songs like lead single “Where I’m From” and “Our Day Is Now” showcase the unit’s heavy music chops and the versatility flows through tracks like “Shine Eternally” and “We’re More Than This,” while “Music To Driveby” meshes all these distinct styles into a dynamic sub-90 second ripper. An otherworldly record that will demand your full attention.
Drain – Living Proof
Release Date: May 5
Anticipated by Drew Beringer
The NorCal hardcore trio look to cement themselves as one of the genre’s very best with their Epitaph Records debut Living Proof. Produced by the god Taylor Young, Living Proof is 25 minutes of pure chaotic energy – the type of record that will have dude’s like me in their last 30’s coming out of mosh retirement. First single “Evil Finds Light” barely scratches the surface of what Drain has in store for you (including a handful of genuinely awesome musical curveballs). “But Drew which one is the pit hit?” Lemme tell you son, all of them are and it’s goddamn glorious.
Scowl – Psychic Dance Routine
Release Date: April 7
Anticipated by Drew Beringer
In between releasing one of 2021’s best records (How Flowers Grow) and playing hundreds of shows (including the parking lot of a Sonic), the most exciting band in hardcore Scowl found time to write and record a wild 5-track EP that expands the Santa Cruz quintet’s distinct sound even further. One listen to “Opening Night” showcases the band’s ear for melody while Kat Moss spends most of the track singing until unleashing her distinct fiery howl. Just one of the few surprises as Scowl continues to evolve with Psychic Dance Routine.
boygenius – the record
Release Date: March 31
Anticipated by Drew Beringer
Once believed to just be a one-off EP project, boygenius – the only supergroup that matters – returns five years later to unleash their debut major label album, aptly titled the record. You already know this, but boygenius consists of three of our era’s greatest musicians – Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus (who’s my pick for the best songwriter of this decade) – and each member features their best attributes on their songs (Bridgers’ vulnerably on “Emily I’m Sorry,” Baker’s tour-de-force vocals on “$20” and Dacus’ storytelling on “True Blue). But what really makes boygenius special is how each member complements the other’s strengths – insanely good harmonies, incredibly tight songwriting, and yes even more sick riffs.
Jesus Piece – …So Unknown
Release Date: April 14
Anticipated by Drew Beringer
I don’t know how I’ve survived the past five years without any new Jesus Piece in my life. Like what the fuck? Anyways, lately I’ve been feeling blessed by the two new tracks from the Philly-based quintet. “Gates of Horn” is just a start-stop blast of pulverizing energy, with vocalist Aaron Heard leading the charge alongside the heavy artillery attack from guitarists David Updike and John Distefano, while bassist Anthony Marinaro and drummer Luis Aponte provide the track’s undeniable groove. It’s one of the best heavy metal songs you’ll hear in 2023 (alongside “An Offering To The Night” which the band released earlier this year) setting the pace for the band’s Century Media debut, …So Unknown, to be one of the hottest heavy records this spring.