Music that 'pushes sonic boundaries' tops 2023 critics poll

The Seattle Times has released its annual Best Local Albums of the Year list for 2023. Local music writers, DJs, and playlisters submit their top 10 favorite local albums, and the list is made up of the albums with the most votes.

KUOW’s Kevin Kniestedt sat down with Michael Rietmulder, music writer for the Seattle Times and curator of the list, about the top three albums on the list, and one of his personal favorites that made the cut.

1. Oble Reed, 'LINDENAVE!'

Michael Rietmulder: Number 1 on our list is the debut album from Oble Reed. The album's called "LINDENAVE!", which is kind of a nod to the street that he grew up on and the north end of Seattle. And I think what really instantly hits you is really just Reed’s rapping, like just in terms of pure ability, it's like the talent just cannot be denied. And he grew up on Christian rap and, I think one thing that you can kind of see in the through line there is he's really intentional about keeping his lyrics clean. And while that's certainly helpful for me playing his songs in the car with my kids, I think sometimes rappers who were really intentional about injecting a certain type of positivity into their songs can run the risk of having it come off a little corny, frankly, and Reed's able to do this in a very organic way without coming off heavy-handed.

2. Shabazz Palaces, 'Robed in Rareness'

Number 2 on the list is Robed in Rareness, a new seven song EP from Shabazz Palaces, the veteran experimental hip-hop project that's led by Ishmael Butler, who was a key member of 1990s jazz rap pioneers Digable Planets. As a music journalist, when you see an EP coming from really veteran established artists like this, the initial reaction is: How much weight should I give this? Is this just kind of a placeholder or a quick sample of what they're working on right now before a new, full -length album is coming up? But with this "Robed in Rareness" EP, honestly, it's up there with some of Butler's best work, which is saying a lot for somebody who's really been at the vanguard of alternative hip-hop for about 30 years.

3. Kassa Overall, 'Animals'

Number 3 is Kassa Overall and his "Animals" release. And he's a really great example of one of these artists who's kind of pushing sonic boundaries. He’s a really adventurous drummer, a classically trained jazz drummer and producer and rapper who cut their teeth in the New York jazz scene and does a lot of exploring of kind of that connective tissue of jazz and hip-hop, which is certainly something that's been done for quite a long time now. But with this new album "Animals," Kassa Overall is really doing this kind of jazz-rap hybrid in a really different way.

Curators’ choice: Dean Johnson, 'Nothing for Me, Please'

One album that stayed in my rotation all year was from Dean Johnson called "Nothing for Me, Please." Johnson is an incredible folk singer who's been around the Seattle scene for years now. And at 50 years old, he finally got around to releasing a pretty highly anticipated debut album. And this is a good example of one of those records that the first time I heard it, it felt like it had been with me for a long time. Johnson has this really gentle and comforting voice, and I love his ability to blend sort of that classic folk country craftsmanship with a really earnest introspection that I associate more with indie singer-songwriter type artists.