12 ridiculously underrated songs from 2023

We basically write two kinds of articles here at AudioPhix. We cover contemporary music news, with album and concert reviews, and opinions on headline-grabbing stories. And we also look back. Way back to reappraisals of music from earlier generations. Those oftentimes provide new info for younger readers and pleasant nostalgia for … a more mature audience. Yes, that's the phrase I'll use.

I just had the bright idea to combine the two impulses. You don’t have to look way back. Sometimes merely reconsidering yesterday can yield surprising results. (Not “Yesterday” the Beatles song, mind you. That would be on one of those other aforementioned lists.) I’m talking about giving another listen to songs from the recent past.

So here’s what I did. I pulled up my long list of best songs from 2023. I skipped the ones I had in the top fifty, all of which I have written about previously. I looked at the next tier, the songs I really liked, but basically had forgotten about. You know how that goes. There’s new music coming out all the time. So you pick a few favs to add to your playlists and move on. Some really good tunes get left on the side of the road.

12 songs from 2023 that deserve far more attention

So I gave them all another listen. Liked most of them. Questioned my original feelings with a minority of them. And I really, really liked a few others. So that’s what we’re doing today. I’m calling it my dozen most overlooked songs of 2023, across all genres. They have all earned a place on my regular playlist as of today.

In no particular order other than alphabetical:

Em Beihold – “Roller Coasters Make Me Sad”

“Numb Little Bug” from Egg in the Backseat (2022) helped launch the pop singer-songwriter. She has followed it up with a whole bunch of singles that show off her sense of melodic pop and grander theatrical tendencies – none better than this indictment of the corporatization of fun.

“First they take you up a track – Build you up then take it back – Everybody else will laugh but – Roller coasters make me sad.”

Foyer Red – “Plumbers Unite!”

The Brooklyn quintet describes their music as “sweet yet abrasive.” The dueling vocal tracks of clarinetist Elana Riordan and guitar player Mitch Myers find their counterparts in the jagged musical impulses that bounce off each other while still managing to create a hooky post-punk melody.

“Running in place the place passes scrolls fast – yeah we’re in the pipes, plumbers unite (Utilize, pennywise, pocket-size”)

Geese – “3D Country”

Another post-punk band from Brooklyn that sounds nothing like Foyer Red. Cameron Winter’s ultra-cool baritone can sound country in one instance and soul in the next. This song, the title track from their second album, sees Geese spreading their wings with the support of a soulful choir and assorted strings. You can call it country soul.

“Since I was born, I heard the voice of the father – Goes in one ear and on out the other.”

Courtney Hadwin – “Monsters”

The 2023 winner of Little Steven’s Underground Garage's “Coolest Song in the World.” Need I say more? I’m not choosing any of the other Coolest Songs since they’re already getting some attention, but if you like this kind of ultra-cool blues rock, check out his website and radio show. You won’t be disappointed. As for Hadwin, the 20-year-old Brit with the voice of a legendary blues shouter, she’s worth far more than one listen.

“I’m afraid of myself every time I see the face in the mirror staring back at me – I don’t care how long it takes I gotta keep the monsters far away.”

Hamish Hawk – “Elvis Look-alike Shadows”

This is Smiths music for people who don’t like the Smiths. I should probably say that I don’t love all of the Irish singer’s Angel Numbers, but there are several other strong tracks, and this one is totally awesome.

“Back in the wretched day I was ill-shapen clay – And suffering didn’t fit me – I could stand up and sing, fidget with a shoestring – And act as if you’d bruised me.”

Kade Hoffman – “Wanderlust”

He wears a cowboy hat and picks a guitar like the finest of Nashville cats, but Kade Hoffman is from Colorado and there is a restless western flair to his songs. That suits “Wanderlust” just fine, with its fiddle and banjo racing along for the ride.

“You could see it in her eyes, a thirst to leave that town – The tattoo on her forearm had it all written down – Big bold letters and dark black ink – The word 'wanderlust' just as plain as you could see.”

Evan Honer – “How Could I Ever”

On the one hand, Evan Honer is a traditional country singer, with acoustic guitar and fiddle, and songs about drinking and demons. On the other hand, he’s a southern Californian kid with a bluesy alt/pop sensibility. It’s all there on “How Could I Ever.”

“It gets harder when I ain’t sober – That’s why I’m drinking every day until it’s over – And my thoughts run wild inside my head – But I push ‘em to the side to breathe instead.”

Brennen Leigh – “Running Out of Hope, Arkansas”

There’s nothing hybrid about Brennen Leigh. She’s as authentic a young country voice as you are going to hear. This anthemic declaration of independence follows in the fine tradition of country women leaving home in search of a bigger, better world.

“People only stop here because they’re passing through – And I ring ‘em up for diesel, cigarettes and Mountain Dew – They’re headed on to Dallas, or Nashville, Tennessee – I’ve never been past Little Rock and I’m damn near thirty-three.”

Metric – “Stone Window”

Part two of the Canadian synth rockers’ Formentera (2022), Formentera II continues the blend of progressive and glam rock that showcases Emily Haines’ ambitious songwriting. “Stone Window” throws even more into the mix, with a hint of blues and a strong dance beat.

“Stationed in another dimension, illuminating arrows of light – Spirit limitations are lifting - Opening a stone window.”

Jon Muq - “Runaway”

The Ugandan singer-songwriter, who has now settled in Austin, writes infectious songs of displacement and renewal and delivers them all in the sweetest of tenors. Muq’s songs invariably convey a sense of wonder, and “Runaway” does it best of all.

“I feel like a runaway – So I say, hey – Don’t care what the weatherman’s saying – Hey, hey – I’m not afraid of the storm that’s raging – It’s not mine, I gotta let go.”

The Murlocs – “Undone and Unashamed”

Modern R&B doesn’t come much better than the boys from Melbourne (Australia, that is – not Florida). This is old school, rocking and joyous, but posing a thoughtful question at the same time.

“Hey you, wearing that baby blue jean jacket – Cussing at the public and the police, playing chicken with the traffic”

Stolen Jars – “Reality TV”

Indie pop from Cody Fitzgerald and Sarah Coffey, who harmonize beautifully. From their fourth studio release, I Won’t Let Me Down. COVID derailed lots of plans, and it took Stolen Jars five years to finish I Won’t Let Me Down, but it was worth the wait. The songwriting and production are more intimate and immediate.

“I don’t want to fall in love so I won’t this time – But we’ve been living in your house for days and it feels like mine.”

There are a dozen for you to check out if you are so inclined. If you like the single, each artist has plenty more where it came from for you to dive into.

More music news and analysis: