2023 aoty: Don’t Fall Asleep by My Wife’s an Angel

Yes, we waited until the last possible minute to release our album of the year list. most AOTY articles have already been released; pitchfork and stereogum both put out their lists in the first week of December. That being said, the artists we like to cover typically aren’t bound to the schedule of the broader music industry, and for our AOTY list a few last-minute additions were worth waiting until the actual end of the year. 

How do you go about picking your #1 album of the year? Do you prioritize thoughtful songwriting, the best production value, the catchiest riffs? These components have merit, of course, but we at Outside Noise selected a record that represents the general mood of the year as well. A record that gives us an anchor point for the chaos and banality we face. Released in October this year, Don’t Fall Asleep by My Wife’s An Angel barrels forward at full-speed towards a cliff's edge, capturing the inevitable burnout and burn-down through turbulent, panicked no wave. This strung-out album is meant to be played fast and loud enough to drown out any anxieties about running out of cigarettes or not making your rent this month. My Wife’s An Angel really captured our attention earlier in December when we saw them perform at a bar in Philly. Their live show was just unforgettable, panicked and high energy in a way that translates perfectly in the recorded album. This project is on the pulse, not only sonically with its spidery guitars and funky basslines, but in its overall expression of existing through late stage capitalism.

- Carrie / Kalen