Jamila Woods

Best Songs of 2023

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Every year, it gets harder and harder to pull this off, as one kid becomes two kids and my spare time steadily shrinks. Plus, how many people out there actually care what my 18th favorite song of the year was? Well, if you’re reading this, you probably do care, so I greatly appreciate it. But also, if for no other reason, I at least need to do this to keep documenting each year’s music highlights for my own personal archival reasons, or I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

And I promise, even though it doesn’t sound like it, I did have fun doing it, too.

Playlist links, then honorable mentions, then #50-21 listed out, then the top 20 with some written commentary. Enjoy.

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Five Quality Tracks: November 2017

1. Pinegrove: “Intrepid”

No band makes me feel things quite like Pinegrove. This might sound dumb to anyone who doesn’t care about sports, but the first time I heard “Intrepid” was at my computer browsing the Internet, trying to take my mind off the fact that the Dodgers were currently on the verge of losing Game 7 of the World Series after a season’s worth of build-up and excitement. I wasn’t despondent — that had happened after they lost an insane, drama-filled Game 5 by a score of 13-12 in extra innings — but I was feeling pretty dejected. But when I played “Intrepid,” I started to feel comforted. It struck the exact tone that I needed — not too happy, not too sad, but affirming and warm. Understanding. “Don’t let it get to you, you said.” So then I played it again, and again, and again…

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Five (*15!) Quality Tracks: May, June, July 2017

I fell very far behind on Five Quality Tracks, and for that I apologize. Here are 15 tracks from the last three months that grabbed me, surprised me, and moved me. (By the way, I should note that these tracks are NOT in order of how much I like them. The order is arbitrary.)

1. The National: “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”

When I saw that the National had released a new single, I knew it would be good. But I didn’t know it would be this good. The National don’t “rock out” that often, usually opting for more deliberate mood pieces, but they let their hair down a little bit on “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness.” The song is built on an insanely catchy drum beat and bass line, with that punchy five-note guitar riff punctuating the song throughout. There’s even a guitar solo! Matt Berninger’s comforting baritone, the one we know and love, is present here, but my favorite part is when he passionately raises his voice an octave, exclaiming “I cannot explain it, ahh-ahhh, any other, any other way!” The song is incredibly gratifying and portends well for the coming album.

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