The best songs of 2023,a critic’s choice

The best songs of 2023,a critic’s choice

From Miley to Maple Glider,these are some of our favourite songs from this year.

  • byGiselle Au-Nhien Nguyen

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This album is the sonic equivalent of stopping to smell the flowers

This album is the sonic equivalent of stopping to smell the flowers

Jazz trumpeter and composer Phil Slater has crafted one of the timeless records of Australian music.

  • byBarry Divola,Robert Moran andJohn Shand
Vegas high:in an intimate setting,Kylie delivers nostalgia with sparkle
★★★★½
Kylie Minogue

Vegas high:in an intimate setting,Kylie delivers nostalgia with sparkle

Minogue’s 75-minute show knots the strands of her career - from gay dance clubs to great arena tours - into a sophisticated and sultry biography.

  • byMichael Idato
An icon takes a left turn on a new album that’s odd but hard to resist

An icon takes a left turn on a new album that’s odd but hard to resist

Yes,it’s true:Dolly Parton,at 77,has made her first “rock album”.

  • byRobert Moran,John Shand andAnnabel Ross
A star turn from the locals who’ve made it cool to yee-haw

A star turn from the locals who’ve made it cool to yee-haw

In Sydney’s inner west,country’s in vogue – and Caitlin Harnett and the Pony Boys are leading the charge.

  • byJohn Shand,Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen,Robert Moran andBenjamin Potter
A heel turn for the ages from pop’s reigning provocateur

A heel turn for the ages from pop’s reigning provocateur

If album rollouts won awards,Doja Cat’s Scarlet would sweep the lot.

  • byRobert Moran
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Nostalgia,fury and wit make Olivia Rodrigo’s new album a triumph
★★★★
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Nostalgia,fury and wit make Olivia Rodrigo’s new album a triumph

The pop superstar draws on a well of 2000s pop-rock influence to chart the angst heartbreak and the thirst for vengeance.

  • byGiselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
Eye-catching debut for the futuristic festival aiming to transform the city

Eye-catching debut for the futuristic festival aiming to transform the city

From turning the Royal Exhibition Building into a dance floor to a free trail of art,the Now or Never festival had lofty ambitions.

  • byNick Buckley
This jazz legend’s first solo album in 30 years is worth the wait
★★★★
Spectrum

This jazz legend’s first solo album in 30 years is worth the wait

Now 82,pianist Mike Nock again highlights why he’s an icon of Australian jazz.

  • byJohn Shand
It’s been a big year for Morgans in country music,this one trumps the lot
★★★★
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It’s been a big year for Morgans in country music,this one trumps the lot

Both raw and playful,Morgan Wade’s Psychopath is a compelling listen.

  • byAnnabel Ross,Barney Zwartz,Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen andRobert Moran
Barbie:a soundtrack for the ages? Sure,we’ll see in 30 years
★★★
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Barbie:a soundtrack for the ages? Sure,we’ll see in 30 years

The album tie-in to the hyped movie is intriguing enough,mainly thanks to Ryan Gosling’s power ballad.

  • byRobert Moran