The 20 Best Albums of 2023 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 6, 2023

Which albums impressed critics during the first half of the year? In the gallery on this page we rank the highest-scoring LPs released between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2023. Albums are ranked by their Metascores as of July 3, 2023 and must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible. Resissues, EPs, live albums, and compilations are excluded.

2 of 21 photo by XL Recordings

86 With a Hammer by Yaeji

(#19) Hammer is the studio album debut for the Brooklyn-based, Korean-American DJ and producer Kathy Yaeji Lee. The 13-song set follows her acclaimed 2020 mixtape What We Drew.

“In its refusal to sound anything like its alt-pop predecessors, With A Hammer is a breath of fresh air: innovative yet familiar, lackadaisically cool yet brave, a brilliant and sparkling window into the future. Its idiosyncrasies, consistently and wonderfully oxymoronic, are its greatest strength.” —DIY

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