Reflecting on love and loss and looking for transcendence, Rayland Baxter’s fourth studio album closes out with a beautiful piano-driven ballad of raw emotion on “My Argentina.”

Brett Dennen seems to always land on the bright side, and his newest song, “This Is Gonna Be The Year” reflects his musings: "It’s about being brand new again,” he says. “When something, an idea, or an actual thing, is so new that you don’t know what it’s going to be like yet. You don’t know how far it can go or how great it can be. You can only imagine.”

Song stylist Emily King encourages us to take in every word as we enter the next 12 months of relationships, adventures, and self-motivation by putting lyrics to her vulnerability and a recent epiphany: “I wrote ‘This Year’ last New Year’s Eve after realizing I’d spent most of my time vying for the attention of someone who couldn’t love me back,” King says.

LA duo Warm Sound cheer in 2023 with “Infinity Eye,” the perfect anthem to kick off the new year with a hypnotic groove anchoring the duo’s haunting harmonies. And the lyrics — about the healing powers of introspection — couldn’t be more suited to the turn of the season.

Giving a nostalgic twist to the season,“Holiday” is Monogem’s reminder to take this time and take a break to enjoy some much needed time off, no matter what you celebrate! Happy holidays to you and your tribe.

We are partial to punky rock girl groups like Automatic, Wet Leg, and the kids in our own backyard, Madam Bombs. We’re adding Brooklyn pop-punk trio Thick to that list after hearing their power-punch of aural candy, “Happiness.”

By the sound of “Want To Know,” it’s hard to believe that Sofia Jensen, who works under the moniker Free Range, was once a rock bandleader. Warm and inviting, their understated work takes a microscopic look at life. We’ll keep our eye on this new artist in 2023.

Alums of KCRW’s Young Creators Project , Simi Valley-based garage punk trio Madam Bombs charge ahead with a new track to round out the year, “(Not) With Me,” providing us with propulsive angst releasing and an adrenaline-pumping ‘90s feels.

Mark Linkous, best known as Sparklehorse, passed away in 2010, but his music lives on thanks to the work of his brother Matt, who has been overseeing his estate and archive. A prolific artist who worked with a diverse range of collaborators ranging from Vic Chestnutt to Danger Mouse and David Lynch, he loved to record in his home studio. Gritty, distorted, and never-before-heard, “It Will Never Stop” was found among his tapes.